Sports

2024 NFL Draft picks by college team, school: SEC leads the way, Washington headlines big night for Pac-12

Six of the first 15 gamers chosen in the first spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night got here from the Pac-12, which produced eight whole picks in the opening spherical. Former USC star quarterback Caleb Williams highlighted the league’s haul by going No. 1 general to the Chicago Bears.

It was the Pac-12’s greatest exhibiting in the first spherical of the NFL Draft since 2015 when it had 9 gamers taken. The league had produced not more than 4 first-round alternatives in every of the previous six drafts earlier than Thursday. Only the SEC (11) had extra first-round alternatives this 12 months.

The timing is ironic since the faculties that comprised the Pac-12 in 2023 are splintering in a wide range of instructions for the upcoming season as convention realignment rocks college football. The opening night of the draft supplied a putting reminder of simply how robust the league’s swan track was in 2023 as six completely different faculties noticed gamers chosen.

Washington snapped a six-year College Football Playoff drought for the Pac-12 final season, and the Huskies have been well-represented early in the draft with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. going No. 8 general to Atlanta and receiver Rome Odunze going to Chicago at No. 9. Offensive deal with Troy Fauntanu made it three Huskies chosen in the first spherical when the Steelers picked him at No. 20. It was the first time since 2015 that Washington produced a number of first-round picks and the first time since 1941 that it produced two top-10 alternatives. Only Alabama and LSU matched Washington with three first-round picks.

Here’s the 2024 NFL Draft damaged down by faculty and convention at the conclusion of the first spherical. The breakdown is predicated on the leagues through which the groups competed in throughout the 2023 season.