NFL Draft 2024: Not No. 1 this year, but 2 or 3 for the SEC

The Chicago Bears have not announced their choice for the No. 1 pick in the 89th NFL Draft. They don’t have to do that until Thursday night, and though Bears general manager Ryan Poles has said he knows whom he’ll pick, he isn’t spoiling the suspense – if there is any.

Chicago’s choice has been widely reported as Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams. If that’s the case, the pick will break the SEC’s two-year hold on No. 1.

Georgia defensive end Travon Walker went to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the first pick in the 2022 draft, and the Carolina Panthers took Alabama quarterback Bryce Young at No. 1 last year.

The SEC has produced more No. 1 picks than any other conference. In the Pac-12′s draft swan song, Williams would become the 17th No. 1 pick from the league and its ancestral conferences.

The 88 No. 1 picks have been produced by 13 conferences and nine independent teams:

· Twenty-two No. 1 picks have come from the SEC, most recently in 2023 with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young going to the Carolina Panthers.

· Sixteen No. 1 picks have come from the Pac-12, most recently in 2016 with California quarterback Jared Goff going to the Los Angeles Rams.

· Fourteen No. 1 picks have come from independent programs, most recently in 1991 with Miami (Fla.) defensive tackle Russell Maryland going to the Dallas Cowboys.

· Twelve No. 1 picks have come from the Big Ten, most recently in 2008 with Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long going to the Miami Dolphins.

· Seven No. 1 picks have come from the Big 12, most recently in 2019 with Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray going to the Arizona Cardinals.

· Seven No. 1 picks came from the Southwest Conference, the final one in 1982 with Texas defensive end Kenneth Sims going to the New England Patriots.

· Three No. 1 picks have come from the ACC, most recently in 2021 with Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence going to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

· One No. 1 pick came from the Big East – in 2001, when Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick went to the Atlanta Falcons.

· One No. 1 pick came from the Gulf States – in 1970, when Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

· One No. 1 pick has come from the Mid-American – in 2013, when Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher went to the Kansas City Chiefs.

· One No. 1 pick has come from the Missouri Valley – in 1947, when Oklahoma State halfback Bob Fenimore went to the Chicago Bears.

· One No. 1 pick has come from the Mountain West – in 2005, when Utah quarterback Alex Smith went to the San Francisco 49ers.

· One No. 1 pick came from the Skyline – in 1956, when Colorado State defensive back Gary Glick went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

· One No. 1 pick has come from the Western Athletic – in 2002, when Fresno State quarterback David Carr went to the Houston Texans.

While it appears the SEC will miss being in the leadoff spot in the 2024 NFL Draft, the conference could provide the second or third selection. That’s where LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is predicted to show up on Thursday night with two quarterback needy teams holding those picks – the Washington Commanders at No. 2 and the New England Patriots at No. 3 – unless they get a deal they can’t refuse from another one of the teams looking for a new QB.

Twenty-two No. 1 picks have come from the SEC, as have 14 No. 2 picks and 20 No. 3 picks. The past two No. 3 picks also have come from the SEC – LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. in 2022 and Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. in 2023. The Houston Texans made both picks.

The SEC filled the first three slots in the 1945 draft. The Chicago Cardinals picked Georgia’s Charley Trippi at No. 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers picked Florida’s Paul Duhart at No. 2 and the Boston Yanks picked Tulane’s Joe Renfroe at No. 3. Boston, which also held the No. 4 choice, made it four in a row from the SEC by picking Georgia Tech’s Eddie Prokop. The Cleveland Rams ended the streak of SEC backs by choosing Michigan end Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch at No. 5. Trippi and Hirsch are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In the 2011 draft, the Carolina Panthers picked Auburn quarterback Cam Newton at No. 1, the Denver Broncos picked Texas A&M defensive end Von Miller at No. 2 and the Buffalo Bills picked Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. But Miller was not an SEC pick. Texas A&M did not play its first SEC season until 2012.

The 22 SEC players drafted with the No. 1 pick include:

· Tennessee fullback George Cafego, Chicago Cardinals, 1940

· Georgia back Frank Sinkwich, Detroit Lions, 1943

· Georgia halfback Charley Trippi, Chicago Cardinals, 1945

· Alabama quarterback Harry Gilmer, Washington Redskins, 1948

· Vanderbilt quarterback Billy Wade, Los Angeles Rams, 1952

· Georgia end Harry Babcock, San Francisco 49ers, 1953

· LSU running back Billy Cannon, Los Angeles Rams, 1960

· Tulane running back Tommy Mason, Minnesota Vikings, 1961

· Auburn running back Tucker Frederickson, New York Giants, 1965

· Auburn running back Bo Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1986

· Auburn linebacker Aundray Bruce, Atlanta Falcons, 1988

· Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts, 1998

· Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch, Cleveland Browns, 1999

· Ole Miss QB Eli Manning, San Diego Chargers, 2004

· LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders, 2007

· Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions, 2009

· Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, 2011

· South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans, 2014

· Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns, 2017

· LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals, 2020

· Georgia defensive end Travon Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars, 2022

· Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers, 2023

The 14 SEC players drafted with the No. 2 pick include:

· Alabama back Riley Smith, Boston Redskins, 1936

· Florida back Paul Duhart, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1945

· LSU halfback Dub Jones, Chicago Cardinals, 1946

· Georgia quarterback John Rauch, Detroit Lions, 1949

· LSU back Jerry Stovall, St. Louis Cardinals, 1963

· Tennessee center Bob Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, 1968

· Ole Miss QB Archie Manning, New Orleans Saints, 1971

· LSU quarterback Bert Jones, Baltimore Colts, 1973

· Kentucky defensive end Art Still, Kansas City Chiefs, 1978

· Mississippi State linebacker Johnie Cooks, Indianapolis Colts, 1982

· Alabama linebacker Cornelius Bennett, Indianapolis Colts, 1987

· Auburn running back Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins, 2005

· Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel, Jacksonville Jaguars, 2013

· Auburn tackle Greg Robinson, St. Louis Rams, 2014

The 20 SEC players drafted with the No. 3 pick include:

· Ole Miss tailback Parker Hall, Cleveland Rams, 1939

· Tulane back Joe Renfroe, Boston Yanks, 1945

· Florida halfback Chuck Hunsinger, Chicago Bears, 1950

· LSU quarterback Y.A. Tittle, San Francisco 49ers, 1951

· Mississippi State defensive back Bill Stacy, Chicago Cardinals, 1959

· LSU defensive back Johnny Robinson, Detroit Lions, 1960

· Ole Miss defensive tackle Jim Dunaway, Minnesota Vikings, 1963

· Florida quarterback Steve Spurrier, San Francisco 49ers, 1967

· Florida wide receiver Wes Chandler, New Orleans Saints, 1978

· Georgia running back Garrison Hearst, Phoenix Cardinals, 1993

· Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler, Washington Redskins, 1994

· Alabama offensive tackle Chris Samuels, Washington Redskins, 2000

· Florida defensive tackle Gerard Warren, Cleveland Browns, 2001

· LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson, Kansas City Chiefs, 2009

· Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, Buffalo Bills, 2011

· Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns, 2012

· Florida linebacker Dante Fowler, Jacksonville Jaguars, 2015

· Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, New York Jets, 2019

· LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans, 2022

· Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans, 2023

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.