SEC in the 2024 NFL Mock Drafts

[jbcarol]

2024 NFL draft: Latest projections on who will go in first round; how to get jerseys

By Thomas Lagrone |

Key Points
When: April 25 - April 27
Day One, Thursday, April 25: 7 p.m. CT
Day Two, Friday, April 26: 6 p.m. CT
Day Three, Saturday, April 27: 11 a.m. CT
Where: Detroit, Michigan (Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza)
TV: ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network

First round expectations
Due to the immense amount of offensive talent in this year's draft, many people are expecting a large number of quarterbacks to be taken in the first half of the opening round tomorrow night.

Unlike previous drafts, the picks are uncertain after the projected Williams selection. There are numerous wide receivers that are highly talented and expected to go in the first round, yet the order is unclear.

Jerseys of the first round picks will be made available for fans to purchase.

[jbcarol]

O'Gara: SEC takeaway from Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft

The first round is in the book. There were 6 quarterbacks taken in the top 12 — a modern NFL Draft record. That run included Bo Nix. The first 14 picks were offensive players, smashing the previous record from 2021, when the first 7 picks were offensive.

Saban, who was on the broadcast on ABC, joked that "everyone wants to know why I retired. This is the reason. All the players are on offense. I'm a defensive guy. I knew it was time to go."

1. The most surprising SEC pick of Round 1 was ____________.
Nix coming off the board at No. 12.

OK, that's technically not an SEC pick, nor was Penix at No. 8, though Jeremy Pruitt did pull his scholarship just before he was set to sign with Tennessee.

Let's go with the Vikings getting Dallas Turner at No. 17.

2. The least surprising SEC pick of Round 1 was _____________.
"With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Washington (football team) select, Jayden Daniels, quarterback, LSU."

3. Make that 4 LSU WRs in Round 1 during the 2020s
Speaking of LSU, Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. have all come off the board in the first round during the 2020s. That's tied with Ohio State, and the only team with more than that in that stretch is Alabama (5), though the Tide haven't produced one of those

4. Brock Bowers didn't fall quite as much as some (myself) worried
Throughout the pre-draft process, I found myself getting angry reading mocks wherein Bowers came off the board

5. The SEC dominated the first round yet again
Make that 9 consecutive years in which the SEC had the most first-round selections. The run of 3 SEC players in the final 6 picks pushed that total (11) past the Pac-12 (. Shoot, the SEC had as many receivers (4) in Round 1 as 3 Power 5 conferences had total selections. That's telling.

SEC: 11
Pac-12: 8
B1G: 4
ACC: 4
Big 12: 3

[jbcarol]

Detroit Lions go 'Bama to Bama to Bama' in NFL Draft's first round

By Mark Inabinett |

Lions general manager Brad Holmes did not expect to pick an Alabama player in each of the past three NFL drafts. And he certainly didn't expect for cornerback Terrion Arnold to be his choice in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

With the Lions scheduled to make their first selection at No. 29, Holmes figured Arnold would be long gone.

"We had a pretty significant line between him and the next guy," Holmes said about Detroit's cornerback grades.

After moving up five spots, Holmes tabbed Arnold.

"We're thrilled with how tonight went," Holmes said. "All these drafts, you never know how it's going to go. We knew it was an offensive-heavy draft. That's what we did know. But we didn't quite know that those defenders would get pushed to that point, especially a guy like Terrion. But we couldn't be more ecstatic or thrilled how it went."

It's the third year in a row that Holmes has traded up to pick an Alabama player.

[jbcarol]

NFL Draft 2024: Who slipped to the second round?

By Mark Inabinett | 

In addition to McKinstry, projections of second- and third-round picks as Friday-night prospects include:

· Missouri cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine

· UCF wide receiver Javon Baker (who played at Alabama in 2020 and 2021

· Alabama linebacker Chris Braswell

· Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton (who hit a girl)

· Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson (who played at Alabama in 2021 and 2022)

· Auburn cornerback DJ James (Spanish Fort)

· Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter (American Christian)

· Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (Jackson)

SEC led all conferences with 11 players picked in the first round. The SEC pipeline to the NFL should continue on Friday. Other probable picks from the conference in the second and third rounds include:

· Arkansas: Cornerback Dwight McGlothern

· Georgia: Safety Javon Bullard and wide receiver Ladd McConkey

· Kentucky: Cornerback Andru Phillips

· Missouri: Cornerback Ennis Rackstraw Jr.

· South Carolina: Quarterback Spencer Rattler

· A&M: Linebacker Edge Cooper and wide receiver Ainias Smith

[jbcarol]

@SECNetwork
11 SEC players were drafted in Round 1 of the #NFLDraft

The MOST of any conference 😤

[jbcarol]

O'Gara: 5 SEC takeaways from Day 2 of the NFL Draft

SEC takeaways from Rounds 2-3 of the 2024 NFL Draft:

1. Ladd McConkey will be Justin Herbert's new go-to target
McConkey nearly became Georgia's first wide receiver to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since AJ Green in 2011.

2. Maason Smith's surprising decision to leave ended better than I thought it would
I wasn't alone in thinking that Smith's entry into the NFL Draft was a head-scratcher. I expected to see more from the LSU defensive tackle in his return from the torn ACL that he suffered in the 2022 season opener against Florida State. It would've made sense if Smith decided to stay another year and learn under new defensive line coach Bo.

3. We're still doing this with Spencer Rattler?
When Pete Thamel explained why Spencer Rattler hadn't been taken in the middle of Round 3, I rolled my eyes. He explained that this was the skepticism for the former South Carolina quarterback, who is still on the board heading into Day 3

4. Alabama fans, take note of what Washington has done so far
If you're wondering if Kalen DeBoer can develop talent, just look at the Washington players who came off the board in the first 3 rounds:

No. 8 — QB Michael Penix
No. 9 — WR Rome Odunze

5. The SEC-Big Ten battle will be interesting on Day 3
Here's the conference-by-conference breakdown after 3 rounds:

SEC — 25
Big Ten — 20
Pac-12 — 17
ACC — 15
Big 12 — 13

[jbcarol]

SEC sees 8 players selected in Round 2 of 2024 NFL Draft
Paul Harvey | 

Round 2 draft picks
No. 34 — Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia — Los Angeles Chargers
No. 41 — Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama — New Orleans Saints
No. 42 — Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia — Houston Texans
No. 45 — Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M — Green Bay Packers
No. 48 — Maason Smith, DT, LSU — Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 57 — Chris Braswell, Edge, Alabama — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 58 — Javon Bullard, S, Georgia — Green Bay Packers
No. 61 — Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Mizzou — Detroit Lions

[jbcarol]

SEC continues NFL Draft dominance with most players selected in 2024 Draft
Paul Harvey | 

SEC has dominated the NFL Draft for almost 2 full decades, and the conference produced the most picks for another year in 2024.

Saturday evening, the 2024 NFL Draft concluded with Day 3 featuring Rounds 4-7. Already, the SEC had produced the most 1st-round draft picks of any conference, and the SEC even claimed the Mr. Irrelevant title with Alabama's Jaylen Key.

SEC by a landslide with the conference producing 59 total picks according to SportSource:

2024 #NFLDraft Picks by #CFB Conference
--------------------
#SEC - 59
#Pac12 - 43 👈👀
#B1G - 42
#ACC - 41
#Big12 - 31
#Ind - 8
#SBC - 6
#AAC - 5
#CUSA - 3
#MWC - 2
#MAC - 2

Follow @SECNetwork
·

FOR THE 18TH STRAIGHT YEAR THE @SEC HAS THE MOST PICKS IN THE NFL DRAFT‼️

[jbcarol]

O'Gara: My favorite fits for SEC players from the 2024 NFL Draft

CB Terrion Arnold, Detroit Lions
I'll admit that part of this was just seeing the reception that Arnold got from the Detroit faithful. The Alabama fan favorite/Miss Terry favorite turned himself into a star, lockdown corner in 2023. He will become just that with the Lions, who needed help at that spot and addressed it with Arnold and Rakestraw.

WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
It wasn't a reach for the 49ers to take Pearsall late in Round 1. He's that dude, and for a team that needed to add some young playmakers, Pearsall checked that box

LB Edge Cooper, Green Bay Packers
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If this is 1995, Cooper is a top-10 pick. But in 2024 wherein inside linebackers are evaluated in a much different way, Cooper slid

RB Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
You had me at "Mike McDaniel running back."

RB Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills
If you know the Davis story, you know that this isn't someone who'll take this opportunity for granted. A childhood that had him in foster care and eventually in boarding school in New York allowed him to blossom into someone with great perspective. That's what the former Kentucky/Vanderbilt/Temple star will have back in the state of New York, albeit on the opposite side of the state from Trinity-Pawling

QB Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
I hated it. Absolutely hated it.

[jbcarol]

Joe Milton selected in 2024 NFL Draft
Paul Harvey | 

Patriots decided to grab Milton with a 6th-round pick. Milton comes off the board as the 193rd overall pick and the 9th quarterback to hear his name.

Milton is just the 3rd QB drafted since the 1st round ended. South Carolina's Spencer Rattler was selected during Saturday's 5th round.

Milton maintains elite arm talent with a chance to find a spot on the depth chart as a potential backup to Maye.

Milton gives Tennessee QBs selected in back-to-back drafts following Hendon Hooker's selection in the 3rd round. The last time that happened came in 1994-95 when Heath Shuler and Colquitt were taken in consecutive drafts.

[jbcarol]

O'Gara: 1 negative NFL Draft stat for each SEC team that won't make a brag graphic

If you don't brag during NFL Draft weekend, you're not doing it right.

Even the teams that don't have a single player come off the board will churn out those graphics.

I decided that it'd be fun to have some material for negative NFL Draft stats:

Alabama — The 17-year Nick Saban era ended with 3 QBs drafted in the first 4 rounds
Look, man. It's Alabama. Nobody flexes more during the NFL Draft than the Tide. And obviously, those 3 QBs in the first 4 rounds were all first-round picks from 2020-23.

Arkansas — The last defensive player selected in the first 2 rounds was Jamaal Anderson in 2007

Auburn — The last first-round WR was in 1984 ... and that was in the Supplemental Draft
Chris Woods was that guy

Florida — Of the 42 Gators drafted from 2017-23, Kyle Pitts is the lone Pro Bowl selection
To recap, the Gators' lone Pro Bowl among players drafted dating back to post-Year 2 of the Jim McElwain era (after 2016) was Pitts.

Georgia — It's been 15 years since UGA had a QB drafted in the first 3 rounds
And of course, that was Matthew Stafford at No. 1 overall in 2009. Beck would've changed that

Kentucky — The last first-round offensive player was Tim Couch in 1999
A quarter-century without a first-round offensive player is tough. We thought Will Levis would be a lock to end that drought last year, but his well-documented fall ended that

LSU — The last first-round OL was Alan Faneca in 1998
Think about Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron not developing a single first-round offensive lineman at LSU. That's wild.

State — Offensive tackle is the only offensive position to produce a first-rounder in the 21st century
Charles Cross (2022) and Derek Sherrod (2011)

Mizzou — In 5 seasons as a head coach, Drink hasn't had a pass-catcher (WR/TE) or pass-thrower (QB) drafted
That's 1 season at Appalachian State and 4 at Mizzou, and we're still waiting on the first QB/TE/WR to get drafted. Yes, we expect Luther Burden III and Theo Wease to end that next year

Ole Miss — Lane Kiffin hasn't produced a first-round pick as a head coach since 2012
So that's pre-tarmac we're talking about.

South Carolina — Spencer Rattler just became the program's first QB drafted since the 7-round format began in 1994
Some might consider that a brag. For Rattler it is, but I can doubt that's something that the Gamecocks would boast about. Yes, Connor Shaw was a wildly underrated college quarterback and Dylan Thompson was excellent in 2014. But it'll never cease to amaze me that a decade of Steve Spurrier didn't produce a single NFL Draft pick at quarterback.

Tennessee — In 6 seasons as a head coach, Josh Heupel produced 1 offensive player who was drafted in Rounds 1-2
Darnell Wright is that guy.

A&M — The last first-round defensive player was Myles Garrett in 2017
That seems impossible. With all the talent that Mike Elko brought in and developed during his 4 years as A&M's defensive coordinator under Jimbo

Vanderbilt — 3 consecutive years without a single player drafted
Yes, it's Vandy. Still, though. That can't just all be pinned on the COVID year

[jbcarol]

Did NIL impact the NFL Draft

by: Eric Prisbell
•

As countless talking heads offer reactions and overreactions from the NFL Draft, one of the biggest draft game-changers can't be assessed by height, weight or 40 times:

NIL, which had its fingerprints all over the latter rounds.

Now that we're fully entrenched in the NIL Error, it's a new day for day three:

No longer are underclassmen faced with this dilemma: Get paid now or return to school to bolster draft stock.

By extending their time on campus, they are increasingly doing both.

"This will be a trend – where [draft classes] won't be as deep as they used to be," said Brett Veach, the general manager of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. "If you are a junior, and you have a third- or fourth-round grade, and you have the opportunity to stay in school and make money, you're going to go back.

"The availability of young guys with potential that [would come] out early, those guys are staying now. So, I think the drop-off numbers are a little bit more extreme this year, and the players are a little bit older."

Numbers show NIL's impact on NFL Draft
Here's where the trend lines are headed: In the pre-NIL world three years ago, 130 underclassmen entered the draft. There were 82 last year.

This year? Only 58, the fewest since 2011.

[jbcarol]

How the NFL Draft proves talent dispersion is real

by: Charles Power
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NFL Draft annually provides a lens through which we can analyze the backgrounds of college football's best and brightest.

2024 NFL Draft saw players from 39 different home states. Eleven states had double-digit players selected. Five international players were drafted from Canada (3), England (1) and Australia (1).

The state of Florida topped all states with 27 drafted players – a total that will not include out of state transfers to IMG.

The draft totals for Texas and California two more of "The Big Four" talent producing states were also lower than normal. Georgia, the other member of The Big Four, has trended up in recent years.

Traditional per capita hot spots, like Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, remain so.

If 2024 and recent years are any indication, the geographic dispersion of NFL Draft picks is more widespread than how the nation is recruited.

If there's one clear lesson about the geographic dispersion of NFL Draft picks, it's that talent isn't quite as concentrated as recruiting would have you believe.

Why California is a talent numbers game
On the state level, California serves as a great example of this premise.

The state had its lowest number of draft selections (18) over the past 6 years. Some of that could be attributed to prospects from the 2021 cycle (this draft's three-and-out class) being affected by not having a senior season of high school football.

All 10 of the 2024 NFL Draft picks who played high school football in Southern California attended public schools. Zero played in the Trinity League.

The wide open transfer portal may also play a role as players who were not highly ranked out of high school emerge by proving themselves at one level and making their mark at their second or third or fourth school.

[jbcarol]

SEC Football by the Numbers: Top 10 from the 2024 NFL Draft

By Mark Inabinett | 

The Washington football team

During the 89th NFL Draft, 30 teams combined to pick 59 players from the SEC.10 things that happened:

0 Vanderbilt players were chosen in the 2024 NFL Draft after none were picked in the drafts of 2022 and 2023. This is the second time that an SEC program has gone three consecutive NFL drafts without producing a pick. Vanderbilt also has the other streak.

1 Current NFL team has never drafted an SEC quarterback. The Houston Texans were left as the lone exception after the Baltimore Ravens made their first quarterback selection from the SEC by choosing Kentucky's Devin Leary

6 NFL teams made their first selections of SEC players from Missouri, South Carolina or Texas A&M during the 2024 NFL Draft.

11 SEC players have been Mr. Irrelevant after the New York Jets chose Alabama S Jaylen Key with the 257th and final pick.

18 Consecutive drafts have had more players selected from the SEC than from any other conference. In 2024, the SEC provided 59 selections, with the Pac-12 next with 43.

27 Consecutive drafts have featured a selection from the SEC by the Cincinnati Bengals.

57 NFL drafts went by between Alabama kickers being picked. On Thursday, the Minnesota Vikings chose Crimson Tide K Will Reichard at No. 203 in the 2024 draft. In 1966, the Cleveland Browns chose Alabama K David Ray at No. 243.

60 SEC quarterbacks were drafted between the two most recent South Carolina quarterbacks to be picked. When the New Orleans Saints selected Spencer Rattler with the 150th pick in the 2024 draft on Saturday, he became the first Gamecocks QB drafted since the Cleveland Browns took Todd Ellis with the 247th selection in the 1990 draft.

92 Alabama players have been selected in the past 10 NFL drafts.

171 LSU players were drafted between picks from the Tigers by the Detroit Lions, the longest active drought involving one NFL franchise and one SEC program by number picks until Saturday. That's when the Lions chose DT Mekhi Wingo in the sixth round for their first selection from LSU since WR Slip Watkins in 1991.

· Arkansas: 124 Razorbacks have been drafted since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their most recent pick from Arkansas -- RB Jerry Eckwood in 1979.