Everybody has their mock drafts out, but here’s an original idea that hasn’t been done before. Last week, I rolled out the internet’s first-ever Big Ten-only Mock Draft, but now it’s time to get serious about this brutal sport and focus on actual athletes. That’s right, nerds. Get stuffed in a locker and read this: it’s time for these pro football teams to focus on the athletes that actually matter, the ones that can actually run fast and play with strength.
It’s time for the internet’s first-ever SEC-only Mock Draft:
#1 TENNESSEE TITANS — QB JALEN MILROE (ALABAMA)
Tennessee, of course, needs a QB of the future it can hang its hat on. In a condensed field of SEC-only field generals and arm talents, why not consider the guy with rare speed for the position? Sure, Jalen Milroe has a lot of developing to do throwing the football like a first overall talent ought to, but he’s such a better and faster runner from his position than many NFL starters are today. Milroe could transform a team if a team lets itself to his capabilities, so let’s jut say Tennessee gets an unusual, but still incredibly dynamic, QB for its top pick.
#2 CLEVELAND BROWNS — LB JIHAAD CAMPBELL (ALABAMA)
Big reach? Says who? Jihaad Campbell just needs to go to a defense that wants him, because he’s the type of guy who will run around and swarm and just play damn good football for your squad.
# 3 NEW YORK GIANTS — OT ARMAND MEMBOU (MISSOURI)
Giants need a blocker, and Mizzou’s Armand Membou could be a realistic selection here.
4 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — OT WILL CAMPBELL (LSU)
Same with Will Campbell to the Patriots. Probably more realistic with this one.
#5 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — WR MATTHEW GOLDEN (TEXAS)
Wildcard, but same with Matthew Golden. No Tet McMillian here to consider, but Golden has a chance to be the first wide receiver off the board this weekend.
#6 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS — EDGE JALON WALKER (GEORGIA)
First D-lineman off the board, and Georgia’s Jalon Walker gets to work opposite Maxx Crosby to bolster the Raiders’ front. Walker was an All-American last year when he finished with 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
#7 NEW YORK JETS — SAF NICK EMMANWORI (SOUTH CAROLINA)
I don’t like to get too snobbish about positional value for where they’re picked, but safety is one of those positions where the guy better be worth the pick if he’s going in the top 10. Nick Emmanwori was a Freshman All-American in 2022, then an All-American safety last season (17 career passes defended, 6 INT, 244 tackles). Good luck finding another 6’3 safety with as much kick-assness in him than this guy.
#8 CAROLINA PANTHERS — OG KELVIN BANKS JR. (TEXAS)
Carolina needs lots of things. Blockers. Defense. Reasons for optimism. In the Big Ten-only draft, I went defense. Let’s go O-line this time and see where this thing takes us. Banks was a high-level producer for Texas his entire three-year career with a Freshman All-America listing in 2022, then All-American status in each of the last two years. Won the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy (for best interior blocker), and named the SEC’s best blocker with the Jacobs Blocking Trophy. He’s as close to a slam-dunk as Carolina’s going to find to give Bryce Young some time to throw.
#9 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — QB JAXSON DART (OLE MISS)
When you need a quarterback, you’ll whatever’s on the market. The talk these days is that Dart might end up as the QB2 of this year’s actual draft, but maybe we should consider Dart behind Milroe a little bit too. Anyways, Dart to the Saints is a lock. Feels right, too.
#10 CHICAGO BEARS — OG TYLER BOOKER (ALABAMA)
Bears still need O-line talent and depth. Like Banks, Booker was an All-America listee all three years at his respective college. Booker’s uncle (Ulish Booker) was a standout at Michigan State and won a Super Bowl with the Steelers.
#11 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — EDGE SHEMAR STEWART (TEXAS A&M)
Freak athlete with minimal production (11 TFL and 4.5 sacks over three seasons, 37 games). Freak, assembly-line athlete though.
#12 DALLAS COWBOYS — TE MASON TAYLOR (LSU)
Mason Taylor, the son of Akron’s very own Jason Taylor (or the Hall-of-Fame D-end with the Dolphins, whichever you remember him by).
#13 MIAMI DOLPHINS — CB JAHDAE BARRON (TEXAS)
Jahdae Barron’s a smaller-sized dude that comes through with big, speedy plays. Miami seems to always need more of those guys on both sides of the ball, and Barron could give this defense a pulse.
#14 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — OC JARED WILSON
It doesn’t seem like the Colts are too committed to Danny Pinter after this season, and the Colts could see some long-term gains in its run game if it prioritizes getting stronger up the middle. Jared Wilson had just one starting season at Georgia, but he’s still going to be a product of having practiced against Georgia’s defenses for this entire college career.
#15 ATLANTA FALCONS — EDGE MYKEL WILLIAMS (GEORGIA)
This feels like a steal, especially since I’m not considering any of the off-field stuff with him for this post. Mykel Williams should be a solid pass rusher, though he needs to develop more into a solidified role with the team before he sees all of his talents used properly.
#16 ARIZONA CARDINALS — EDGE JAMES PEARCE (TENNESSEE)
Lots of production with Tennessee’s edge rusher (71 tackles, 29.5 TFL, 19.5 sacks in 3 years, 39 games). Arizona should not be over-complicating this one.
#17 CINCINNATI BENGALS — EDGE NIC SCOURTON (TEXAS A&M)
Nic Scourton, who had 109 career tackles between two years at Purdue and one at Texas A&M, is a powerful player with a big build. He’s a huge reason why Mike Elko had so much success in his first year as head coach with the team.
#18 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — OG TATE RATLEDGE (GEORGIA)
A two-time All-American guard, Tate Ratledge, per Dane Brugler’s The Beast draft preview (which was basically my go-to source for this blog post, as well as my Big Ten only post), is a “mean dude” and “takes it incredibly personally when quarterback gets hit.” Kirby Smart said 95% of Georgia’s 130 players voted him team captain in 2024. I’d like to know what the other 5% thought.
#19 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — SAF MALAKI STARKS (GEORGIA)
Solid back-end coverage ability, Malaki Starks should limit some deep passing plays from opposing offenses in the NFL.
#20 DENVER BRONCOS — RB DYLAN SMAPSON (TENNESSEE)
Everyone likes saying that the Broncos might get a running back, so here I am giving Sean Peyton a 20-year old back to work with. Sampson got things done on the ground and as a pass catcher for Tennessee, but might still be a few years away from growing into an every-down NFL body.
#21 PITTSBURGH STEELERS — WR LUTHER BURDEN III (MISSOURI)
Quarterback in the Big Ten draft, but not here. Luther Burden showed he was a solid talent early on in his college career, and the Steelers want to believe they can get the old Luther back on the field again.
#22 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS — EDGE LANDON JACKSON (ARKANSAS)
Easily one of the top athletes at a position where being a freak athlete really matters. Jackson had 13.5 and 9.5 tackles for loss in his two starting seasons at Arkansas. (He started his college career at LSU.)
#23 GREEN BAY PACKERS — CB MAXWELL HAIRSTON (KENTUCKY)
Brugler’s preview guide notes that Maxwell Hairston’s sub-4.3 40 time and 24.25 mph sprint speed were combine bests this year, and he’s got 31-inch arms, which has got to matter in close spaces.
#24 MINNESOTA VIKINGS — CB TREY AMOS (OLE MISS)
Trey Amos broke up 35 passes and intercepted 4 over his three-school career (3 years at Louisiana, 1 at Alabama, 1 at Ole Miss).
#25 HOUSTON TEXANS — OT CAMERON WILLIAMS (TEXAS)
Speaking as a guy who reads about athletes on the internet, I blanket respect almost every high-level athlete to graduate from Duncanville High School. Detroit’s own Ennis Rakestraw and Ron Holland may or may not have something to inform that opinion.
#26 LOS ANGELES RAMS — DL WALTER NOLEN (OLE MESS)
Potentially a steal at #26 here, but boy oh boy would the Rams be really emphasizing its D-line by following up last year’s draft with a Walter Nolen selection here. Nolen was the #2 recruit in the nation out of high school in 2022, just behind Travis Hunter. Darn. Nolen spent two seasons with Texas A&M before he was a consensus All-American at Ole Miss (14 TFL, 6.5 sacks).
#27 BALTIMORE RAVENS — DL SHEMAR TURNER (TEXAS A&M)
A can’t-miss recruit out of high school, but a confusing one now. All-SEC honors in 2021 and 2023, but didn’t have a superb senior year. Not sure what the future will hold for him, but he definitely provides beef where you want it (6’3”, 230 lbs.).
#28 DETROIT LIONS — DL ALFRED COLLINS (TEXAS)
Long-reaching D-lineman who, even if he doesn’t always bring down the QB (18 career TFL, 7.5 sacks over 64 games), he’s effective against the pass with 13 passes broken up (7 last year; 1 interception as true freshman).
#29 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS — EDGE BRADYN SWINSON (LSU)
Bradyn Swinson was born on July 4, 2002. I’m just curious to know if his parents did that “we got the newspaper on the day of your birth” thing.
#30 BUFFALO BILLS — DL TJ SANDERS (SOUTH CAROLINA)
Stayed at South Carolina all four years, TJ Sanders has developed into a well-motored interior lineman. Made 109 tackles over 39 career games.
#31 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — OG MILES FRAZIER (LSU)
A Florida International-turned-LSU product had three starting seasons with the Tigahs. After a week of practices at the Senior Bowl, Frazier was voted as the American Team’s top lineman.
#32 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — SAF ANDREW MUKUBA (TEXAS)
Finally, my actual favorite player of the SEC-only draft. Andrew Mukuba played at Clemson for three years before he joined Texas, and he’s one of those guys who gets the “pound-for-pound, best-in-class” labels just for how tough nosed he is and smart he plays.
The Purple Album 