Mel Kiper’s final 2026 NFL Draft Big Board includes zero SEC players in top 10
By Ethan Stone
Published:
The first round of the NFL Draft kicks off in less than 72 hours, live from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 8 p.m. ET Thursday night. Before all the action kicks off, ESPN’s Mel Kiper took some time to finalize his 2026 Big Board rankings.
As a reminder, Kiper’s Big Board is not necessarily a mock draft, it’s a ranking of pure talent without considering team needs. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza comes in at No. 1 on Kiper’s Big Board, for example, but Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love comes in at No. 2 despite the Notre Dame running back not being the popular pick to be taken second overall.
Notably, Kiper’s Big Board takes quite a while to mention a former SEC talent. Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling is the first SEC name on the list at No. 13, with LSU‘s Mansoor Delane right behind him at No. 14. There are 4 Ohio State players listed before Freeling and Delane: Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Carnell Tate and Caleb Downs.
Although it’s arbitrary considering these rankings are not a mock draft, 8 SEC players are included in the top 32 of Kiper’s final Big Board of the offseason. They are ranked as follows:
- No. 13: Monroe Freeling, Georgia
- No. 14: Mansoor Delane, LSU
- No. 17: Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
- No. 22: Zion Young, Mizzou
- No. 24: Ty Simpson, Alabama
- No. 26: Keldric Faulk, Auburn
- No. 28: CJ Allen, Georgia
- No. 29: Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
