NFL Mock Draft 2026: ESPN’s preseason Round 1 projections include 11 SEC stars

The 2025 NFL season is just around the corner. Preseason play will wrap up this week and the regular season kicks off in September.

But it’s never too early for teams to start looking ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft. Which SEC stars will be in the mix to go in Round 1?

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Field Yates put together his Round 1 mock draft for the 2026 event, and he included 11 SEC football standouts in the first 32 picks. That’s a lower number than we’ve seen the SEC produce in recent years, so we’ll see if more guys work their way into the Round 1 mix this fall.

Here’s a look at all the SEC-related Round 1 projections from Yates:

• No. 1 — Arch Manning, QB, Texas — Cleveland Browns
• No. 2 — LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina — New York Jets
• No. 6 — Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn — Carolina Panthers
• No. 10 — Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas — Seattle Seahawks
• No. 12 — Austin Barber, OL, Florida — Cleveland Browns
• No. 13 — Caleb Banks, DL, Florida — Dallas Cowboys
• No. 16 — Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU — Pittsburgh Steelers
• No. 17 — Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee — Chicago Bears
• No. 24 — Kadyn Proctor, OL, Alabama — Cincinnati Bengals
• No. 25 — Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama — Washington Commanders
• No. 27 — Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia — LA Rams

Texas, Florida and Alabama lead the way with 2 picks apiece in this mock. Seeing Georgia with only 1 first-round pick (and at No. 27, no less) is odd, but we’ll see if more Bulldogs can climb into the discussion.

The 2025 season kicks off next week in the SEC.

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.