Four FCS players, zero HBCU players taken in the 2026 NFL draft

The 2026 NFL draft is complete. Four FCS players were selected in this year's draft, led by Southeastern Louisiana defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor, who went 104th overall in the fourth round. Here's a breakdown of who was selected.

4 FCS players selected in the 2026 NFL draft

See every FCS player selected below:

Watch Cole Payton’s FCS postseason highlights at NDSU. Payton was drafted no. 178 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Eagles. 🦬➡️🦅

PAST FCS NFL DRAFT PICKS: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020

2026 NFL draft breakdown

In total there were...

14 Group of 5 players picked
4 FCS players
1 International Players
0 DII Players
0 HBCU players

A total of 18 non P4 players

2025 for comparison

19 G5 picks (w/ Washington State)
8 FCS picks
0 Intl. picks
0 DII picks
1…

— Stan Becton (@stan_becton)

Breakdown by conference

Here's the complete breakdown of FCS selections by conference

Breakdown by position

Notables

• 2026 marked the first time in the history of the FCS that a player has not been selected from the subdivision in the first three rounds.
• The fourth and fifth round saw the most FCS players selected with two in each round.
• No team selected multiple FCS players. That differs from last year when the Las Vegas Raiders selected three FCS players.
• North Dakota State was the only FCS team with multiple players drafted. 2026 joins 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2025 as the fifth year in the program's FCS history with multiple NFL draft picks.
• Kaleb Proctor is the first draft pick from Southeastern Louisiana to be drafted since Harlan Miller was selected in the sixth-round in 2016, also by the Cardinals.
• Charles Demmings is the seventh player from Stephen F. Austin to get selected in the NFL draft since 2000.
• Bryce Lance and Cole Payton are North Dakota State's 16th and 17th players drafted since becoming an FCS program in 2004. With the Bison leaving the FCS in 2026, they are the final NDSU FCS selections.
• North Dakota State has had a player drafted in seven of the last eight seasons, dating back to 2019. 2024 was the lone year the Bison didn't have a draft pick.
• Lance is the second wide receiver drafted from North Dakota State, joining Christian Watson's selection in 2022.
• Lance's brother is Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021 out of North Dakota State.
• Payton's selection makes it five straight North Dakota State starting quarterbacks to be drafted, dating back to 2013. The starting signal-caller lineage goes: Carson Wentz (2013-15), Easton Stick (2016-18), Trey Lance (2019-21), Cam Miller (2021-24) and Cole Payton (2025).
• North Dakota State's five quarterbacks selected since 2014 are tied for the most of any program — regardless of division — with Alabama and Ohio State.
• UIW's Jalen Walthall was the only FCS player invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine that didn't hear his name called in the draft.

MORE: These are the highest FCS first-round NFL draft picks ever

0 HBCU football players selected in the 2026 NFL draft

For the second time in the last three years, there wasn't an HBCU football player selected. Alabama A&M offensive lineman Carson Vinson (Baltimore Ravens, 2025) was the lone HBCU football player drafted across the last three seasons.

Of note: DT Uar Bernard was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round out of Nigeria via the International Pathway Program. Bernard participated in the 2026 HBCU showcase but didn't attend an HBCU or college at all.

While the NFL draft has concluded, expect several FCS and HBCU players to find NFL homes as undrafted free agents.