The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft was dominated by power conference schools, as the SEC and Big Ten were ubiquitous during Thursday night’s action with 26 of the first 32 picks coming from the two most powerful conferences in the sport.
That trend continued on Friday night during Day 2, as 21 more players from the SEC and Big Ten heard their names called in the 32 second-round picks. While not a surprise, it’s a reminder of the direction college football is trending, as the transfer portal and the opportunity to cash in on NIL deals has made it far less likely that an NFL talent will make it through their junior year at a smaller program.
In total, 66 of the 102 players selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft finished their collegiate careers at SEC or Big Ten schools. Including players from the ACC and Big 12, the four power conferences made up 90 of 102 of the picks on the first two nights of the draft, the staggering 88.2 percent figure demonstrated how talent now rises through the collegiate ranks before making its way to the NFL.
The schools that led the way in Draft picks also shouldn’t be a surprise, as national champion Ohio State Buckeyes topped the list with seven players drafted in the first three rounds. Texas, Oregon and Georgia were just behind with six apiece. Ole Miss and Michigan had five players taken each. Iowa State was the only school outside the SEC or Big Ten with three picks in the first three rounds, as they led the way out of the Big 12.
Here’s the 2025 NFL Draft broken down by school and conference at the conclusion of the third round.
2025 NFL Draft picks by schools, conferences
SEC (37)
Big Ten (29)
Big 12 (13)
ACC (11)
Independent (2)
MAC (2)
American (2)
FCS (2)
Mountain West (1)
Pac-2 (1)
Sun Belt (1)
Conference USA (1)
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