​In the past, especially for the NFL Draft, I’ve written look-ahead articles that preview the pro prospects still on UNC rosters and what their outlook is for the next 365 days. With no UNC players picked in the 2026 NFL Draft, such an article didn’t make sense, but now that UNC has produced 2 NBA Draft picks and 6 MLB Draft picks this summer, it feels more worth previewing all three major men’s sports in terms of the pros that they might produce next year.The 8 players drafted are an increase from the 6 in 2025 (Omarion Hampton, Drake Powell, Luke Stevenson, Kane Kepley, Aidan Haugh, Jake Knapp), though with 3 first-round picks, the previous year was a little more top-heavy. Both are a bit of a downturn from the 10 in 2024 (3 NFL, 1 NBA, 6 MLB, though Haugh counts twice for ‘24 and ‘25), so I’ll be looking for the athletic department at large to keep the positive momentum going.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis year was the first since 2016 in which UNC football didn’t have a player selected in the NFL Draft, another inauspicious mark on Bill Belichick’s record in Chapel Hill. While I don’t necessarily think he’s going to turn this into a streak, it’s hard to know for sure because of how young and unknown this roster is; the Heels are banking on a lot of guys to do things that they haven’t really done before — whether that’s transfers in for a larger role or players fresh out of high school being asked to excel as college players immediately out of the gate.That said, they’ve got an established guy on each side of the ball who’s going to be the main subject of everything written about this team this fall:Wide receiver Jordan Shipp had a mini-breakout year in 2025, making plays in every game despite a badly quarterbacked and worse-coordinated offense en route to 671 yards and 6 of UNC’s 13 receiving touchdowns. The 6’2, 190-pounder is a smooth route runner with excellent hands that he uses to pluck the ball away from his frame and win contested catches, and I also love his physicality against press. I don’t know that he has the top-end speed to really thrive in the NFL in the role he plays in college, but there’s no doubt he plays the game at a high level. New offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has a history of getting really high production out of his best ball-carrying positions, so Shipp has an opportunity to take another leap in productivity and really get himself on the map as a junior. I see him as an early-mid Day 3 pick with some room to rise.On defense, there was nothing mini about edge rusher Melkart Abou-Jaoude’s breakout, as the transfer from Delaware led the ACC in sacks with 10.5 in his first season as a Tar Heel. Still, I’m a little lower on his draft prospects than Shipp’s. For one, he was draft-eligible this year and didn’t declare, which both makes him an older prospect than Shipp and likely means the NFL didn’t value him enough for him to go pro after a 10-sack season