It’s never too early to talk about the NFL draft.
Even with the college football season over a month away, ESPN’s Matt Miller is already deep into the 2025 draft class, releasing his latest mock draft.
It’s a full first-round mock, and the 32 picks are littered with SEC talent. Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck leads the way as the projected No. 1 overall pick, with the New York Giants trading up with the New England Patriots to land him. Beck showed remarkable efficiency as a passer last season, completing 72.4 percent of his passes for a 4-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Beck is the ideal pro-style quarterback at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. He has a strong arm and pinpoint accuracy, along with enough athletic ability to extend some plays with his legs.
Miller features five more SEC players inside the top 10. The top of the class features the likes of Tennessee Volunteers pass rusher James Pearce Jr. and a pair of offensive linemen in Texas Longhorns tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. and LSU Tigers OT Will Campbell. The electric Missouri Tigers wide receiver Luther Burden III also makes a top-10 appearance.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers finishes out the top 10, despite being a divisive prospect. However, Miller doesn’t have as many concerns as other scouts might have.
“Ewers has talent worthy of a first-overall pick heading into his third season as a starter at Texas,” Miller wrote. “At 21 years old, he has to cut down on poor decisions during games, but his accuracy, mobility and arm strength are that of a future NFL starter.”
Nine more players from the conference round out the first round. In total, Miller has 15 SEC players in a mock draft with 32 picks.
If that’s how the rest of the country views the talent in the SEC this year, then college football fans are in for a treat in 2024.