Let’s turn the page to 2026.
The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and naturally, the way-too-early 2026 NFL Mock Drafts are out. While those should be largely ignored, they do shape perception for some of these guys in the upcoming season.
History tells us that there will usually be double-digit SEC players selected in the first round. That’s proven to be a bit more difficult to predict than some might assume, but it’s not a reach to suggest that at least 10 SEC players will hear their names called on Night 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
These are the 10 that I’d expect to fit that description:
I have a reason why I’m not putting Arch Manning on this list
Wait, what? Isn’t Manning going to be No. 1 overall in a bunch of these way-too-early mocks? How could I possibly not include the next great Manning on this list?
Well, I’m on record now. I don’t think Manning leaves for the NFL after this season.
My guess from the jump has been that the Mannings are playing the long game. That’s why he didn’t transfer after his true freshman season when Quinn Ewers announced that he’d return. Manning will indeed have that market whenever his time comes, but I’m of the belief that he wants to be a multi-year starter in college before heading to the next level. Even if Manning gets 16-17 starts for a national championship team, that’ll give him 18-19 starts in his college career. That’s 1.5 seasons. Compare that to a 4-year college starter like Peyton Manning or a 3-year college starter like Eli Manning, who also waited until Year 3 of college to start. Yes, it’s a different world, but Arch Manning has never operated like someone in need of the quickest path to the NFL.
So while everyone assumes that he’ll leave for the NFL as soon as he’s draft-eligible after the 2025 season, I’ll bet on him staying in school for the 2026 season.
Anthony Hill Jr., Texas LB
Hill might be the best non-Ohio State player in the country. The multi-year starter in the middle of that Texas defense has shown a remarkable ability to diagnose plays, get downhill and make big-time plays in space. As an inside linebacker, he racked up 16.5 tackles for loss, and he forced 4 fumbles. From the moment Hill showed up in Austin, he’s been a wrecking ball. That dates back to when he harassed Jalen Milroe in 2023 in that monumental win in Tuscaloosa. Hill has all the makings of being the first linebacker off the board and a future franchise cornerstone.
Jermod McCoy, Tennessee CB
OK, McCoy didn’t have the best day at the office against Jeremiah Smith. Oh well. He was also guarding the best player on the planet in single coverage. It happens. Unfortunately, McCoy will be working back from a torn ACL that he suffered early in the offseason while training back in Texas. Fortunately, that injury occurred early enough in the offseason to think that the former Oregon State transfer can make a full return for 2025. If McCoy does indeed make a full recovery, he can get back to being the lockdown corner who defended 13 passes (4 INTs, 9 PBUs) en route to being a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. At a premium position, McCoy has a ton of next-level value if he puts together another season like that.
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU QB
I do find myself wondering if Nussmeier could’ve been a late-Round 1 pick if he had left for the NFL this past season. But all that matters for him is that he’s got another season as a starter to show why he’s one of the top 5 quarterbacks in the sport. The preseason Heisman Trophy favorite has all the surroundings to take another step. The Tigers loaded up on pass-catching weapons in the portal for what should be Brian Kelly’s best all-around team at LSU. Nussmeier worked through his mid-season struggles and finished the season on a much better note. Another year of learning coverages and making NFL throws will have next-level scouts all in on the LSU signal-caller. The Tigers have already produced a pair of elite NFL quarterbacks in the 2020s. Nussmeier should be next.
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina QB
Keep in mind that before Spencer Rattler was selected on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft, South Carolina hadn’t had a quarterback picked since the 7-round NFL Draft began in 1994. Sellers has all the makings of being the first Gamecocks signal-caller to come off the board in Round 1. He fits the mold of a modern quarterback. The size, the escapability, the footwork, the mobility … it’s all there. Sellers has to cut down on the turnovers — PFF charted him with the second-most turnover-worthy plays (15) in FBS when under pressure — but we saw him turn into one of the top quarterbacks in the sport in the latter half of the regular season. If he can master the transition with new offensive coordinator Mike Shula, there’s no reason why he can’t become a decorated QB prospect in the 2026 class.
Trevor Goosby, Texas OL
This one might surprise some outside of the Texas footprint, but hear me out. Kyle Flood is exceptional at developing offensive line talent, and Goosby has the makings of a special player as the Kelvin Banks Jr. replacement. When Banks got hurt in the Texas A&M game, Goosby stepped in, and he didn’t allow a single pressure or sack. Then, when right tackle Cam Williams got hurt, he stepped in and played right tackle in the postseason, albeit with some more up-and-down results. But the 6-7 Goosby will have a ton of eyes on him as the blind-side protector for the aforementioned Manning. Something tells me that by season’s end, he’ll be an anchor for an elite Texas team and he’ll be a more obvious Round 1 prospect than Alabama preseason All-American Kadyn Proctor.
Cayden Green, Mizzou OL
The former Oklahoma transfer was huge (in multiple ways) in Year 1 at Mizzou. He became an anchor as a left guard, which might limit his early-round value at the NFL, much like Mizzou offensive line teammate Connor Tollison, who returned for 2025 after suffering a season-ending injury in November and could also have a Round 1 market. Still, though. Green showed versatility as a run-blocker and in pass protection, where he allowed just 1 sack and in 711 career pass-blocking snaps. At 6-5, 320 pounds, he’s got the makings of a Day 1 interior offensive lineman. Perhaps Armand Membou began a new run of elite Mizzou offensive linemen in the NFL Draft.
CJ Allen, Georgia LB
I know, I know. Allen plays a position that doesn’t have top-end early round value like it used to, and his sophomore season wasn’t at the level that many hoped. But after Allen was asked to do a ton in Kirby Smart’s defense as a sophomore, I think we see him play even more decisively and that breakout, All-SEC season is coming. Maybe he won’t be valued in the same way that Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams were as edge rushers and perhaps a Roquan Smith comp is too high of a bar to set even though they’re similar physically, but Allen’s instincts will still make him a tremendous asset at the next level.
LT Overton, Alabama DL
When Overton makes his presence felt, it usually leaves the entire stadium in amazement. That’s driving a lot of the conversation with him as a preseason All-American. While he hasn’t put together that full season yet, Overton’s ability to play that bandit role north of 280 pounds makes him a matchup nightmare. He’ll get to show that versatility and give NFL scouts some options to project where he best fits at the next level. Overton’s draft stock won’t be determined by him racking up some 15-sack season, though with how loud his game-breaking plays are, nobody should be surprised if his production feels greater than it actually is.
Keldric Faulk, Auburn DL
You had me at “versatile edge-rusher with NFL size.” Faulk was one of the bright spots for an Auburn defense that was much better than that 5-7 record suggested. He recorded 11 TFLs and he delivered his best performances against elite competition. Against Georgia and Alabama alone, Faulk had a combined 4 TFLs, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. On top of that, he had 45 pressures and 23 run stops. Faulk did that as a sophomore. Even if he gets “top of the scouting report” treatment, he’s still got the measurables that’ll make him a coveted NFL prospect.
Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss Edge
On that loaded Ole Miss defense, people forget that Perkins was the one who led the way with 14 tackles for loss, and he tied Princely Umanmielen with 10.5 sacks. While Perkins is going to be viewed as an undersized player if he wants to be an edge rusher at the next level — a similar issue for the unrelated Harold Perkins Jr. — there’s going to be a Round 1 market for someone who covers ground and gets downhill the way that he does. The former 5-star recruit is returning from offseason shoulder surgery, but much like all the front-7 talent that Ole Miss put in the 2025 NFL Draft, Perkins will boost his draft stock (and maybe his weight) by season’s end.
The 10 SEC players who’ll be first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft Saturday Down South.
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