Thursday marks the beginning of the 80th NFL draft in league history, dating all the way back to 1936. In those 80 drafts (and 10 AFL drafts from 1960-69), the SEC has produced 19 No. 1 overall selections all-time, with those players hailing from nine different SEC programs.

Auburn leads the way with five No. 1 picks all-time, while only four other SEC schools have produced multiple No. 1 picks: Georgia (4), LSU (2), South Carolina (2) and Tennessee (2).

With the draft only days away, let’s revisit those 19 draftees and review whether or not they lived up to their No. 1 billing. To start we only have to travel back in time one year:

2014 — Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: The SEC and the NFL knew Clowney would be the No. 1 pick in 2014 before the 2013 SEC season even began. The freak athlete out of South Carolina was once the No. 1 high school prospect in the nation, and he lived up to that hype by setting a freshman sack record in 2011 before dominating the college football landscape in 2012. Unfortunately, Clowney hurt his knee in his NFL debut against the Washington Redskins, and after a brief return from that injury he was eventually shelved for the season with only seven tackles and not a single sack. He should return healthy in 2015, and we can finally begin judging whether his abilities translate to football’s highest level.

Panned out? TBD.

2011 — Cam Newton, QB, Auburn: Newton may still be the best college football player of the current decade, leading Auburn to a perfect 14-o season and a BCS championship in his only collegiate season as a starter in 2010. He went No. 1 in 2011, and although he’s only led his Carolina Panthers to one winning season in four years (and two division titles) he’s been a star with both his arms and his legs, and last year threw for more than 3,100 yards and ran for more than 500 while compensating for a dramatic lack of talent around him on offense.

Panned out? Yes.

2009 — Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia: Stafford was drafted with the appeal of his cannon arm and his experience working with current NFL star wideout A.J. Green during their college years in Athens. He upgraded from Green to Calvin “Megatron” Johnson in Detroit, where he’s led the Lions to two playoff appearances after they were shutout of the postseason for an entire decade before Stafford’s arrival. He now leads one of the NFL’s most potent passing offenses, and he’s one of five players to ever throw for 5,000 yards in a season. Considering the other four are Dan Marino, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, I’d say Stafford has worked out alright in the NFL.

Panned out? Yes.

2007 — Jamarcus Russell, QB, LSU: Many will tell you Russell is the worst No. 1 overall pick in league history, and although that’s a matter of opinion there’s plenty of evidence to back up that claim. He only lasted in the league for three years, less than the life of his rookie deal, and in that time he started 24 of 48 games, barely throwing for 4,000 yards in that time with 18 touchdowns against 23 picks (not an ideal ratio). He was also sacked 70 times in those three years, which is as much Russell’s fault as his offensive line’s. Ultimately, he was 7-17 as a starter in the NFL, and that’s simply not going to help you keep a job.

Panned out? No.

2004 — Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss: The short answer to this question is yes, Manning has panned out, and his pair of Super Bowl rings justify that assertion. The long answer is that Manning has had to live up to the legacy of his father (Archie) and brother (Peyton) throughout his career, dating all the way back to his high school days. He’s succeeded in doing so every step of the way, earning a scholarship to a proud SEC program, winning the starting job, leading Ole Miss to its only 10-win season in 25 years, winning the Maxwell Award, earning the No. 1 pick in the draft and then winning a pair of titles. He’s panned out at every level, and the NFL is no exception. His numbers have begun to regress, but Manning has already put together one amazing NFL career, even if he’s not a record-setter like Peyton.

Panned out? Yes.

1999 — Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky: Couch never lived up to the hype as Cleveland’s top pick, but that’s not entirely his fault. It seems like half the league has started at quarterback for Cleveland since it returned to the NFL, and no quarterback has ever succeeded in the role. In fact, Couch led Cleveland to its only playoff appearance in more than 15 years back in 20o1, but got hurt late in the year and didn’t start the playoff game. However, there was a lot more losing than winning during Couch’s career, and without any capable protection he spent much of his time in the NFL on his back.

Panned out? No.

1998 — Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee: Your time is valuable, so let’s cut to the chase: Yes, Manning panned out as a top pick. He’s won a league-record five MVP awards and is a Super Bowl champion. By the end of this year he’ll hold NFL records for yards in a season and in a career, as well as touchdowns in a season and in a career. Statistically, he’s the greatest ever, and in terms of commanding an offense, he’s the best ever. So yes, he worked out just fine.

Panned out? Yes.

1988 — Aundray Bruce, LB, Auburn: In terms of years in the league, Bruce panned out to the tune of an 11-year NFL career. But that longevity is deceiving, as he only started 42 of the 151 career games in which he appeared from 1988-98. He recorded 32 career sacks (fewer than three per year) to go along with four career interceptions. Bruce was a fine role player in the league for more than a decade, but he hardly even started no less starred for an NFL defense, which is what No. 1 picks are expected to do.

Panned out? No.

1986 — Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn: Jackson may be the greatest athlete in American history, but his career was tragically cut short due to a severe hip injury, cheating us out of what might have been the most storied career of all-time. After winning a Heisman at Auburn, Jackson went on to earn Pro Bowl honors for the Oakland Raiders, but suffered his career-ending injury only four years into his career. He was the first player in U.S. history to be named an All-Star in multiple sports (he was also an All-Star for MLB’s Kansas City Royals), but will always be remembered for what might have been. Ultimately, teams hope to get more out of a top pick than four seasons, so while his talent lived up to the hype his overall career in the NFL did not.

Panned out? Yes (and no).

1981 — George Rogers, RB, South Carolina: Rogers may not be remembered as one of the great tailbacks in NFL history, but he was one of the NFL’s better backs during his seven-year career in the 1980s. After winning a Heisman at South Carolina, a school with little football success to that point, he went on to post four 1,000-yard seasons in seven years, retiring with an average of more than 1,000 yards per season. He played in two Pro Bowls during his career, and 54 career touchdowns, including two seasons with at least 13 scores. He’s not a Hall of Famer, but he was a playmaker nonetheless.

Panned out? Yes.

1965 — Tucker Frederickson, RB, Auburn: During his days as a two-way player at Auburn, Frederickson averaged better than 4.0 yards per carry on offense and led the team in interceptions on defense, earning a Jacobs Trophy as the SEC’s best blocking back in addition to finishing second in the Heisman voting. Unfortunately, his NFL career was cut short due to a knee injury, and although he was a productive player when healthy, his lack of longevity and lone Pro Bowl invite don’t constitute a successful career for a top overall pick.

Panned out? No.

1961 — Ken Rice, OG, Auburn: Rice was a sensational talent at Auburn, earning SEC Offensive Lineman of the Year honors twice and SEC Defensive Lineman of the Year honors once during his time on the plains. Unfortunately, although he lasted in pro football for seven years, he only started four games during that time, which is far from what is to be expected of a No. 1 pick. So it’s pretty easy to determine that no, Rice did not pan out at the next level.

Panned out? No.

1960 — Billy Cannon, RB, LSU: Cannon was a supreme athlete well ahead of his time, boasting a combination of speed and strength that few could contain. He won the 1959 Heisman and was named National Player of the Year by multiple organizations in both 1958 and ’59 before departing for the pros. He wound up in the AFL during its inaugural season, and starred in the league for its 10-year duration through the 1969 season. He played on three AFL title teams and once led the league in rushing, earning AFL All-Star honors three times. His crowning achievement was a five-touchdown game, tying a Houston Oilers franchise record, just one example of how dominant Cannon could be when he found his rhythm on the field.

Panned out? Yes.

1953 — Harry Babcock, RB, Georgia: Babcock played end (a more dated version of wide receiver) during his brief three-year career in San Francisco. He only caught 16 passes for 181 yards for his career, never scoring a touchdown, but he still earned Pro Bowl honors at the end of each of his three seasons. Still, he simply didn’t last long enough in the league to live up to his No. 1 overall billing, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t talented.

Panned out? No.

1952 — Bill Wade, QB, Vanderbilt: I bet you didn’t expect to see any Vandy alums on this list, but Bill Wade represented the Commodores as the No. 1 overall pick of the ’52 draft. He’d continue to represent Vandy in the NFL for 13 seasons, throwing for more than 18,000 yards and 124 touchdowns for his career (although he also threw 134 picks). Wade was a two-time All-Pro, and he led Chicago to an NFL championship in 1963, something the Bears have done only one other time in the 52 years since. Wade won’t go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, but he certainly played like a top pick when at his best.

Panned out? Yes.

1948 — Harry Gilmer, QB, Alabama: Upon earning SEC Player of the Year and Rose Bowl MVP honors in his final year at Alabama, Gilmer was drafted by the Washington Redskins, where he played for seven years. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, but only threw for 3,786 yards in nine NFL seasons, an average of only 420 yards per season, and he ran for 923 yards, an average of 102 per season. Gilmer was productive, but he was never a star, so it all depends on how much you value Pro Bowl invites and the ability to maintain a starting job in the league.

Panned out? On the fence.

1945 — Charlie Trippi, RB, Georgia: After earning consensus All-America honors and the Maxwell Trophy during his final year at Georgia, Trippi went on to play for the Chicago Cardinals for nine years, posting more than 1,000 yards for his career as a passer, a runner and a receiver. As a do-everything offensive weapon, he was invited to two Pro Bowls and named a three-time All-Pro and a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team from the 1940s. He’s a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, which should convince you of his worth if none of those other accolades could.

Panned out? Yes.

1943 — Frank Sinkwich, RB, Georgia: Sinkwich was the SEC’s first-ever Heisman winner in 1942, and that same year he was also named the Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year (he also earned consensus All-America honors for the second straight year). He spent a year in the U.S. Marine Corps, but after receiving a medical discharge for his flat feet, he returned to the NFL where he was a two-time All-Pro and a league MVP. His career was brief (his final year in the league was 1947), but it was accomplished.

Panned out? Yes.

1940 — George Cafego, RB, Tennessee: A two-time All-American and Heisman finalist at Tennessee, Cafego was Robert Neyland’s first major star as head coach of the Vols. Unfortunately, his NFL career was not as successful. He played one season for the Brooklyn Dodgers (yes, the NFL had its own Brooklyn Dodgers at the time) in 1940, then served in World War II for two years, then returned to the Dodgers for five games in 1943 before being dealt to Washington, where he was a role player for only two seasons before retirement. He’s an American hero, but he was never a great NFL player.

Panned out? No.