NFL Draft 2024: Teams pick 27 from state, 59 from SEC

The NFL Draft started with an Alabama player last year when the Carolina Panthers made Crimson Tide QB Bryce Young the No. 1 pick. This year, the draft ended with one.

The New York Jets made Tide safety Jaylen Key the 257th and final pick in the NFL Draft on Saturday.

Mr. Irrelevant for 2024 also was the 27th prospect who played at an Alabama high school or college picked in this year’s draft. That’s three more than were chosen in the 2023 draft.

The 11th SEC player to be Mr. Irrelevant, Key is the second Alabama player to hold the title. Huntsville defensive back Ramzee Robinson held the title for the 2007 draft, and he played in 26 NFL regular-season games across three seasons.

Key spent four seasons at UAB before playing at Alabama in 2023.

The NFL wrapped up its 89th draft by making 157 picks in the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, when teams got busy in targeting players with Alabama roots. After the 100 picks of the first three rounds, eight prospects who had played at Alabama high schools and colleges had been selected. The 19 taken on Saturday included all five players picked from Auburn in 2024, as well as two players from Troy and one from UAB.

The Crimson Tide led the state contingent for the entire draft with 10 players, and three more players who started their college careers in Tuscaloosa were drafted from their transfer destination.

Ten prospects who played at Alabama high schools were picked, including two who went on to Alabama and four who went on to Auburn.

The prospects drafted on Saturday with Alabama football roots included:

· Alabama defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe: No. 105, Los Angeles Chargers

· Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson (Alabama): No. 108, Minnesota Vikings

· UCF wide receiver Javon Baker (Alabama): No. 110, New England Patriots

· Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (Jackson): No. 136, Seattle Seahawks

· Missouri cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (Spanish Fort): No. 145, Denver Broncos

· Auburn safety Jaylin Simpson: No. 164, Indianapolis Colts

· Texas running back Keilan Robinson (Auburn): No. 167, Jacksonville Jaguars

· Troy defensive end Javon Solomon: No. 168, Buffalo Bills

· Troy running back Kimani Vidal: No. 181, Los Angeles Chargers

· Alabama running back Jase McClellean: No. 186, Atlanta Falcons

· UAB wide receiver Tejhaun Palmer: No. 191, Arizona Cardinals

· Auburn cornerback DJ James (Spanish Fort): No. 192, Seattle Seahawks

· Alabama kicker Will Reichard (Hoover): No. 203, Minnesota Vikings

· UCF offensive tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State): No. 204, Buffalo Bills

· Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson (Maplesville): Cleveland Browns

· Ole Miss defensive end Cedric Johnson (Davidson): No. 214, Cincinnati Bengals

· Auburn defensive tackle Justin Rogers: No. 244, Dallas Cowboys

· Auburn defensive tackle Marcus Harris (Park Crossing): No. 247, Houston Texans

· Alabama safety Jaylen Key (UAB): No. 257, New York Jets

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

· Alabama offensive tackle J.C. Latham: No. 7, Tennessee Titans

· Oregon quarterback Bo Nix (Pinson Valley, Auburn): No. 12, Denver Broncos

· Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner: No. 17, Minnesota Vikings

· Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold: No. 24, Detroit Lions

· Alabama cornerback Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry (Pinson Valley): No. 41, New Orleans Saints

· Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter (American Christian): No. 42, Houston Texans

· Alabama linebacker Chris Braswell: No. 57, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

· Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton: No. 80, Cincinnati Bengals.

For the 18th consecutive draft, the SEC had more players picked than any other conference. Fifty-nine players were chosen from SEC programs. The Pac-12 produced 43, Big Ten 42, ACC 41 and Big 12 31.

An SEC program also had been the biggest producer of draft talent for the past six years. But in 2024, CFP national-championship winner Michigan led with 13 players. Texas had 11, and Florida State and Washington joined Alabama with 10 apiece.

The other SEC players picked on Saturday included:

· Texas A&M guard Layden Robinson: No. 103, New England Patriots

· Mississippi State cornerback Decamerion Richardson: No. 112, Las Vegas Raiders

· Missouri offensive tackle Javon Foster: No. 114, Jacksonville Jaguars

· LSU defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson: No. 116 Jacksonville Jaguars

· Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright: No. 120, Miami Dolphins

· Kentucky running back Ray Davis: No. 128, Buffalo Bills

· Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger: No. 141, Buffalo Bills

· South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler: No. 150, New Orleans Saints

· Missouri safety Jaylon Carlies: No. 151, Indianapolis Colts

· Texas A&M wide receiver Ainais Smith: No. 152, Philadelphia Eagles

· Ole Miss cornerback Deantre Prince: No. 153, Jacksonville Jaguars

· South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial: No. 180, New England Patriots

· LSU defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo: No. 189, Detroit Lions

· Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III: No. 193, New England Patriots

· Georgia defensive tackle Zion Logue: No. 197, Atlanta Falcons

· Mississippi State defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy: No. 200, Carolina Panthers

· Tennessee cornerback Kamal Hadden: No. 211, Kansas City Chiefs

· Arkansas kicker Cam Little: No. 212, Jacksonville Jaguars

· Arkansas center Beaux Limmer: No. 217, Los Angeles Rams

· Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary: No. 218, Baltimore Ravens

· Ole Miss safety Daijahn Anthony: No. 224, Cincinnati Bengals

· South Carolina center Nick Gargiulo: No. 256, Denver Broncos

The SEC almost went wire-to-wire. The second player picked this year was LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who went to the Washington Commanders. The other SEC players chosen in the first three rounds on Thursday and Friday were:

· LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels: No. 2, Washington Commanders

· LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers: No. 6, New York Giants

· Georgia tight end Brock Bowers: No. 13, Las Vegas Raiders

· Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims: No. 18, Cincinnati Bengals

· LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr: No. 23, Jacksonville Jaguars

· Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson: No. 27, Arizona Cardinals

· Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall: No. 31, San Francisco 49ers

· South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette: No. 32, Carolina Panthers

· Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey: No. 34, Los Angeles Chargers

· Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper: No. 45, Green Bay Packers

· LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith: No. 48, Jacksonville Jaguars

· Georgia safety Javon Bullard: No. 58, Green Bay Packers

· Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.: No. 61, Detroit Lions

· Kentucky cornerback Andru Phillips: No. 70, New York Giants

· Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace: No. 72, Carolina Panthers

· Georgia safety Tykee Smith: No. 89, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

· Missouri linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper: No. 91, Green Bay Packers

· Texas A&M defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson: No. 97, Cincinnati Bengals

The Jacksonville Jaguars had the most picks from the SEC with six players. The Cincinnati Bengals extended their streak of picking an SEC player to 27 years by drafting five.

The Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers were the only teams that did not make a pick from the SEC. The Bears had five choices, and the Steelers had seven.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

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