SEC, Big Ten lead college football conferences in NFL Draft stat

At least over the past six years, the SEC has separated itself from the rest of the college football conferences when it comes to its NFL Draft picks. According to ESPN’s Chris Fallica, the SEC leads all conferences with 175 players (roughly 28.3%) of players taken in the first three rounds over the past three seasons.

The Big Ten is second with 107 players selected (17.3%) in that same time frame. When you combine the two conferences, they account for nearly half (45.6%) of all players taken within the first three rounds of the NFL Draft from 2016-21.

Looking at the other Power 5 conferences, the ACC comes in third with 87 players (14.1%), the Pac-12 fourth with 72 (11.7%) and the Big 12 ranks fifth with 51 players (8.2%). Fallica also noted that if you limit the data to players selected in the first round, the SEC and Big Ten look even more dominant, with 53.4% of players hailing from those two conferences.

Both the SEC and Big Ten will hope to continue that success when the 2022 NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET Thursday in Las Vegas. According to ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay’s final mock draft, that is exactly what will happen. McShay predicts that 18 of the first 32 picks will come from those two conferences, including 13 from the SEC. Four of his top five picks are from either the SEC or Big Ten, with Georgia edge defender Travon Walker expected to go No. 1.

Although the SEC as a whole has the lead, Big Ten school Ohio State leads all programs with the most players (7) selected in the top 10 over the past six years. According to most mock drafts, wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are the only former Buckeyes that have a legitimate shot to keep the streak running.

Although OSU has the most players taken in the top 10, it is Alabama that leads all schools with 43 players taken in the first three rounds. Ever since Alabama head coach Nick Saban took over the program in 2007, he’s churned out an astounding 106 total draft picks and has had at least one first-round draft pick in the last 13 NFL Drafts. Once projected first-round picks Evan Neal and Jameson Williams are selected Thursday night, Alabama will tie a record held by Miami (1995-2008) with 14 consecutive seasons with a first-rounder, including six last season.