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UNC Shut Out of 2026 NFL Draft, Testing Belichick’s ‘33rd Team’ Experiment

The zero-pick draft undercuts UNC’s pro pipeline pitch.

Overview

  • North Carolina finished the 2026 NFL Draft without a single selection.
  • The shutout made UNC one of 10 Power Four teams without a pick and ended an eight-year run that last stalled in 2016.
  • Belichick and GM Michael Lombardi marketed UNC as an NFL-style operation they called the “33rd team.”
  • Yahoo Sports reported limits on NFL scout access at UNC, including a ban on Patriots staff tied to Belichick’s dispute with owner Robert Kraft.
  • Cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, UNC’s top prospect, went undrafted after a combine invite and later signed with the New York Giants as a free agent.