The Oklahoma Sooners had seven players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, and several are already playing key roles as rookies on their NFL clubs. However, a couple of former OU standouts have consistently performed well through the NFL's first seven weeks.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) and writer Gordon McGuinness released a list of their top 15 highest-graded rookies in the league so far this season, and two former Sooners made the cut. First was former linebacker Kendal Daniels, who now plays for the Atlanta Falcons. He checked in at No. 5, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that he suffered a scary-looking injury and came back to action last week.
"Daniels was phenomenal for the Atlanta Falcons in Sunday's win over the San Francisco
49ers, earning a 90.5 PFF grade. He recorded 10 solo tackles, three of which resulted in defensive stops, and came away with his first career interception." - Gordon McGuinness, PFF.
Daniels spent just one season in Norman, but he had immediate impact in 2025. He was a starter on OU's vaunted defense, and he was a perfect fit at the Cheetah position. His overall grade right now as a rookie is 77.7.
Also making the list was former defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings, who now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He checked in at No. 7 on the list, quite the feat for a seventh-round pick.
"Spears-Jennings delivered another solid performance for the Steelers in Sunday's win over the Saints in Paris, earning a 76.5 PFF grade. He has yet to earn a PFF grade below 60.0 in a game during his young career and has missed just one of his 15 tackle attempts as a rookie." - McGuinness, PFF.
Spears-Jennings played for the Sooners for four years, developing into the leader of the OU secondary as a senior in 2025. He was one of the foundational players that helped Oklahoma build its defense in the early years of the Brent Venables era.
The Sooners had their most productive NFL draft in awhile this past year, and there are multiple players who are already making their mark at the next level.
OU Football NFL Rookies 2026
- DL R Mason Thomas - Kansas City Chiefs - Round 2, Pick 40
- OL Febechi Nwaiwu - Houston Texans - Round 4, Pick 106
- DL Gracen Halton - San Francisco 49ers - Round 4, Pick 107
- LB Kendal Daniels - Atlanta Falcons - Round 4, Pick 134
- DB Robert Spears-Jennings - Pittsburgh Steelers - Round 7, Pick 224
- TE Jaren Kanak - Tennessee Titans - Round 7, Pick 225
- WR Deion Burks - Indianapolis Colts - Round 7, Pick 254
- DL Damonic Williams - Arizona Cardinals - Undrafted
- RB Jaydn Ott - Kansas City Chiefs - Undrafted
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Two former Sooners among PFF's highest-graded rookies this season
