2026 NFL Draft: Why Jordyn Tyson ‘Wouldn’t Be Here’ Without Big Brother Jaylon

Editor’s note: This story was originally published before the New Orleans Saints selected Jordyn Tyson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Tyson brothers will be 315 miles apart at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night. And they each know exactly where the other will be at the moment the clock strikes eight. For Jaylon Tyson, his Cleveland Cavaliers will be on the court in Toronto for the opening tip of Game 3 in their playoff series against the Raptors. Jordyn Tyson, the Arizona State receiver and top NFL Draft prospect, will be with the rest of their family in the green room in Pittsburgh watching NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell take the stage to declare the 2026 draft open. It seems like bad luck that these events start at the same moment. But Jaylon sees a silver lining. “There’s a teaching moment within this, because you have to understand it’s a business that you’re about to walk into,” he told me by phone on Wednesday. “It’s your job; it’s your livelihood. So I got to take care of my job.” That’s the big brother talking — and always looking to impart wisdom in his little bro. In terms of following where Jordyn lands, Jaylon said he thinks he’ll wait until halftime, when a Cavs staffer will inform him. It’s one of the things Jordyn admires most about his brother: his professionalism. A month ago, not knowing what the NBA playoff schedule would look like, Jordyn told me that it would be “really special” if Jaylon could be there on draft night. Because Jordyn had been there for Jaylon in 2024 when the Cavaliers selected the 6-foot-6 shooting guard in Round 1 at 20th overall. “It was amazing,” Jordyn said, then growing somber. “But just to be honest, like it was messed up, because [on the TV graphics] it was like, ‘Next 15: Best available.’ He wasn’t on the next 15 when he was drafted. So just seeing people continue to just sleep on everything he’s done, everything he’s endured, everything he’s been grinding for and just people keep continuing to sleep on him. It’s just about him just continuing to prevail and prevail.” It didn’t matter that the draft broadcast wasn’t listing Jaylon when Cleveland selected him. All that mattered was that Cleveland selected him. And once all the excitement had settled down, Jaylon spoke to his little brother. “You’re up next,” Jaylon remembered saying. “Yeah, if it’s in God’s plan,” Jordyn responded. “No,” Jaylon said. “It’s going to happen.” At that time, Jordyn had yet to emerge on the college scene. He suffered a knee injury (ACL, MCL, PCL) in 2022 at Colorado. And then in 2023, after transferring to ASU, Jordyn went without a single catch in three appearances. So on Jaylon’s draft night, Jordyn’s future was uncertain. He had no real sense of what 2024 would bring. That was when Jordyn felt like he needed his brother the most. “I feel like without him, I wouldn’t be here,” Jordyn told me. “I wasn’t on the field, wasn’t competing. It was him continually just calling me to say, ‘You’re gonna be fine. You’re gonna be fine. Just keep going. Just keep working. That’s all you got to do.’ So just him constantly being in my ear, repeating kind of the same stuff.” They talk about more than just ball. In fact, those were the conversations Jordyn valued as much as the ones about sports. Because when they talked about life — from clothes to video games to something important that happened to them that day — it took Jordyn’s mind off his knee. In 2024 at ASU, Jordyn had a breakout season with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns. But then, it was Jaylon who was struggling. His first NBA season didn’t go as he had hoped. He wasn’t getting minutes with the Cavs and spent a lot of time in the G League with the Cleveland Charge. That’s when there was a role reversal that wasn’t always comfortable. “It was one of the hardest times in my athletic career — not being able to play, wanting to be out there,” Jaylon said. “[Jordyn] was there for me. He challenged me, and as big bro, I didn’t really like it at first, but I understood where it was coming from. It’s coming from a good place, and my goal was just, don’t show him any weakness, because if I showed him weakness, then how would he do when adversity came to him?” Doubt crept into Jaylon’s mind. Jordyn, who had enjoyed his breakout season at ASU, knew exactly how to tackle that feeling. “I don’t know if it helped him or not, or I don’t know how he really took it, because he’s big bro. He got to stay strong for me,” Jordyn told me. “I was like, ‘Just keep going.’ Kind of the same thing he was telling me. ‘Just keep going.’ He was doubting his play. And I was like, ‘Bro, you’re a good player. You’re a great player. And shoot, let it all play out. Just keep being you. Keep being yourself, and don’t crash out about something that you can’t control.’” Jaylon had his breakout season this year, playing in 66 games for the Cavaliers and averaging 13.2 points. As good as these brothers are to one another, they are fiercely competitive with one another. So I wondered: How will Jaylon respond if Jordyn gets picked earlier than No. 20? “That’s already done. He’s already beat me on that one,” Jaylon told me. It’s true: Everyone expects Tyson to go in the top 10 picks. But! “I always got the edge because I was the first to do everything. I was the first to go D-I, and I was the first to be a first-round pick,” Jaylon said. [Ranking and Evaluating the Top 10 Wide Receivers] There are two more things you should know about these brothers. First, if they’re competing against each other, steer clear. You might catch a stray. “Everything we did was competing. If our parents gave us $5, I’m getting $3 and you’re getting $2,” Jaylon said. “When we started getting older and we started getting stronger, our parents couldn’t let us keep fighting like we used to, because we were trying to kill each other.” And when they played football together, especially. “We were trying to tear each other’s head off.” Then there’s the second thing. If they’re competing against you, get out of the way. They’re coming for you. “It’s us versus the world,” Jaylon said. “It was always like that.” It makes sense that Jordyn doesn’t need Jaylon on Thursday night. And Jaylon doesn’t need Jordan. Sure, it’s always better when they’re together. But given all they’ve been through — and the way they’ve come out, they are both in prime positions to enjoy their night. The Cavaliers are up 2-0 in the series, with Jaylon playing a key rotational role. Jordyn seems to have won over the hearts of multiple teams picking in the top 10 — and certainly in the top half of the first round. He’ll hear his name early in the night. They owe their success to each other. And when they do finally connect on Thursday night, and they’re both first-round picks, here’s what Jaylon will tell Jordyn. “Don’t let nobody change you,” Jaylon said. “In this world and this industry, there’s going to be a lot of people who have something to say about you. There’s always going to be critics. But never change who you are. Remember what got you to this moment. Stay true to yourself.”