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NFL.com analysts feature mock drafts chock full of prospects from the SEC
By John Crist
Published:
There are four separate mock drafts featured at NFL.com, one each from Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis and Lance Zierlein.
All four of them currently have Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil going No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans. The pick certainly makes sense, as quarterback Marcus Mariota missed four games as a rookie and could use better protection up front.
Davis has Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves at No. 5 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Brooks has him No. 6 to the Baltimore Ravens. Jeremiah and Zierlein have the former Gator headed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 9.
Davis and Zierlein have slotted Alabama defensive end A’Shawn Robinson to the Chicago Bears at 11th. Brooks and Jeremiah apparently have a much lower opinion of the 6-foot-4, 312-pounder. Brooks has him going 21st to the Washingon Redskins, while Zierlein sent him to the Seattle Seahawks at 26th.
Continuing his run on Crimson Tide linemen, Davis put Jarrad Reed with the New Orleans Saints at No. 12. Brooks has him No. 16 to the Detroit Lions, while Jeremiah found a place for him with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 28. Reed failed to make the first round for Zierlein.
Zierlein is much higher on Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, who he has going 15th to the St. Louis Rams. He goes 19th to the Buffalo Bills according to Jeremiah. Davis has him 23rd to the Minnesota Vikings, while Brooks sent him to the Cincinnati Bengals one position later at 24th.
Jeremiah is the biggest fan of Georgia pass rusher Leonard Floyd among the quartet, shipping him to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 17. Zierlein sees him with the Indianapolis Colts at No. 18, while Davis put him No. 20 to the New York Jets. Brooks does not have Floyd in Round 1.
Alabama’s Reggie Ragland is the first linebacker off the board for Davis, who lined him up with Atlanta at 17th. He’s 20th to the Jets for Jeremiah, and then 24th to Cincinnati for Zierlein. Just as with Floyd, Brooks doesn’t see Ragland as a first-rounder.
Davis and Zierlein have Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche going to Buffalo at No. 19. Jeremiah has him No. 21 to Washington. Brooks, perhaps down a bit on the SEC at this point, hooked Nkemdiche up with the Seattle Seahawks at No. 26.
Zierlein put Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry at 25th to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Davis waited until the last selection of the first round to take him off the board, lining him up with the Denver Broncos at 31st. Neither Brooks nor Jeremiah has Henry’s name being called in Round 1.
That’s potentially nine of the 31 picks coming from the best conference in America, or 29 percent of the first-round selections.
John Crist is an award-winning contributor to Saturday Down South.
