Seven SEC players heard NFL commissioner Roger Goodell call their names Thursday night, fulfilling what for many is a life-long goal.
But as we prepare to watch the second and third rounds unfold (7 p.m. ET Friday), there probably are more than three dozen SEC players still waiting to get drafted by Saturday night.
RELATED: Projecting the NFL draft round of every eligible SEC player
Here are the 10 best available SEC players, ranked purely by on-field talent. Each of them could be drafted by the end of the third round.
1. LSU OT La’el Collins: Most everyone believes Collins would’ve been selected in the first round if not for the giant off-field cloud looming above his head. If Collins has done nothing wrong, it’s very unfortunate, but he won’t lose as much money by falling as he would’ve before the relatively new rookie wage scale. Considered by many as the No. 1 offensive tackle in this draft, three such players earned first-round selections. Not because of talent, but Collins may not hear his name called Friday in Round 2 or 3.
2. Alabama S Landon Collins: The consensus scouting report on Collins is that he’s a plus run defender at the NFL level already, but pass coverage is an increasing necessity for any first-round safety. In that regard, Collins needs to improve his footwork and gets caught peeking in the backfield and looking for the run too often. The Green Bay Packers, who drafted Alabama’s HaHa Clinton-Dix last year, made Arizona State’s Damarious Randall the first safety off the board at No. 30 overall on Thursday. Look for Collins to be the second sometime during the second round.
3. Mississippi State DE Preston Smith: Neither a superb quick-twitch or bull rusher, Smith is a shade less valuable than the defensive linemen who got selected in the first round. But he’s one of the best players available in the entire draft entering Round 2. The SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after three consecutive Saturdays in ’14, Smith is a versatile piece who uses his long arms, good hands, anticipation and good overall speed to his advantage.
4. Missouri/Oklahoma WR Dorial Green-Beckham: Not many expected six different receivers to go in this year’s first round. Perhaps last year’s amazing rookie class of wideouts influenced that trend. It bodes well for Green-Beckham on Friday, as he’s the most physically-gifted receiver still on the board, but are there enough NFL teams still in need of a receiver to take him in the second round?
5. LSU CB Jalen Collins: I don’t think Collins would’ve been selected in the first round even if he passed every drug test at LSU. In some ways, Shane Ray’s offense — days before he was to become a first-round pick, which he did — is more startling. Ray automatically is enrolled in the NFL substance-abuse program, whereas Collins is not. Both started one year at their respective schools, but Ray is more polished than Collins at this point. The corner fits the recent NFL prototype, a taller, strong player who can move and run more fluidly than he should be able to do. But I think the first-round buzz around him may have been premature even before the negative headlines.
6. Mississippi State ILB Benardrick McKinney: The former Bulldogs standout may have to wait for UCLA’s Eric Kendricks to come off the board, as New Orleans selected Clemson’s Stephone Anthony as the top overall inside linebacker at No. 31 in a mild upset. At 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, his size, athleticism and physicality are intriguing. But he’s a liability against the pass, may have to come off the field on third downs early in his career and plays too tall at times. Still, he probably is the second-best inside linebacker available and should get picked Friday.
7. South Carolina G A.J. Cann: We’ve seen the SEC offensive tackles get some love, and it’s possible that three of them could’ve become first-rounders if La’el Collins’ situation didn’t change this week. But Duke guard Laken Tomlinson went to Detroit at No. 28 as part of the trade that helped Denver land Shane Ray. Cann likely is the top remaining interior offensive lineman on most teams’ draft boards. Expect him drafted in the second or third round.
8. Auburn WR Sammie Coates: If Coates had proven he could catch the darn ball, he may have gone ahead of fellow speedster Phillip Dorsett (of Miami; No. 29 overall). Receivers are more valuable now than ever before, and Coates has the physical makeup of a solid NFL starter. He needs to learn to track the ball, keep his concentration and run sharper routes, but I see a team betting a second-day pick on his potential.
9. Arkansas DE Trey Flowers: One of my personal favorites, Flowers is a likely second-day pick only because his skill set isn’t as valuable as a Dante Fowler Jr. or a Shane Ray, who can easily get to the quarterback off the edge thanks to quick-twitch speed. Flowers may be the best run-stuffing 4-3 defensive end in this draft. He’s adequate at best as an NFL pass rusher as of today, but he’s likely to club an opposing offensive tackle into submission by the fourth quarter. No one wants to face him series after series, and it’s hard to foresee him lasting until Saturday.
10. Alabama RB T.J. Yeldon: There are little questions about Yeldon here and there — ball security, health — but he has the potential to be an every-down NFL running back. This draft class is saturated with backfield talent, but rather than deflate the market even more than it has been in recent years, Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon both got selected in the first 15 picks. That’s good news for Yeldon’s chances of getting drafted in the third round Friday.
OTHERS: LSU DE Danielle Hunter, Ole Miss S Cody Prewitt, LSU OLB Kwon Alexander, Missouri G Mitch Morse, Ole Miss CB Senquez Golson
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
