2020 NFL Draft odds: Could more than half of first-round picks be from SEC?

There can be little argument that the SEC is far and away the best conference in college football, with LSU winning yet another national championship for the league back in January. That dominance also extends to the NFL Draft.

Last year, there were 64 SEC players taken, the most from one conference in the common draft era – which dates to 1967. In fact, the SEC has produced the most draft picks by any conference every single year since 2007. In the just-completed decade, 516 SEC players were picked. A distant second among conferences was the ACC with 358. The Big 12 had the fewest of any Power 5 league with 236.

For the 2020 NFL Draft, which will be held under very unique circumstances because of the coronavirus, William Hill sportsbook offers a prop on first-round picks. It asks which will have more selected, the SEC or all other conferences combined. Both options are -110, meaning a $110 wager would return $100.

Obviously, the SEC would have to get 17 players taken on Day 1, which seems like a crazy-high number, to win this prop. Last year in Nashville, the SEC had nine (ACC was second with seven):

• No. 3: Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama (New York Jets)
• No. 5: Devin White, LB, LSU (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
• No. 7: Josh Allen, LB/DE, Kentucky (Jacksonville Jaguars)
• No. 11: Jonah Williams, OL, Alabama (Cincinnati Bengals)
• No. 19: Jeffery Simmons, DL, Mississippi State (Tennessee Titans)
• No. 24: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama (Oakland Raiders)
• No. 26: Montez Sweat, LB/DE, Mississippi State (Washington Redskins)
• No. 27: Johnathan Abram, DB, Mississippi State (Oakland Raiders)
• No. 30: DeAndre Baker, DB, Georgia (New York Giants)

Alabama had the most players selected overall in 2019 with 10, while Ohio State was second with nine. Nebraska had none for the first time since 1963. Since 2000, Ohio State has had the most drafted players with 131 and Alabama second with 118.

The Buckeyes and Crimson Tide lead with 31 first-round picks each this century yet neither has had a No. 1 overall pick – shoot, even MAC school Central Michigan has had one (offensive tackle Eric Fisher in 2013 to Kansas City). That OSU/Bama drought will continue at the top spot with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow all but a lock to go first to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Oklahoma leads the way with three No. 1 overall picks this century: Kyler Murray (2019), Baker Mayfield (2018) and Sam Bradford (2010). All-time, OU has had five No. 1 overall picks, tied with Notre Dame and USC for the most.

NFL pick: All other conferences