The NFL Draft is just a few weeks away, and the prospects can’t do much to improve their stock. The NFL Combine is long gone, and Pro Days have come and gone as well. We know the measurements, and we understand the flash. There are certain players who jump off the page, and there are others who we have to trust the tape. Every year, there are some players who have built enough of a profile in these pre-draft metrics that push them to new heights.
And often, those players come from the SEC. They are a conference of insane athletes and incredible size. If football doesn’t work out, there’s definitely a future professional wrestling company that can be built on the backs of these men.
This season, the SEC isn’t considered as dominant in the draft. The number-one overall pick is coming from Indiana, a surprise Big Ten school that made it to the College Football Championship Game. Fansided’s latest mock draft has one SEC player in the top 10, and it’s Georgia offensive lineman Monroe Freeling. Others aren’t getting the hype we’re used to seeing. However, like they do every year, they will go higher than we expect.
1. Ty Simpson, QB
Alabama Crimson Tide
Consensus Mock Draft: Late first round
We’re calling it now that Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is going to go uncomfortably high in the draft this season. Remember all the hype around J.J. McCarthy during his draft year, where seemingly out of nowhere, he went from a second round to a consensus top-10 pick in the final few weeks of the draft’s lead-up? While McCarthy is not what teams want now, we see a similar rise in popularity for Simpson.
When Dante Moore returned to the Oregon Ducks, it threw the top of the draft out of order. Now, instead of top top quarterbacks and a bevy of trade options, the Las Vegas Raiders will take Fernando Mendoza, and the rest of the league has to move on after that. Simpson is the next best option.
Will he last until the end of the first round? We just don’t see it working out that way. We could see a QB-needy team making a huge move and taking him in the top 10. We saw last year a team take a chance on a QB talent when the Giants took Jaxson Dart. That worked out, and we can see a team talking themselves into Simpson because of it. There are too many teams with upsetting quarterbacks currently in the room with no real direction at the most important position in sports for everyone to leave this talent on the table.
2. Caleb Banks, DL
Florida Gators
Consensus Mock Draft: Late first round
This one might be the biggest risk on this list. Caleb Banks could have one medical record released that drops him to the second round, but we currently believe his situation will be resolved before it matters. After an injury-riddled season, Banks was hurt during combine workouts and will be out until the summer.
It doesn’t matter when the player is this good. Yes, the most important ability is availability, but he will be available when it counts. There are few players who can do what Banks has done in college. He’s 6’6 and 330 lbs. and still had a 40-yard dash around five seconds. He’s all ability right now, and a coach will salivate at the possibilities. And that’s why someone is going to talk themselves into Banks way higher than they should.
Can he turn his ability into sacks and pressures at the next level? It’s hardly a guarantee, but he has traits that can’t be taught. General managers and head coaches will take chances with first-round picks when they think the upside is an All-Pro player. That’s what we’re looking at here with Banks. He could be one of the best at his position for a long time if he stays healthy.
3. KC Concepcion, WR
Texas A&M Aggies
Consensus mock draft: Late first round
There are players who seem to make perfect sense for one specific team in the draft, but it hardly works out where that player falls perfectly to that team. It’s happened before, like when Micah Parsons fell to the Dallas Cowboys, but it rarely happens in the 20s. Everyone is expecting KC Concepcion to catch balls from Josh Allen, but will all the talk about this being a guarantee cause another team to jump up and take him earlier?
This isn’t a great wide receiver draft. The top prospect is Carnell Tate, and he’s not even the best wide receiver on Ohio State. A running back is likely going to go before any wide receiver goes off the board is not something we expected before the season. There are really only three wide receivers who are definitely ahead of Concepcion. It’s rare that only three receivers would go in the first round.
KC Concepcion could pair very well with late-career DJ Moore, and we honestly think the Bills might trade up to get him. As insane as that sounds now, they are bringing him in for a second visit this week, and they may be falling in love with their next wide receiver.
4. Cashius Howell, EDGE
Texas A&M Aggies
Consensus mock draft: Early second round
It’s rare today to find a true three-down edge rusher. They aren’t exactly unicorns, but there are enough specialists in the league who struggle either in pass rushing or against the run that have head coaches considering their options. The team that drafts Cashius Howell will have no such decision to make. He is great against the run, and he can get to the quarterback. This is exactly what teams want, and it could push Howell much higher in the draft than he’s projected.
Some mock drafts have Howell slipping into the first round, but he could go even higher than that. Will one of the teams picking in the 20s take Howell, who has an interesting skill set and stat line? He put up 41 pressures and 12 sacks for the Aggies in 2025. His pass-rushing analytics were off the charts. He probably deserved more sacks.
This is a player who can get past offensive tackles with rip moves, and he can anticipate the run and tackle with the best linebackers in the game. He does so much well that we’re surprised he’s so low, but he might talk himself into a higher pick after the interview stage of this process.
5. Josiah Trotter, LB
Missouri Tigers
Consensus mock draft: Late second round
