NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein includes 8 SEC players in Round 1 of 2026 NFL Mock Draft
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Most NFL analysts predict about 10-12 former SEC standouts will hear their names called in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft later this month in Pittsburgh.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein is not among that group. Zierlein released his updated Round 1 mock draft this week, and he only had 8 former SEC stars going in the first 32 picks.
As you can see below, he has 2 SEC standouts going in the top 10. Tennessee leads the way with 2 first-round picks in this mock:
- No. 6 — Monroe Freeling, OL, Georgia — Cleveland Browns
- No. 7 — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU — Washington Commanders
- No. 17 — Kadyn Proctor, OL, Alabama — Detroit Lions
- No. 18 — Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee — Minnesota Vikings
- No. 20 — Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee — Dallas Cowboys
- No. 22 — Caleb Banks, DL, Florida — Los Angeles Chargers
- No. 27 — KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M — San Francisco 49ers
- No. 28 — Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas — Houston Texans
Will Zierlein be proven right about the SEC not having as many Round 1 picks as normal? We’ll find out on Thursday, April 23, when Pittsburgh hosts the annual extravaganza.
Who will be taken in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft? Here’s the latest from Kalshi:
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.
