4. The SEC is going to account for more than half of the first round, and will combine with the Big Ten to take over almost half the draft
It’s one of the fun NFL Draft prop bets – the over/under on the SEC having players drafted in the first round is 15.5.
There are 32 picks in the first round.
It would be a historically huge moment for the SEC to dominate the prime real estate like that. It’s normally great at cranking out top picks, and it’s used to spreading its stars across the full seven rounds, but 16 or more?
Last year, the conference had nine players go in the first round, and had ten taken in the top 32 in 2018, but … again, 16 or more?
Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Derrick Brown, Jedrick Wills, Javon Kinlaw, Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, Justin Jefferson, CJ Henderson, K’Lavon Chaisson, Xavier McKinney, Patrick Queen, Trevon Diggs.
That’s 13.
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Georgia OT Isaiah Wilson, Bulldog RB D’Andre Swift, and LSU CB Kristian Fulton are all going to at least hang around the top 40 picks or so and be in range to go in the first.
Even if it doesn’t happen, just to come close to the 16 mark is incredible.
And so is owning a quarter of the whole draft.
The SEC accounted for 26% of the entire 2019 NFL Draft, and this year it should be right about that number again with around 65-to-70 players likely to be selected out of the 255. Now combine that with the Big Ten.
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The Big Ten should be relatively quiet after the first hour – only around 5-to-7 players will go in the first round, even with the possibility of Chase Young, Jeff Okudah and Tristan Wirfs going in the top five – but the league will be well represented the rest of the way.
Last year the Big Ten had 40 players drafted and this year should be closer to 45.
The SEC and Big Ten combined for 42% of the 2019 NFL Draft, and this season – assume the guesstimate margin for error around +/- 5 in total draft count for both leagues – should push past 45%.