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These SEC players won’t be picked in the 1st Round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but they’ll have decade-long careers
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I wanted to go back to the 2015 NFL Draft. Ten years ago, 54 SEC players were selected over the 7 rounds. You can bet that all 54 of those guys thought that they’d spend a decade in the NFL.
That, however, didn’t happen. Here’s the complete list of SEC players from the 2015 NFL Draft who just accomplished that feat of 10 years of NFL service (that includes guys who spent time on an NFL practice squad):
- Florida LB Dante Fowler, 1st Round
- Alabama WR Amari Cooper, 1st Round
- Kentucky LB Bud Dupree, 1st Round
- Florida OL DJ Humphries, 1st Round
- Mississippi State DE Preston Smith, 2nd Round
- Mizzou OL Mitch Morse, 2nd Round
- Georgia WR Chris Conley, 3rd Round
- LSU DE Danielle Hunter, 3rd Round
- Auburn DT Angelo Blackson, 4th Round
- Kentucky LB Za’Darius Smith, 4th Round
- LSU LB Kwon Alexander, 4th Round
- Auburn TE CJ Uzomah, 5th Round
- Florida OL Trent Brown, 7th Round
That’s 13 out of 54 guys from the SEC’s 2015 NFL Draft class who just finished a decade in the league, or 24%. That breaks down to 1 out of every 4 SEC players who were selected. That number dropped to 19% for the post-Round 1 guys from the SEC in that class (9 of 47).
So which 9 non-1st Round picks from the SEC will begin their decade of NFL service in 2025? I settled on these guys:
Ole Miss WR Tre Harris
I know this list isn’t really about college production, but I thought Harris had a real case to earn the Bilentikoff Award even though he missed a month of the season. He was that good, and when he wasn’t on the field, Ole Miss felt it. Even at 6-3, Harris isn’t the most physically imposing receiver, but go look at the NFL’s top wideouts. Guys like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and Amon-Ra St. Brown aren’t going to be confused with DK Metcalf anytime soon. I’m not saying that he’ll be in the same breath as those guys, but like with them, Harris’s longevity in the NFL will depend on him continuing to be a smooth route-runner who can make contested catches look easy (he had 45 contested catches in his 4 seasons at Louisiana Tech and Ole Miss). In a wide receiver class that seems to lack clear top-end options, it wouldn’t be surprising if Harris becomes an ideal Day-2 value guy who steps into a No. 2 role from the jump.
Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson
I know what you’re thinking — running backs don’t get a decade in the NFL. Correct. But as recently as 2023, there were 9 NFL running backs who were on the other side of 30 years old. That included 2015 NFL Draft pick Ameer Abdullah, who was 2nd-Round pick after a prolific college career. That could be the path for Sampson (5-8, 200 pounds), who profiles similarly to Abdullah (5-8 3/4, 205 pounds). Sampson was a star in his lone season as a starter. He was the backbone of Tennessee‘s inconsistent offense because of how he finished runs, which allowed him to set the program record for rushing touchdowns in a season (22). There’s no question that he’s going to maximize his frame, and while he might not ever open a season as an obvious bell-cow back for a team, he fits the profile of someone you want in an NFL running back room. Plus, he’ll still only be 20 years old when the 2025 NFL season kicks off.
Mizzou QB Brady Cook
Before you call me “crazy,” remember that quarterbacks who got a decade of NFL service includes guys like Trevor Siemian, Matt Barkley, Mike Glennon and … fellow former Mizzou signal-caller Chase Daniel. That’s right. Cook might not have quite the career in store that Daniel had during his 14 (!) NFL seasons, but why wouldn’t he have a decade-long career as a backup? Shoot, Jeff Driskel is about to enter Year 10 and he’s got 12 career starts. Cook was extremely durable — he literally beat Auburn after returning from a mid-game hospital trip — and he showed all the tools to hold an NFL roster spot. Yes, the deep ball was disappointing at times, but a backup isn’t asked to come in and be Josh Allen. Cook’s NFL Combine performance coupled with his tape will earn him a selection and an opportunity to hold a roster spot as a capable backup.
Texas TE Gunnar Helm
I’m glad that we got an explanation as to why Helm tested so poorly at the NFL Combine:
That’s not ideal, but Helm fortunately has good enough film to prevent a free-fall. Before Matthew Golden turned into a star in the latter half of the season, Helm often felt like the go-to option in the Texas passing game. How? His ball skills are exceptional at his size. It’s why he was No. 3 among Power Conference tight ends in receiving. He also only dropped 2 of his 95 career targets, and he had a 137.8 QB rating when targeted, which was No. 1 among FBS tight ends (min. 45 targets). Unlike other receiving-focused tight ends, Helm lined up inline 68.3% of the time, which asked a lot of him as a blocker. There’s a market for Helm in today’s NFL. Even if he isn’t the next George Kittle as a blocker, Helm feels like someone who’ll be catching a key touchdown pass in a playoff game when he’s on the other side of 30.
Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman
If this is 20 years ago, Stutsman is ineligible for this list because he’s in every Mock Draft. But even with a 4.52-second 40 at 6-3, Stutsman won’t have that kind of a market in 2025 because he’s an inside linebacker who isn’t great in coverage. Welcome to the modern NFL. But Stutsman can still be a long-time NFL player because his instincts and ability to make tackles in space are second to none. One would think that will lead to Stutsman being a Day-2 guy. Perhaps like what we’re seeing early on with former Day-2 pick Nick Bolton in the first part of his career, Stutsman could go to a contending team and immediately be a high-impact player in the middle of a top-flight defense. His position might not have the same value that it once did, but Stutsman can still become a franchise player in the NFL.
Tennessee WR Dont’e Thornton
Hold up. You think I’m about to rattle off a bunch of reasons why Thornton is going to be this prolific pro because of how he led FBS with 25 yards per catch in his pre-Draft season at Tennessee. Nope. Thornton might not ever turn into a 1,000-yard receiver at the next level, but he’ll have a long NFL career because field-stretchers like him can make a living even if they aren’t exactly Tyreek Hill. Think Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Ted Ginn Jr. There’s always going to be a market for those guys in an NFL world that still prioritizes the passing game. Thornton running a 4.3-second 40 at 6-5 will turn enough heads to make him a mid-round priority who can have a significant shelf life taking the top off of secondaries.
LSU CB Zy Alexander
I wish Alexander could’ve been healthy throughout his 2 seasons in Baton Rouge. During that stretch, he was the only player on that roster who was ever considered a lockdown corner. He played in a secondary that took too many punches, and it showed when he wasn’t on the field. But while the ACL tear was sandwiched in the middle of his time at LSU, let’s not forget that he still finished his career by posting a successful pre-Draft season. The 6-1 corner allowed a 53.2 QB rating in coverage, and he allowed just 20 catches on 46 targets. That’s as an outside corner in the SEC. There’ll be someone who seeks value at corner and winds up taking Alexander with a mid-round pick, and is pleasantly surprised when he’s a starting by Year 2.
Texas C Jake Majors
If Majors had the longest career of Texas’s NFL-bound offensive linemen, would it be that stunning? I don’t think so, and I say that as a Kelvin Banks Jr. believer. I’m also a Kyle Flood believer. The Texas offensive line coach is an exceptional developer of talent, and we saw that play out with Majors’ development. The guy started more games (57) than any player in program history. The Longhorns wouldn’t have made consecutive semifinal berths if not for Majors. Period. The 4-year starter got rave reviews for his football IQ, which will allow him to adjust to the NFL game quickly, even if he’s not a Day-1 starter. This is someone who allowed 3 sacks in his 2,056 career pass-blocking snaps, and 2 of them came during his true freshman season. Majors might not have the ideal frame because of his 30 3/8-inch arms, but a team that’s willing to overlook that will have its center position taken care of for the next decade.
And for what it’s worth … I’m calling dibs on Landon Jackson
He’s considered a borderline 1st-Round pick. If he’s not picked until Round 2, I want him in this camp. The former Arkansas star would be my pick if asked the extremely specific question, “which SEC defensive player would you bet on spending a decade in the NFL?” I didn’t include him in the main group because there’s a decent chance that his NFL Combine performance — one that included a 40.5-inch vertical and a 10-9 broad jump — made him a lock to come off the board on Night 1. But if he’s not, I want it on record that Jackson will spend a decade-plus in the NFL and prove to be one of the top value picks in this entire class.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Down South. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.
