College football fans love to endlessly debate about all things college football, including which conference is the most dominant and which program or team belongs among the greatest of all time. While we certainly don’t expect those arguments to cease any time soon, the results of the NFL Draft offer some annual guidance on the subject.
There are countless ways to analyze draft picks and plenty of methods for cherry-picking stats here and there to make a specific argument.
You could look at it from a College Football Playoff perspective with 12 first-round draft picks playing in the semifinals and seven playing in the title game between LSU and Clemson. You could examine the four quarterbacks drafted, including Nick Saban’s first first-rounder, and their impact on their new teams as well as the ones they left. You could break it down by coach and school, comparing this year’s NFL Draft last to those of the past — although, there is zero debate over the GOAT college football coach when it comes to draft stats.
But simply, the easiest and broadest way to throw some key numbers at the debates is to break down draft picks by school and conference.
2020 NFL Draft: First round by conference
Apologies to the people who relentlessly argue against the SEC being the best conference in college football because the draft data heavily favors those down South, whichever way you look at it.
The conference had, by far, the most first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft with a whopping 15, and LSU alone had as many first-rounders as both the Big Ten and the Big 12. (More on that later.) And those
The SEC had 15 of the 32 first-round NFL Draft picks, followed by the Big Ten and Big 12 in a tie for second with five picks. The Pac-12 and ACC each had three, and the Mountain West had one. But let’s break it down a little more.
SEC
Total players drafted in 2020 first round: 15
Top-16 picks: 9 — Joe Burrow (LSU), Andrew Thomas (Georgia), Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), Derrick Brown (Auburn), CJ Henderson (Florida), Jedrick Wills Jr. (Alabama), Henry Ruggs III (Alabama), Javon Kinlaw (South Carolina), Jerry Jeudy (Alabama)
Highest draft pick: No. 1 Joe Burrow, QB (Bengals)
Big Ten
Total players drafted in 2020 first round: 5
Top-16 picks: 3 — Chase Young (Ohio State), Jeff Okudah (Ohio State), Tristan Wirfs (Iowa)
Highest draft pick: No. 2 Chase Young, DE (Redskins)
Big 12
Total players drafted in 2020 first round: 5
Top-16 picks: 0
Highest draft pick: No. 17 CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma, WR (Cowboys)
ACC
Total players drafted in 2020 first round: 3
Top-16 picks: 3 — Isaiah Simmons (Clemson), Mekhi Becton (Louisville), A.J. Terrell (Clemson)
Highest draft pick: No. 8 Isaiah Simmons, OLB (Cardinals)
Pac-12
Total players drafted in 2020 first round: 3
Top-16 picks: 1 — Justin Herbert (Oregon)
Highest draft pick: No. 6 Justin Herbert, QB (Chargers)
Mountain West
Total players drafted in 2020 first round: 1
Top-16 picks: 0
Highest draft pick: No. 26 Jordan Love, Utah State, QB (Packers)
2020 NFL Draft: First round by school
LSU: 5 — Burrow, No. 20 K’Lavon Chaisson (Jaguars), No. 22 Justin Jefferson (Vikings), No. 28 Patrick Queen (Ravens), No. 32 Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs)
Alabama: 4 — Tagovailoa, Wills, Ruggs, Jeudy
Ohio State: 3 — Young, Okudah, No. 19 Damon Arnette (Raiders)
Auburn: 2 — Brown, No. 30 Noah Igbinoghene (Dolphins)
Georgia: 2 — Thomas, No. 29 Isaiah Wilson (Titans)
Oklahoma: 2 — Lamb, No. 23 Kenneth Murray (Chargers)
TCU: 2 — No. 21 Jalen Reagor (Eagles), No. 31 Jeff Gladney (Vikings)
