For 17 consecutive seasons, the SEC has produced more draft picks than any other conference. It makes sense considering how dominant the league has been on the recruiting trail, routinely signing more blue-chip prospects than everyone else.
With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, that's not likely to change anytime soon. It's certainly not going to change this year.
Here's our debut 2025 NFL Mock Draft, featuring 17 SEC players in the first round:
I'm not a huge fan of any of the QBs in this draft class, but the Titans certainly need an infusion of talent at the position. Ward had a meteoric rise the last few years, going from the FCS to Washington State to Miami. He's an accurate passer that projects a solid starter, if not a star.
For my money, Abdul Carter is the best player in this class. The Browns could be tempted to take a QB, but the ability to pair Abdul Carter with Myles Garrett could help Cleveland form one of the most devastating pass rushing duos in the NFL.
The Giants have been terrible up-front and need to get the offensive line solidified before they worry about finding a franchise QB. They signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, but that won't preclude them from taking a QB if they think Shedeur Sanders can be a franchise guy. If they aren't sold, then build the lines and be patient. Membou is only 20-years-old and was outstanding last season at Missouri.
It'll be interesting which position last season's Heisman Trophy winner gets more reps at as a rookie. Is he a full-time corner and a situational WR? Or is he a part-time corner and full-time WR? It's not realistic to expect him to play every snap on both sides of the ball in the NFL like he did at Colorado, but he's the best pure athlete in this class and can be a weapon wherever you line him up.
Mason Graham is a monster and the next in line of a plethora of talented defensive linemen to come out of Michigan. The Jaguars had one of the NFL's worst defenses last season and will be looking to signifcantly upgrade on that side of the ball in the draft.
It's doubtful that Shedeur Sanders falls to No. 6. I don't like projecting trades because the water gets too muddy, but you have to figure a team will come up and grab the polarizing Colorado QB inside the top five. That team could be the Raiders, who desperately need an influx of talent at the QB position.
The Jets signed Justin Fields in free agency and seem content building around him. Fields flashed a little bit with the Steelers after struggling in Chicago. The situation with the Jets will be more similar to what he saw with the Bears. It will be imperative for New York to build around him and protect him up front. Campbell wants to play tackle and I think he can; worst case, he'd make a pretty good guard.
The Panthers need to continue adding weapons for Byrce Young, who was a revelation down the stretch of his sophomore campaign in Carolina. There's some concern about McMillan's top-end speed, but he has great size and a catch-radius the size of the football field. He'd be a great fit for Young and give the former Alabama legend a legitimate No. 1 option.
Shemar Stewart is more projection that production. He's got all the tools and is a terrific athlete but only managed 4.5 sacks in his three seasons of college football. The Saints need a lot on both sides of the ball and it makes sense to take a big swing on a player with Stewart's potential, though the bust-risk is severe.
The Bears will continue to try and upgrade the offensive line to protect the investment they made in Caleb Williams. They made some free agency splashes that will help, but adding a young and talented player like Kelvin Banks will help in the short-term and for the long haul.
Jalon Walker is the perfect hybrid Edge/LB that the 49ers love. San Francisco typically drafts on best player available and it would be easy to argue that Walker is the best player left on the board here. The 49ers need to get younger on the defensive end and they will look to do that in this draft class.
The Cowboys may have bigger needs, but I think Will Johnson is the best corner in this class and he would be hard to pass on if he falls to No. 12. Trevon Diggs is better in a No. 2 role so getting Johnson would give them a pair of talented corners and go a long way in improving on the defensive side of the ball.
The Dolphins need help a lot of places and Miami fans might be perturbed to not see an offensive lineman with this pick. All the tackles worth taking at this spot are gone and it would be a reach to take an interior lineman like Tyler Booker. The best idea would be to explore a trade-back scenario. If they stand pat, they could do a lot worse than a talented defensive back like Malaki Starks.
The Colts got next-to-no production from the TE spot last season. Getting a safety-valve for talented young QB Anthony Richardson would make a lot of sense. Plus, Tyler Warren is a swiss-army knife who can do it all. He was one of the best players in college football last season and should make for a good pro.
Jihaad Campbell saw a spike in his draft stock after a big performance at the combine, but his status is a bit up in the air following shoulder surgery that could threaten his availability early in his rookie season. But Campbell is too good of a player to let potentially missing a couple of games get in the way of what he will bring long-term.
Mike Green is probably the best player most casual fans haven't heard of. He led the country last season with 17 sacks and looks like a ready-made, day-one contributor at the next level.
The future of the Bengals' offense has been solidified with long-term contracts for QB Joe Burrow and WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Now, Cincinnati has to use the draft to improve one of the league's worst defenses. Similar to Shemar Stewart, Mykell Williams is more projection than production, though he has produced some at the collegiate level as a pass rusher, but his season-high is five sacks.
Tyler Booker might be a bit of a reach here, but the Seahawks desperately need help on the interior of the offensive line and might be willing to reach for it. Seattle made a big investment in Sam Darnold and will be looking to take care of him up front. Booker is a dominant player at guard as both a pass and run blocker. Seattle could also draft a WR after trading away DK Metcalf.
In his lone season at Ole Miss after transferring from Texas A&M, Walter Nolen was difficult to deal with for interior offensive linemen in the SEC. He had 6.5 sacks and has a power and explosion from the DT position that isn't easy to come by.
If anyone knows the value of a talented, versatile RB, it's Sean Payton. He drafted Alvin Kamara when he was the head coach of the Saints and Ashton Jeanty is the best RB in this class and would provide a nice safety valve for a young QB in Bo Nix.
The Steelers might consider a QB here like Alabama's Jalen Milroe or Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart, but in the end it would be an over-reach for a QB who won't be ready to play anytime soon. I don't see the Steelers making a move that risky. Instead, they'll improve the CB position by taking last season's Jim Thorpe Award winner.
Maybe it's too simple to project former Michigan TE Colston Loveland to land with his former head coach in Los Angeles, but it makes too much sense. Loveland is a perfect Harbaugh TE with his ability to block and stretch defenses as a pass-catcher. Another weapon for Justin Herbert is never a bad thing.
James Pearce Jr. could see a considerable slide on draft night due to some character concerns, but ultimately he is too talented to drop out of the first round. The Packers need more pass rush help and Pearce is as talented as any player in the class. He had 7.5 sacks last season for Tennessee and this could be a steal if he keeps his head on straight.
At 220 pounds, South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori ran a 4.38 40-yard dash. His physical tools are elite and he has ball-hawking potential. He picked off four passes during his junior season in Columbia. He also returned two of those four interceptions for touchdowns, showcasing his ability with the ball in his hands. Brian Flores elevated Minnesota to one of the best defenses in the NFL last season, and he would be thrilled to add Emmanwori on the back end.
Grey Zabel was outstanding during the pre-draft process, particularly at the Senior Bowl. He showed he could play against the best after some concerns about competition level at North Dakota State. He has positional versatility that NFL teams will love, with the ability to play any of the three positions on the interior of the offensive line. The Texans have overhauled their offensive line after struggling last year to protect CJ Stroud. Even if Zabel isn't a plug-and-play starter for Houston, he'll be a valuable depth piece early on as he works his way into a starting spot down the road.
After losing Cooper Kupp this offseason, adding more talent at WR should be a top priority for the Rams. Golden could be a steal this late in the first round after running a lightning-fast 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine (4.29). Golden was plenty productive for Texas last season, racking up 987 yards and nine touchdowns.
Nic Scourton didn't have the season he hoped for at Texas A&M, racking up just five total sacks after a 10-sack season in 2023 at Purdue, but he's plenty talented and the Ravens need an influx of talent defensively to rush the passer. With the level of QB play in the AFC, you can never have enough pass rushing.
Derrick Harmon put up 34 pressures and five sacks during his single season at Oregon following a transfer to Michigan State. He's a Detroit-native and this selection would allow him to head back home. A promising season for the Lions was derailed due to injuries on defense. They need depth up front and someone else who can get after the passer other than Aiden Hutchinson. Harmon has the ability to be a real disruptive force in the middle.
Trey Amos was one of the best cover corners in the SEC this past season after transferring from Alabama to Ole Miss. He raised his stock considerably. Washington is in position to contend for years to come with Jayden Daniels at QB. They need to keep filling in the gaps at other positions.
It wasn't the junior season Luther Burden might have hoped for as he finished with just 676 yards and six touchdowns after a brilliant sophomore campaign that saw him post over 1200 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. This would be a luxury pick for the Bills, but Burden would be a lot of fun to pair with Josh Allen in Buffalo.
Anyone who saw the Super Bowl could tell you that the Chiefs need improvement on the offensive line. Jackson was a standout at guard during his Ohio State career and showed the versatility to kick out to tackle when the injuries piled up for the Buckeyes up-front during their National Championship run this past season.
Revel tore his ACL in September of last season, but he is one of the most talented corners in this year's class. The Eagles don't have many holes coming off of a Super Bowl win, so they can take a player like Revel who projects as a talented player down the line but might also need a year before he's ready to play meaningful snaps at corner.