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Yahoo lists 3 SEC programs among top 5 teams with NFL Draft talent for 2020
By Keith Farner
Published:
The current crop of eligible draft talent across the SEC could reach or surpass records.
Some draft observers and talent evaluators, including Eric Edholm of Yahoo, have even suggested that Alabama could be in the mix to tie or set new records. One is most picks by one school in a draft, 14 by Ohio State in 2004. The 2004 Miami Hurricanes had six first-rounders.
“This is a monster group, with perhaps as many as four top-10 possibilities,” Edholm wrote. “Nick Saban’s banner 2016 and 2017 recruiting classes have started to reach eligibility, and it’s a stunning collection of talent.”
For context, Edholm also noted that, “At this point last year, Quinnen Williams was fighting for a starting spot with the Tide, and he ended up the third overall selection.”
But Alabama is far from the only team chock full of talent this season. Edholm lists three SEC programs — also Georgia and LSU — in the top five of college teams with the most talent. Then Florida checked in at No. 9.
At Georgia, there’s D’Andre Swift, who has a chance to be RB1 in this class, and Andrew Thomas could emerge as OT1 in what appears to be a very strong group at that position, the report said.
For LSU, the Tigers only had three draft picks last season, its fewest selections in one class since 2005. “That is expected to change in a big way this coming season. The Tigers have some stars coming off season-ending injuries, including Kristian Fulton and K’Lavon Chaisson, which dampens this projection,” Edholm wrote.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
