SEC Makes NFL Draft History, How Many Players Were Picked From Each Conference in 2026?

The SEC once again produced the most NFL draft picks, this time setting a new record.

There were 87 players from the conference selected over the weekend, which The Athletic's Scott Dochterman noted is a record for the most taken in a single year. The previous record, which was 79 players from one conference set last year, also belonged to the SEC.

The Big Ten followed behind the SEC with 68 picks, while the ACC and Big 12 each had 38.

"It's different," said Missouri tackle Keagan Trost, who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round. "In the SEC, every week, it was somebody on that scouting report. If we looked over the top guys, it's the defensive ends, it's the defensive tackles. In the ACC, you have Clemson and Miami, but every single week, you may not have a guy that's the same as the SEC."

The Big Ten has been more successful in recent years when it comes to championships, winning the last three national titles, but the SEC continues to set the standard for producing NFL talent after its 20th consecutive year with the most picks.