NFL teams draft 24 from state, 62 from SEC

The 2023 NFL Draft began with a player with Alabama football roots on Thursday night, and it almost ended with one on Saturday.

The draft kicked off with Carolina Panthers making Alabama quarterback Bryce Young the No. 1 pick, and two days later, the Green Bay Packers chose former Park Crossing High School wide receiver Grant DuBose at No. 256 to leave three picks remaining to be made.

After five consecutive years of drafting 21 players from Alabama high schools and colleges, NFL teams combined to pick 24 this year.

The NFL wrapped up its 88th draft by making 157 picks in the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday.

During the three-day event, NFL teams selected one prospect who went from an Alabama high school to a state college, four prospects who played at Alabama high schools and went out of state to college, 17 who came from out of state to play for Alabama colleges and two who played at Alabama colleges before transferring to other programs.

Ten of the players came from the Alabama program, which tied Georgia for the most draft picks this year, and contributed to the 62 prospects who were taken from SEC programs among the 259 selections. Auburn added five players to the SEC total.

For the 17th consecutive draft, the SEC had more players drafted than any other conference, and this is the sixth year in a row that an SEC program has been the top provider of picks.

The prospects drafted on Saturday with Alabama football roots on Saturday included:

· Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett (McGill-Toolen): No. 104, Las Vegas Raiders

· Troy center Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore): No. 107, New England Patriots

· Auburn defensive end Colby Wooden: No. 116, Green Bay Packers

· South Alabama cornerback Darrell Luter Jr.: No. 155, San Francisco 49ers

· Alabama linebacker Henry To’oTo’o: No. 167, Houston Texans

· Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe: No. 168, Arizona Cardinals

· Auburn kicker Anders Carlson: No. 207, Green Bay Packers

· Kennesaw State defensive tackle Travis Bell (Jeff Davis): No. 218, Chicago Bears

· UAB running back DeWayne McBride: No. 222, Minnesota Vikings

· Alabama safety DeMarcco Hellams: No. 224, Atlanta Falcons

· Charlotte wide receiver Grant DuBose (Park Crossing): No. 256, Green Bay Packers

The players with Alabama football roots selected on Saturday joined those who were chosen during the first three rounds on Thursday and Friday:

· Alabama quarterback Bryce Young: No. 1, Carolina Panthers

· Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr.: No. 3, Houston Texans

· Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs: No. 12, Detroit Lions

· Auburn defensive end Derick Hall: No. 37, Seattle Seahawks

· Alabama defensive back Brian Branch: No. 45, Detroit Lions

· Alabama offensive tackle Tyler Steen: No. 65, Philadelphia Eagles

· Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders (Alabama): No. 67, Denver Broncos

· Houston wide receiver Tank Dell (Alabama A&M): No. 69, Houston Texans

· Alabama defensive tackle Byron Young: No. 70, Las Vegas Raiders

· Auburn running back Tank Bigsby: No. 88, Jacksonville Jaguars

· Alabama safety Jordan Battle: No. 95, Cincinnati Bengals

· Western Kentucky defensive tackle Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama): No. 96, Detroit Lions

· Alabama tight end Cameron Latu: No. 101, San Francisco 49ers

Although the SEC won the draft title again this year, the conference didn’t reach its record of 65 accomplished in each of the previous two drafts.

The league’s margin of victory was smaller than usual, too. This year, the Big Ten had 55 players picked, seven behind the SEC. Last year, the SEC had 17 more draft picks than the Big Ten. This year’s margin was the smallest since 2016, when the SEC had 51 and the Big Ten 47.

The other SEC players picked on Saturday included:

· Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo: No. 105, Philadelphia Eagles

· LSU guard Anthony Bradford: No. 108, Seattle Seahawks

· Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller: No. 121, Jacksonville Jaguars

· Mississippi State defensive tackle Cameron Young: No. 123, Seattle Seahawks

· Ole Miss defensive end Tavius Robinson: No. 124, Baltimore Ravens

· Missouri defensive end Isaiah McGuire: No. 126, Cleveland Browns

· Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett: No. 128, Los Angeles Rams

· LSU cornerback Jay Ward: No. 134, Minnesota Vikings

· South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush: No. 138, Indianapolis Colts

· LSU defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, No. 141: Minnesota Vikings

· Florida wide receiver Justin Shorter: No. 150, Buffalo Bills

· Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson: No. 160, Jacksonville Jaguars

· Georgia safety Christopher Smith II: No. 170, Las Vegas Raiders

· Georgia defensive end Robert Beal Jr.: No. 173, San Francisco 49ers

· Georgia offensive tackle Warren McClendon Jr.: No. 174, Los Angeles Rams

· LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte: No. 187, New England Patriots

· Kentucky running back Christopher Rodriguez Jr.: No. 193, Washington Commanders

· Florida linebacker Amari Burney: No. 203, Las Vegas Raiders

· LSU cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse: No. 204, New York Jets

· Ole Miss running back Zach Evans: No. 215, Los Angeles Rams

· Texas A&M cornerback Jaylon Jones: No. 221, Indianapolis Colts

· South Carolina guard Jovaughn Gwynn: No. 225, Atlanta Falcons

· Ole Miss guard Nick Broeker: No. 230, Buffalo Bills

· Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine: No. 232, Green Bay Packers

· Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh: No. 237, Seattle Seahawks

· South Carolina wide receiver Jalen Brooks: No. 244, Dallas Cowboys

The other SEC players chosen in the first three rounds on Thursday and Friday were:

· Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson: No. 4, Indianapolis Colts

· Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter: No. 9, Philadelphia Eagles

· Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright: No. 10, Chicago Bears

· Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones: No. 14, Pittsburgh Steelers

· Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes: No. 16, Washington Commanders

· Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith: No. 30, Philadelphia Eagles

· Kentucky quarterback Will Levis: No. 33, Tennessee Titans

· Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo: No. 39, Carolina Panthers

· LSU linebacker BJ Olujari: No. 41, Arizona Cardinals

· South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith: No. 51, Miami Dolphins

· Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr.: No. 54, Chicago Bears

· Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence: No. 59, Buffalo Bills

· South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens: No. 64, Chicago Bears

· Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders: No. 67, Denver Broncos

· Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker: No. 68, Detroit Lions

· Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt: No. 73, New York Giants

· Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman: No. 74, Cleveland Browns

· Tennessee outside linebacker Byron Young: No. 77, Los Angeles Rams

· Texas A&M running back Devon Achane: No. 84, Miami Dolphins

· Georgia tight end Darnell Washington: No. 93, Pittsburgh Steelers

· Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg: No. 97, Washington Commanders

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