Kewan Lacy, the star running back from Ole Miss, is officially done for the 2026 season due to injury, a development that honestly felt inevitable after how his year has played out. This isn’t just about missing games, though. This is about his entire NFL Draft stock taking a massive, gut-wrenching tumble, leaving everyone wondering if he’ll even declare or try to rebuild his value in college next year.
From Breakout Star to Injury Nightmare
Let’s be real, Lacy’s 2026 season was a disaster. He finishes with just 388 yards and five touchdowns over six games, a far cry from what everyone expected. He’s been “dinged up all season,” playing limited snaps in most games, and hasn’t even seen the field since October 24 when Ole Miss lost to Texas. It’s a brutal turn for a guy who was an absolute machine in 2025, leading the entire country with 306 attempts, racking up 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns. Plus, he was a legit threat in the passing game with 29 catches for 177 yards. His explosiveness was undeniable last year. This season? The Rebels’ rushing attack took a hit, dropping from 176.3 yards per game in 2025 to just 147.3 yards this year, and you know a big part of that is Lacy’s absence and his limited effectiveness when he *did* play.
The NFL Draft Stock Plummet No One Saw Coming
This is where it gets real for Lacy. Last year, as a true sophomore, he couldn’t even declare for the NFL Draft, which might’ve been the peak of his stock. Now? It’s taken a “massive tumble.” Mike Renner from CBS Sports just dropped his latest three-round NFL mock draft, and he’s got Lacy going as the No. 59 overall pick, heading to the Minnesota Vikings. That’s a huge drop for a guy who, just a year ago, had the talent to be the *first* running back off the board. Renner didn’t mince words, noting that Lacy isn’t “even close to first-round” after this “disastrous 2026 season.” It’s not just the injury, either. NFL teams are reportedly looking hard at his size, 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, and his health, which, clearly, is a major question mark now.
On top of all that, the league has cooled significantly on taking running backs in the first round. We’ve seen only three first-round running backs in the last five drafts, and the last two classes were particularly rough. Guys like Jeremiyah Love (No. 4 overall in 2026), Jadarian Price (No. 32 in 2026), Ashton Jeanty (No. 6 in 2025), and Omarion Hampton (No. 22 in 2025) have all been “massive disappointments” so far. The question for Lacy is whether NFL teams see him closer to those names or in the same tier as superstars like Bijan Robinson (No. 8 in 2023) and Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12 in 2023). Based on Renner’s insight, it’s not looking good for that top tier.
This puts Lacy in a tough spot heading into the offseason. Does he gamble on one more college season, hoping to return fully healthy and absolutely tear up defenses, sending his stock soaring back up? Or does he take the second-round money and the risk of the NFL now? It’s a massive decision, and his entire future hangs in the balance.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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