8 former SEC players included in NFL.com analyst’s first-round 2018 Mock Draft

Now that the Senior Bowl is over, prospective NFL Draft selections will turn their attention to the NFL Combine, which will take place in late-February and early-March in Indianapolis.

As usual, there are several big-name SEC players who are expected to hear their names called early during the April draft.

According to NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, eight SEC players will be chosen in round one, with Alabama having four former players chosen:

• No. 4 — Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama — Cleveland Browns
• No. 14 — Arden Key, OLB/DE, LSU — Green Bay Packers
• No. 15 — Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama — Arizona Cardinals
• No. 24 — Christian Kirk, WR/KR, Texas A&M — Carolina Panthers
• No. 27 — Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia — New Orleans Saints
• No. 28 — Derrius Guice, RB, LSU — Pittsburgh Steelers
• No. 30 — Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama — Minnesota Vikings
• No. 31 — Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama — Philadelphia Eagles

Alabama consistently puts out NFL talent, and LSU also has multiple players projected to go early, according to Brooks.

Of course, the Combine hasn’t happened yet, so it’s likely that many of these rankings and projections will change in the coming weeks as NFL teams get better looks at the talented athletes.

Adam Spencer

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.