The NFL entry draft occurred this weekend, in which the top college players across the country were inducted into the big league. The college league that provided the largest roster of draft picks was the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which included 12 members within the first round of the draft. The SEC is considered one of the consistently strongest conferences in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), a title proven beyond a doubt within this year’s NFL entry draft.
The SEC produced 63 players for entry into the NFL, which was more than twice the number of eligible entrants from the 31 players eligible from the ACC league. The number of eligible entrants was a record for any college league, surpassing the 55 players available from the Pac-10 league in 1983. The SEC picks were near evenly split by region with 32 picks submitted from the SEC East conference, and 31 available in the SEC West conference. Additionally, at least one player was selected in the draft from nearly every team in the SEC with the University of Mississippi, known as Ole Miss, being the sole exception.
Sports bettors predicted that SEC players would dominate the first few rounds of the draft, which by the end of the weekend, was proven to be a smart bet. By the end of the first round of the draft, 12 players from the SEC were adopted into the NFL, which tied the record for the number of first round selections from one league. The national media labels the SEC as having the best coaches and recruiters of all college football leagues, who scout and train the top southern players into some of the country’s ascending football stars.
The SEC recruiters will have their hands full in the offseason as they attempt to replace their drafted stars, who will add a new level of excitement to the 2013 NFL season.
