NFL Mock Draft 2023: Bucky Brooks’ Round 1 projections feature 14 SEC stars

The 2023 NFL Draft is only a couple of months away, and preparations for the annual event are already in full swing.

NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks released his first mock draft projections on Monday, and his Round 1 was full of SEC stars.

Brooks projects SEC players to be taken with the first 3 picks overall and has 14 players from the conference going in the first 31 selections:

• No. 1 — Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama — Chicago Bears
• No. 2 — Bryce Young, QB, Alabama — Houston Texans
• No. 3 — Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia — Arizona Cardinals
• No. 9 — Will Levis, QB, Kentucky — Carolina Panthers
• No. 11 — Broderick Jones, OL, Georgia — Tennessee Titans
• No. 13 — O’Cyrus Torrence, OL, Florida — New York Jets
• No. 15 — Brian Branch, DB, Alabama — Green Bay Packers
• No. 19 — Drew Sanders, Edge, Arkansas — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• No. 22 — Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida — Baltimore Ravens
• No. 23 — Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina — Minnesota Vikings
• No. 24 — Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia — Jacksonville Jaguars
• No. 28 — Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia — Cincinnati Bengals
• No. 30 — Antonio Johnson, DB, Texas A&M — Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 31 — Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama — Philadelphia Eagles

Who will shine during the NFL Combine and upcoming Pro Days? There’s a chance even more SEC stars could work their way into the Round 1 discussion.

A lot can happen between now and the end of April!

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.