Draft expert has 3 Notre Dame players in early 2027 first-round mock
Draft expert predicts three Notre Dame players in 2027 NFL Draft first round.
North Carolina football had a disappointing 2026 NFL Draft, failing to have any players selected for the first time since 2016. This outcome raises concerns for both the Tar Heels and Bill Belichick, who previously referred to the program as the NFL's '33rd team.'
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How did North Carolina football do in NFL draft under Bill Belichick?
The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and it's one that North Carolina and Bill Belichick will likely want to forget about.
For the first time since 2016, the Tar Heels failed to have a single player selected with one of the 257 picks across the three-day event in Pittsburgh.
That takeaway is quite eye-opening, not just from a Power Four conference level, but also the fact that Belichick and UNC general manager Michael Lombardi dubbed the Tar Heels' program as the NFL's "33rd team" with their day-to-day operations and development from their first day in Chapel Hill.
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"Everything we do here is predicated on building a pro team," Lombardi said in February of 2025. "We consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team, 'cause everybody who’s involved in our program has had some form of aspect in pro football.'"
North Carolina football failed to have any players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, marking a significant decline in their draft performance.
The term '33rd team' suggests that North Carolina's football program was viewed as closely integrated with NFL operations, emphasizing their development and training approach.
Bill Belichick's involvement highlights the expectations placed on North Carolina football, making their lack of drafted players in 2026 particularly notable.
Failing to draft players can negatively affect North Carolina football's recruiting efforts and overall program reputation, potentially hindering future success.
Draft expert predicts three Notre Dame players in 2027 NFL Draft first round.
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Celebrities and former players took the stage to announce picks during the 2026 NFL Draft.
See the familiar faces who helped deliver selections across draft weekend.
Above, Former Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Mark Ingram II poses on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pat McAfee speaks on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Joe Haden speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Jimbo Covert walks on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Former Buffalo Bills Shane Conlan speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dwight Stephenson walks on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Matt Millen speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Curtis Martin walks on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (center) with former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Lynn Swann (left) and running back Jerome Bettis during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium.
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Celebrities and former players took the stage to announce picks during the 2026 NFL Draft.
See the familiar faces who helped deliver selections across draft weekend.
Above, Former Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1 / 10
Celebrities and former players took the stage to announce picks during the 2026 NFL Draft.
See the familiar faces who helped deliver selections across draft weekend.
Above, Former Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Mark Ingram II poses on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Pat McAfee speaks on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
4 / 10
Joe Haden speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
5 / 10
Jimbo Covert walks on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Former Buffalo Bills Shane Conlan speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Dwight Stephenson walks on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Matt Millen speaks during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Curtis Martin walks on stage during Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (center) with former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Lynn Swann (left) and running back Jerome Bettis during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium.
UNC finished as one of four ACC programs and one of 10 Power Four programs without a single player drafted. The Tar Heels entered the draft coming off back-to-back years of having a first-round pick, and had multiple players selected in four of the last five NFL drafts since 2020.
While the Tar Heels did not have a singular draft pick, they have had several players sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. As noted by The Fayetteville Observer, part of the USA TODAY Network, these players include (at the time of this writing): CB Thaddeus Dixon (New York Giants), OL Austin Blaske (Los Angeles Rams), CB Marcus Allen (Minnesota Vikings) and OL Chad Lindberg (Los Angeles Rams).
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North Carolina's discouraging results in the NFL are also a mirror image of how the Belichick era in Chapel Hill turned out last season.
The Tar Heels finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in ACC play, the fewest wins since the final year of the Larry Fedora era in 2018, when they won just two games. Following a 2-1 start to the season, the Tar Heels lost four consecutive games from the middle of September through the middle of October, and then would lose each of their last three games of the season.
Belichick is set to begin his second season with the Tar Heels against TCU in Dublin in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on Saturday, August 29.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How UNC football did in NFL draft after Bill Belichick's first year