The SEC sent 49 players through the 2014 NFL Draft, more than any other conference. South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft and some of the other biggest stories followed during the three-day draft event centered around SEC players. Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel was the big story of the first round as the Cleveland Browns made a move to draft the former Heisman Trophy winner. Focus shifted to the falling of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, as well as LSU’s Zach Mettenberger and Georgia’s Aaron Murray. Then Missouri’s Michael Sam was the headliner with the St. Louis Rams drafting Sam in a historic moment for the NFL.
Yes, the SEC was everywhere you looked during the most recent NFL Draft. This was nothing new of course. Not that you really need another voice telling you just how good the talent coming out of the SEC is when it comes to the NFL Draft, but ESPN college football analyst Todd Blackledge reiterated the point recently at a fundraiser at Samford.
“SEC players, for the most part, are more NFL ready than a lot of players coming from other parts of the country,” Blackledge said, according to a report by AL.com.
“The Draft has been the great indicator here the last several years of where the most talent is in college football,” Blackledge said. “That’s why, up until last year when Florida State won, that the SEC has dominated the national championship picture as well.”
Three SEC schools (Alabama, LSU and Georgia) have sent at least 20 players through the NFL Draft over the last four years. Florida has sent 18 players and South Carolina has sent 17 players to the draft. The numbers speak volumes of the ability to recruit and develop talent ready to enter the NFL.