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Since 2007, more than 450 players from the SEC have been selected in the NFL Draft, which is by far the most of any conference during that span.
In each of the last 10 drafts, more SEC players have been taken than those from any other conference. The SEC had 63 players taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, the most of any conference in a single draft in history.
That’s not surprising considering the quality of teams within the SEC and their success over the past decade, which includes eight national championships since 2006.
It’s safe to say that the conference has won each NFL Draft during the last 10 years, but can it accomplish such in 2017?
Things could start quickly on Thursday, as many mock drafts project three SEC players to be taken within the first five picks, including Texas A&M star Myles Garrett at No. 1 overall. If Garrett is the first player off the board, he would become the fifth SEC player taken with the top pick since 2007.
The other players with strong projections to go in the top five on Thursday are former LSU safety Jamal Adams and former Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. Both Adams (below) and Allen are impact defenders with strong leadership qualities who should be able to contribute immediately for whichever teams draft them.
In the past decade, only the 2011 NFL Draft had at least three SEC players taken in the top five, which illustrates the rarity of such an accomplishment.
SEC fans could see a record flurry of players taken in the first round. In 2013, the SEC had 12 first-round selections, which tied the ACC for the most first-round picks by a single conference.
According to many of the final mock drafts by various experts, the SEC is expected to have somewhere between 10 and 14 players selected in the first round. The average projection places 12 players from the conference in the first round, which would tie the record.
Outside of the first 32 picks, the SEC projects to be in good shape; CBS Sports has given 64 players a draftable grade. If that indeed comes to fruition and at least 64 players are taken in the 2017 NFL Draft, it would break the all-time record.
“Winning” the draft might seem like a pointless bragging point, but the outcome can end up benefiting the conference. For high school prospects with dreams of playing on Sundays, SEC teams are proudly able to explain that no other conference puts more players in the NFL.
Continuing this pipeline to the pros gives the SEC a nice recruiting advantage, which, in turn, keeps the cycle going.
Now, we all know that draft projections aren’t always accurate. It’s extremely difficult to get inside the head of a competitive organization that operates largely in secrecy, let alone 32. Not to mention the annual Draft Day slides that affect some players, including former Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil in 2016.
It’s nearly impossible to predict how teams will act in these high-pressure situations with so much on the line, but that’s what makes the draft a fun event to follow.
In any case, the SEC looks to be in great shape to emerge from NFL Draft weekend victorious for the 11th consecutive year.
