It’s finally time for the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The SEC’s class of incoming NFL rookies is stacked as usual. Several SEC stars are expected to hear their names called at some point on Thursday night, led by LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
This piece will break down the odds for the SEC’s top draft prospects to go in the top 10 or in the first round. We’ll be referencing Kalshi, a prediction market that’s legal in most US states.
NFL Draft pick player props
Let’s dive in:
Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Mansoor Delane is regarded as the top cornerback in this class after his standout 2025 campaign at LSU. He has by far the best odds of any SEC prospect to go in the top-10:
Peter Schrager’s final ESPN mock has Delane going No. 9 overall to the Dallas Cowboys (via trade).
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Aside from Delane, every other prospect is a relative long-shot to go in the top 10. That includes Kadyn Proctor, who should be among the first few offensive tackles taken on Thursday night.
Most experts currently project Proctor to be selected in the teens, but there are enough tackle-needy teams in the top 10 that a surprise surge on draft day shouldn’t be ruled out entirely.
Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
The same could be said for Monroe Freeling — he’s projected to go in the teens by most analysts but his elite athleticism numbers at the combine are what is keeping the door open for a rise into the top 10.
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
As of this writing, Delane, Proctor and Freeling are the only SEC prospects with better than a 10% chance to go in the top 10 on draft day.
Let’s shift focus to the first-round odds. Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is the most interesting name in this market, as most projections have him going in the 20s — likely via a draft-day trade.
The Arizona Cardinals are the team that’s been most-commonly linked to Simpson and are currently a favorite to draft him this weekend:
Simpson has a 70% chance to be drafted on Day 1, according to the latest Kalshi odds.
Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn
Keldric Faulk will almost certainly not be a top 10 pick, but the former Auburn pass rusher does have a great chance to go in the first round.
Faulk is at 84% to go in Round 1, per Kalshi.
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Jermod McCoy is one of the bigger mysteries in this class. He missed the entire 2025 season as he recovered from ACL surgery but has long been projected as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, it’s possible his medicals will prevent him from going on Day 1 — as was the case last year when Michigan’s Will Johnson slipped from first-round lock to No. 47 overall. It’s worth noting Daniel Jeremiah’s final mock does not have McCoy in the first round.
The Kalshi market is reflecting that uncertainty, giving McCoy a 54% chance to be picked in the first round.
KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
KC Concepcion is currently expected to be picked in the 20s. He had a sensational college career spread over 3 seasons between NC State and Texas A&M.
Concepcion could be the fourth or fifth receiver off the board, but there’s expected to be enough WR-needy teams in the first round that he should still hear his name called on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
Other ex-SEC standouts who could hear their names called on Thursday include Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood, Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell, Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas, among others.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
