If you don’t brag during NFL Draft weekend, you’re not doing it right.

Even the teams that don’t have a single player come off the board will churn out those graphics for their un-drafted free agents with some #DevelopedHere mantra. I mean, it’s better than silence, but not by much.

On a similar note, I decided that it’d be fun to have some material for negative NFL Draft stats. These are the ones that won’t make the graphic. They’ll instead make the negative recruiting graphic that rival fan bases will make.

And just so that I’m not picking on 1 school, let’s do 1 for every SEC program.

(Let’s keep Oklahoma and Texas out of this for today because none of these things happened while they were a member of the SEC.):

Alabama — The 17-year Nick Saban era ended with 3 QBs drafted in the first 4 rounds

Look, man. It’s Alabama. Nobody flexes more during the NFL Draft than the Tide. And obviously, those 3 QBs in the first 4 rounds were all first-round picks from 2020-23. But at the same time, it’s pretty wild to think about how much passing boomed during the Saban era, yet even with all that talent during that stretch, it had just 1 more QB come off the board in the first 4 rounds than FCS North Dakota State (2).

Arkansas — The last defensive player selected in the first 2 rounds was Jamaal Anderson in 2007

To be fair, Anderson was a great success story during some memorable Arkansas seasons, which were mostly headlined by the Wild Hog offense with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Also to be fair, Drew Sanders seemed like a Round 2 lock last year but then was the 4th pick of the third round. As it stands, though, that’s now 17 consecutive NFL Drafts without a defensive player getting the call in Rounds 1-2.

Auburn — The last first-round WR was in 1984 … and that was in the Supplemental Draft

Chris Woods was that guy all the way back in 1984. To find a standard NFL Draft in which Auburn had a first-round wide receiver, you’d have to go back to Terry Beasley in 1972. That’s half a century without a first-round receiver in the standard NFL Draft. Yikes.

Florida — Of the 42 Gators drafted from 2017-23, Kyle Pitts is the lone Pro Bowl selection

To recap, the Gators’ lone Pro Bowl among players drafted dating back to post-Year 2 of the Jim McElwain era (after 2016) was Pitts. As in, a guy that has been more of a disappointment after he was the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history is the lone Pro Bowl selection who came out of Florida from 2017-23. That’s not to say there aren’t successful Gators like Jon Greenard (just signed a $78 million contract) and O’Cyrus Torrence already looks the part. But still, that’s just the Pro Bowl, not “All-Pro.”

Georgia — It’s been 15 years since UGA had a QB drafted in the first 3 rounds

And of course, that was Matthew Stafford at No. 1 overall in 2009. Carson Beck would’ve changed that had he decided to leave school after the 2023 season. Instead, he stuck around for another year. My guess? He’s a first-round QB in 2025 and that stat won’t play anymore. In other words, get your shots at UGA in while you can.

Kentucky — The last first-round offensive player was Tim Couch in 1999

A quarter-century without a first-round offensive player is tough. We thought Will Levis would be a lock to end that drought last year, but his well-documented fall ended that possibility. Instead, he was the first pick of the second round and the first-round drought continued. He and Wan’Dale Robinson are the only offensive guys who got drafted in the first 2 rounds during the Mark Stoops era, both of whom were transfers.

LSU — The last first-round OL was Alan Faneca in 1998

Think about Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron not developing a single first-round offensive lineman at LSU. That’s wild. The good news for LSU is that’s much more of a program stat than a Brian Kelly stat. At Notre Dame, he developed first-round OL Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley, Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey. My guess? This ends in 2025 when Will Campbell and/or Emery Jones Jr. end the drought.

Mississippi State — Offensive tackle is the only offensive position to produce a first-rounder in the 21st century

Charles Cross (2022) and Derek Sherrod (2011) accomplished that feat. To find another non-OT offensive player from Mississippi State who came off the board in Round 1, you have to go back to Eric Moulds in 1996. With elite offensive minds like Dan Mullen and Mike Leach running the show for the majority of that time, that’s noteworthy.

Mizzou — In 5 seasons as a head coach, Eli Drinkwitz hasn’t had a pass-catcher (WR/TE) or pass-thrower (QB) drafted

That’s 1 season at Appalachian State and 4 at Mizzou, and we’re still waiting on the first QB/TE/WR to get drafted. Yes, we expect Luther Burden III and Theo Wease to end that next year, but still. He’s only had 2 other non-running backs drafted on the offensive side of the ball, both of which were offensive linemen.

Ole Miss — Lane Kiffin hasn’t produced a first-round pick as a head coach since 2012

So that’s pre-tarmac we’re talking about. It also omits Kiffin’s time as an assistant at Alabama. At Ole Miss, Kiffin has yet to have a first-round pick. It’s wild to think that in those 12 seasons as a head coach, Kiffin’s lone first-round picks on offense were offensive tackles Tyron Smith (2011) and Matt Kalil (2012). Surprisingly, Kiffin only had 3 quarterbacks get drafted during his 12 seasons as a head coach, none of whom were first- or second-rounders:

  • Jonathan Crompton (Tennessee), 5th round
  • Matt Barkley (USC), 4th round
  • Matt Corral (Ole Miss), 3rd round

No rat poison there.

South Carolina — Spencer Rattler just became the program’s first QB drafted since the 7-round format began in 1994

Some might consider that a brag. For Rattler it is, but I can doubt that’s something that the Gamecocks would boast about. Yes, Connor Shaw was a wildly underrated college quarterback and Dylan Thompson was excellent in 2014. But it’ll never cease to amaze me that a decade of Steve Spurrier didn’t produce a single NFL Draft pick at quarterback.

Tennessee — In 6 seasons as a head coach, Josh Heupel produced 1 offensive player who was drafted in Rounds 1-2

Darnell Wright is that guy. Including the 3 seasons at UCF, here are the offensive players that Heupel had drafted as a head coach:

  • 2020 (UCF) — WR Gabe Davis, 4th round
  • 2021 (UCF) — WR Jacob Harris, 4th round
    • WR Tre Nixon, 7th round
  • 2022 (Tennessee) — WR Velus Jones Jr., 3rd round
    • OL Cade Mays, 6th round
  • 2023 (Tennessee) — OL Darnell Wright, 1st round
    • QB Hendon Hooker, 3rd round
    • WR Jalin Hyatt, 3rd round
    • WR Cedric Tillman, 3rd round
  • 2024 (Tennessee) — RB Jaylen Wright, 4th round
    • QB Joe Milton, 6th round

It’s not that those are bad cumulative numbers, especially with what Heupel inherited at Tennessee. They’re certainly impressive. And while I completely disagree with the notion that Heupel runs a “Mickey Mouse offense,” keep in mind that 5 of Heupel’s first 6 offenses as a head coach finished in the top 8 in scoring. There’s still some “wait and see” at the top of the NFL Draft when it comes to Heupel’s top-end skill-players.

Texas A&M — The last first-round defensive player was Myles Garrett in 2017

That seems impossible. With all the talent that Mike Elko brought in and developed during his 4 years as A&M’s defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher, it’s hard to fathom that the Aggies didn’t get a defensive player off the board in Round 1. Also stunning? A&M’s only offensive players in Round 1 since Johnny Manziel were a trio of offensive linemen.

Vanderbilt — 3 consecutive years without a single player drafted

Yes, it’s Vandy. Still, though. That can’t just all be pinned on the COVID year, wherein that roster was gutted. It’s alarming when you consider that Vandy had at least 1 player selected in 6 consecutive years, and the last time it had a 3-year drought like this was 1993-95. The uphill climb for Clark Lea continues.