NFL Draft: The SEC Leads All Conferences in Draft Picks

Another edition of the NFL Draft has come and gone. This installment was like no other due mainly to the fact that it was the first ever virtual draft. Coaches, GMs, and players were seen making their moves at the comfort of their homes. This seemed to flow much better. The newly adopted atmosphere was free of the hoopla commonly associated with it. It provided all participating with a setting that was a lot simpler and more intimate. Once more, it seemed to resonate well with viewers across the board. The virtual 2020 NFL Draft averaged a record 8.4 million viewers over all 3 days on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network. This total surpassed that of last year’s edition, which had 6.2 million viewers.

The obvious question to fans of each Power 5 conference now is, who dominated the list of most drafted players. Yet again, the Southeastern Conference claimed that crown over all of its counter parts by a considerable margin. They had the most selections with 63. The BIG 10 finished second with 48, followed by the PAC-12 with 32, ACC with 27, and the BIG 12 with 21. It should come as no shock being that it’s champion is usually competing for or hoisting the national championship trophy come season’s end. In addition to that, their teams are usually victors in their respective bowl games. Based on what history has shown, SEC players seem to be the most NFL-ready and currently hold the most roster spots than any other conference. Here is a breakdown of each team from the SEC, how many players were drafted, the players, and where they landed:

A tradition unlike any other.

For the 14th straight year, the SEC has the most players selected in the #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/8JYDXk7WSQ

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) April 26, 2020

Alabama Crimson Tide (9)

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins, Round 1, Pick 5
Jedrick Wills, OL, Cleveland Browns, Round 1, Pick 10
Henry Ruggs III, WR, Las Vegas Raiders, Round 1, Pick 12
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos, Round 1, Pick 15
Xavier McKinney, DB, New York Giants, Round 2, Pick 4
Trevon Diggs, DB, Dallas Cowboys, Round 2, Pick 19
Raekwon Davis, DT, Miami Dolphins, Round 2, Pick 24
Terrell Lewis, Edge, Los Angeles Rams, Round 3, Pick 20

Anfernee Jennings, LB, New England Patriots, Round 3, Pick 23

Arkansas Razorbacks (2)

McTelvin Agim, DT, Denver Broncos, Round 3, Pick 31
Kamren Curl, DB, Washington Redskins, Round 7, Pick 2

Auburn Tigers (6)

Derrick Brown, DT, Carolina Panthers, Round 1, Pick 7
Noah Igbinoghene, DB, Miami Dolphins, Round 1, Pick 30
Marlon Davidson, Edge, Atlanta Falcons, Round 2, Pick 15
Jack Driscoll, OL, Philadelphia Eagles, Round 4, Pick 39
Daniel Thomas, DB, Jacksonville Jaguars, Round 5, Pick 12
Prince Tega Wanogho, OL, Philadelphia Eagles, Round 6, Pick 31

Florida Gators (7)

CJ Henderson, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars, Round 1, Pick 9
Van Jefferson, WR, Los Angeles Rams, Round 2, Pick 25
Jabari Zuniga, Edge, New York Jets, Round 3, Pick 15
Jonathan Greenard, Edge, Houston Texans, Round 3, Pick 26
La’Mical Perine, RB, New York Jets, Round 4, Pick 14
Freddie Swain, WR, Seattle Seahawks, Round 6, Pick 35
Tyree Cleveland, WR, Denver Broncos, Round 7, Pick 38

Georgia Bulldogs (7)

Andrew Thomas, OL, New York Giants, Round 1, Pick 4
Isaiah Wilson, OL, Tennessee Titans, Round 1, Pick 29
D’Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions, Round 2, Pick 3
Solomon Kindley, OL, Miami Dolphins, Round 4, Pick 5
Jake Fromm, QB, Buffalo Bills, Round 5, Pick 22
Charlie Woerner, TE, San Francisco 49ers, Round 6, Pick 11
Tae Crowder, DB, New York Giants, Round 7, Pick 41 (Mr. Irrelevant)

Kentucky Wildcats (2)

Lynn Bowden, Jr., WR, Las Vegas Raiders, Round 3, Pick 16
Logan Sternberg, OL, Detroit Lions, Round 4, Pick 15

LSU Tigers (14)

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals, Round 1, Pick 1
K’lavon Chaisson, Edge, Jacksonville Jaguars, Round 1, Pick 20
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings, Round 1, Pick 22
Patrick Queen, LB, Baltimore Ravens, Round 1, Pick 28
Clyde Edwards, Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs, Round 1, Pick 32
Grant Delpit, DB, Cleveland Browns, Round 2, Pick 12
Kristian Fulton, CB, Tennessee Titans, Round 2, Pick 29
Damien Lewis, OL, Seattle Seahawks, Round 3, Pick 5

Lloyd Cushenberry, OL, Denver Broncos, Round 3, Pick 19
Jacob Phillips, LB, Cleveland Browns, Round 3, Pick 33
Saahdiq Charles, OL, Washington Redskins, Round 4, Pick 2
Rashard Lawrence, DT, Arizona Cardinals, Round 4, Pick 25
Blake Ferguson, LS, Miami Dolphins, Round 6, Pick 6
Stephen Sullivan, TE, Seattle Seahawks, Round 7, Pick 37

Mississippi State Bulldogs (5)

Willie Gay, Jr., LB, Kansas City Chiefs, Round 2, Pick 31
Cameron Dantzler, CB, Minnesota Vikings, Round 3, Pick 25
Tyre Phillips, OL, Baltimore Ravens, Round 3, Pick 42
Tommy Stevens, QB, New Orleans Saints, Round 7, Pick 26
Brian Cole II, DB, Minnesota Vikings, Round 7, Pick 25

Missouri Tigers (2)

Jordan Elliott, DT, Cleveland Browns, Round 3, Pick 24
Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Denver Broncos, Round 4, Pick 12

South Carolina Gamecocks (4)

Javon Kinlaw, DT, San Francisco 49ers, Round 1, Pick 14
Bryan Edwards, WR, Oakland Raiders, Round 3, Pick 17
DJ Wonnum, Edge, Minnesota Vikings, Round 4, Pick 11
TJ Brunson, LB, New York Giants, Round 7, Pick 25

Tennessee Volunteers (2)

Darrell Taylor, Edge, Seattle Seahawks, Round 2, Pick 16
Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers, Round 7, Pick 3

Texas A&M Aggies (2)

Justin Madubuike, DT, Baltimore Ravens, Round 3, Pick 7
Braden Mann, P, New York Jets, Round 6, Pick 12

Vanderbilt Commodores (1)

Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Round 3, Pick 12

Most picks in 2020 NFL Draft by college & P5 conference:

LSU (14)
Michigan (10)
Ohio State (10)
Alabama (9)
Clemson (7)
Florida (7)
Georgia (7)

SEC (63)
Big Ten (48)
Pac-12 (32)
ACC (27)
Big 12 (21)

— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) April 25, 2020

It was truly an amazing showing by college football’s premiere conference. If fans of other Power 5 conferences were hoping for this trend to turn in their favor, it doesn’t look as though it will be coming any time soon. NFL franchise apparently share this sentiment. For many of these players, significant snaps will be seen with their respective teams. So, they won’t just be occupying space. They will be contributing significantly. So, once again, the SEC reigns supreme.