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Drafting Local: The teams most likely to add homegrown stars in the 2026 NFL Draft

The Cowboys had success drafting Texas natives Tyler Guyton and Tyler Smith. In 2026, they're one of five teams with reasons to keep it local again.
Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr.
Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. | Sam Hodde/GettyImages

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • Several NFL franchises are perfectly positioned to target homegrown talent and keep local stars close to home in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
  • Teams like the Cowboys, Rams and Browns can have their cake and eat it too by drafting regional talents like Anthony Hill Jr., Makai Lemon, or Carnell Tate.
  • Drafting hometown kids provides a massive PR boost. It generates immense fan excitement while capitalizing on deep, familiar regional talent pools.

The NFL Draft pairs teams with the best college prospects entering the professional game, but without fail there are always a few franchises that select players who — coincidentally or not — have strong geographical ties to that team.

That can sometimes be a great PR boost. A hometown kid local fans remember from his high school recruiting days returning or a product of a local college continuing his career without having to go far is a great story. The 2026 NFL Draft has plenty of prospects who could land with teams they either grew up around or lived near during their college tenures.

Let's take a look at some teams with ample opportunity and motive to pick these prospects.

Dallas Cowboys

Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy
Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

You'd be hard-pressed to find any college prospect that wouldn't love to play for "America's Team," especially if they've ever lived in Texas. The Cowboys have drafted local products as recently as 2024 with former TCU and Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton. They drafted Fort Worth native Tyler Smith out of Tulsa in 2022. Both have found considerable success wearing the star, so owner Jerry Jones may be on to something by picking Texas boys.

This year there are a couple of such options Dallas can look at in the first and second rounds. Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy is a native of Tyler and is widely seen as a first-round pick. Jones could take him as early as No. 12 or No. 20 overall. Alternatively, Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who was born in Denton, played three seasons in Austin and could be a late first-round selection for Jones in addition to McCoy.

Los Angeles Rams

USC Trojans wide receivers Ja'Kobi Lane (8), Makai Lemon (6)
USC Trojans wide receivers Ja'Kobi Lane (8), Makai Lemon (6) | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Rams are in need of some serious offensive help. Davante Adams is Hall of Fame bound, but he's not got that much longer in his career, and Puca Nacua is dealing with off-the-field issues of his own, which opens up some glaring vacancies for Matthew Stafford. Drafting a rookie pass catcher (or two) that can assume those roles in the near future would be a prudent decision.

The team doesn't have to turn far for that help, as there are two USC products in this draft class who fit the bill. Makai Lemon is expected to be taken in the first round and could fall to the Rams at No. 13 overall if teams in the top 10 choose to roll with Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson or Ohio State's Carnell Tate. Additionally, Lemon's teammate Ja'Kobi Lane could be a bargain bin steal in later rounds to provide much-needed depth in the receiver room.

New Orleans Saints

LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane (4)
LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane (4) | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Saints look like a team on the rise, which means their selections in this draft will be critical in sustaining that upward trajectory. Thankfully for them, there's a university in the northern part of the state that consistently produces top-tier talent: Louisiana State University. This year there are 12 LSU prospects eligible to be selected, but two of them in particular stand out for the Saints' needs.

At No. 7 overall, New Orleans may be focusing on boosting its secondary. LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane is considered the best prospect at his position in this draft, so it would be a home run pick for the Saints to snag him and make his travel short. And as much as quarterback Tyler Shough looks like the team's QB for the immediate future, he's going to need a solid backup, and Spencer Rattler looks like a guy who has one foot out the door already. Lake Charles native Garrett Nussmeier, who spent five seasons as a Tiger, could be that late-round depth addition to give New Orleans flexibility at the position.

Cleveland Browns

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The shores of Lake Erie are a long way from Columbus, Ohio, but the Cleveland Browns have been on a recent spree of taking former Buckeyes in the draft. Including 2018, the team has picked six Ohio State products — including three in the first two rounds. The Browns own four selections in the top 100 slots this year and have an ample amount of former scarlet-and-gray-clad prospects to choose from.

With picks No. 6 and 24 in particular, the Browns could find multiple studs emerging from the Buckeye program. Wide receiver Carnell Tate, safety Caleb Downs or linebacker Sonny Styles would be excellent selections to boost the team in multiple areas of need. In fact, Styles is a Pickerington native, so there's a nice story to capitalize on there by bringing in a somewhat local boy to Cleveland.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson
Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cardinals may not have much of a history of drafting products from the state, but they do tend to wind up back in the desert at some point in their careers. They've drafted exactly four local boys since 2018, instead choosing to look elsewhere for talent. This year the team can embrace the valley and utilize its first and second round picks (Nos. 3 and 34) to bring home top talent.

Arizona State produced two players who can easily be taken in both rounds. Wideout Jordyn Tyson and offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, though the Cardinals would need to trade back from No. 3 to avoid taking Tyson too high. If they go elsewhere at No. 3, they could always take Gilbert native Caleb Lomu, who played for the Utah Utes in college and is projected to be a late first-rounder or early second-rounder.

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