It seems conceivable that upwards of eight Ducks could be selected in the first two rounds of next year's NFL Draft. Quarterback Dante Moore is seen as a first round lock, and similar indications exist for defensive linemen like A'Mauri Washington and Matayo Uiagalelei.
There's a slew of others who appear too talented not to be taken in a similar range. That list includes tight end Jamari Johnson, safety Koi Perich and a few more defensive linemen in Bear Alexander and Teitum Tuioti.
What is less clear is where center Iapani Laloulu fits into the 2027 NFL Draft puzzle.
Last week CBS Sports college football and draft analyst Cooper Petagna joined the Autzen Audibles podcast to discuss Oregon's potential historic draft haul. In Petagna's eyes, the Ducks have one of the sport's top collegiate centers, but that doesn't mean he'll come off the board immediately next spring.
"Center is interesting," he started. "If we look at this past year, I think Parker Brailsford from Alabama — the former Washington transfer — was a little bit of an undersized guy, but he played the position exceptionally well. I think he went in the fourth to Cleveland. I think Connor Lew from Auburn, who missed the entire season with injury, also went in the fourth to Cincinnati. To me, that's kind of where Laloulu would be. If you wanted to talk me into the end of day two, I could see that as well."
Centers are hard to gauge, Petagna acknowledges. It's the least diverse offensive line position making its value on an NFL roster complicated.
"Here's the thing with center: If you're not cross-trained to play guard and teams don't see starting upside, that's a tough spot. What I mean by that is the difference between going in the third or fourth round as a guy they could see as a starter versus being a one-position guy who is going to be a backup. We're talking about the back end of the second or early third round all the way to late third," he explained. "For him, I think he'll be on the front side of that. He's a good player, and all these guys are going to benefit from coming back."
Laloulu, who is commonly referred to by his nickname "Poncho", is entering his third year as Oregon's starting center. A year ago he was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, while also earning All-Big Ten honors.
Aside from the position he plays, what is keeping Poncho from being a first or second round pick?
"It's not so much the frame with him. It's that he's a little heavy-footed at times. I would say the reactionary quickness to come off the first block and sustain blocks at a consistent level is something he struggles with," he said. "The Indiana game was tough. It felt like they threw everything at him. That was tough for everybody on Oregon, but he struggled a little bit there. You see some of the good things he can do, but I kind of see him more in the developmental bucket at the NFL level."
~ You can listen to the entire 30-plus minute podcast interview below ~