2025 NFL Draft: Picks by conference during first round

Thursday night at the NFL Draft never disappoints. This season was no different, with plenty of surprises coming during the first round. A few big-time trades took place throughout the course of the event, giving up a few pairings nobody would have guessed.

When it comes to which conferences dominated the night, there is not too much of a surprise. The Big Ten and SEC find themselves head and shoulders above the rest. Both got into double digits, while no other conference had more than two. A Group of Five conference got involved, as did one player from the FCS.

• SEC: 15
• Big Ten: 11
• ACC: 2
• Big 12: 2
• Mountain West: 1
• Missouri Valley: 1

Looking at the SEC, two specific teams found success. And they played each other this past December in the SEC Championship game — Georgia and Texas. Kirby Smart having multiple players taken in the first round is nothing new, especially on the defensive end. Three Bulldogs heard their name called by Roger Goodell.

As for Texas, they just wrapped up the program’s first-ever season inside the conference. Steve Sarkisian also got three players taken in the first round at three different positions. A great showing in Green Bay after another College Football Playoff run in Austin.

Of course, this past year’s national championship came from the Big Ten. Ohio State has an opportunity to have a record amount of players taken and got the party started early. Four players from the Buckeyes came off the board. One snuck in there at No. 32 overall with offensive tackle Josh Simmons.

Arch rival Michigan was another Big Ten team to have a good day for their program. There was a few more names taken at the top-end, with defensive tackle Mason Graham getting the party started. But despite having a subpar season following their own national championship, Michigan still performed well in the draft.

There is still plenty of drafting to do over the next two days. Six more rounds remain and well over 200 players will have their NFL dreams come true. A lot of conferences are expected to be represented — from power conferences to possibly even more outside of the FBS level.

One thing is expected to remain true, though. The Big Ten and SEC will continue to be the NFL‘s biggest pipeline for talent. It remained true, once again, in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.