The 2021 NFL Draft got under way Thursday as the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence first overall. BYU QB Zach Wilson went number 2 overall to the New York Jets. The San Francisco 49ers picked North Dakota State QB Trey Lance third overall. The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, but will certainly be picking tonight; projected to start with the 58th overall pick. The Chiefs originally were going to draft 31st overall until they traded their spot to Baltimore in exchange for offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr.
Six former Alabama players were selected in the first round Thursday, tying a modern record for a single school. Miami originally set the record in 2004. 12 of the first 32 picks this year were from the SEC. The rest of the Power 5 schools? Big Ten-7, ACC-5, Pac 12-3, Big 12-0. Since 2008, Alabama has had 39 first-round picks, by far the most of any school. To put that in some perspective, Mizzou, which Gary Pinkel starting turning around in 2007, has had eight first-round draft picks in that same amount of time. Charles Harris, Shane Ray, Sheldon Richardson, Aldon Smith, Blaine Gabbert, Sean Weatherspoon, Jeremy Maclin and Ziggy Hood. The highest first round draft pick in Tigers history was 2001, former Jefferson City Jay Justin Smith went fourth overall to Cincinnati.
Mizzou has had at least one player drafted every year since 2005. The Tigers could have as many as five players picked this weekend. Linebacker Nick Bolton expected to the be the highest going somewhere early to mid-second round this evening.
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