2023 NFL Draft: SEC, B1G lead conferences with 9 players picked in first round
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The SEC is used to leading the way at the NFL Draft. On Thursday night, the SEC and Big Ten finished Round 1 tied for first place with 9 picks each.
For 2023, all first-round picks came out of Power 5 conferences. This year, there are only 31 first-round selections, as the Miami Dolphins lost their pick due to the team’s tampering scandal. Here’s the breakdown by conference:
- SEC – 9
- B1G – 9
- Big 12 – 6
- ACC – 4
- Pac-12 – 3
Here are the 9 SEC players to be selected in the first round:
- Alabama QB Bryce Young (No. 1 overall, Carolina Panthers)
- Alabama EDGE Will Anderson Jr. (No. 3, Houston Texans)
- Florida QB Anthony Richardson (No. 4, Indianapolis Colts)
- Georgia DL Jalen Carter (No. 9, Philadelphia Eagles)
- Tennessee OT Darnell Wright (No. 10, Chicago Bears)
- Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12, Detroit Lions)
- Georgia OT Broderick Jones (No. 14, Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes (No. 16, Washington Commanders)
- Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith (No. 30, Philadelphia Eagles)
The 2023 NFL Draft continues Friday with Rounds 2-3 (7 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/NFL Network).
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
