NFL Draft: Which SEC players have been taken No. 1 overall?

South Carolina Gamecocks – George Rogers (1981), Jadeveon Clowney (2014)

The South Carolina Gamecocks have had two players selected No. 1 overall in NFL Draft history, the first of which came in 1981 with George Rogers to the New Orleans Saints. Rogers would play seven seasons in the NFL from 1981-87, winning one Super Bowl with two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro selection.

South Carolina’s second top pick would come in 2014 when Jadeveon Clowney went first overall to the Houston Texans. Clowney has so far played nine seasons in the NFL from 2014-22, while also having made three Pro Bowl appearances.

Tennessee Volunteers – George Cafego (1940), Peyton Manning (1998)

Tennessee has also had two players selected No. 1 overall, the first of which was George Cafego to the then Chicago Cardinals in 1940. Cafego would go on to play four seasons in the NFL from 1940-45.

The second of those two names is one of the most accomplished professional players to come from the SEC in Peyton Manning, who went first overall to the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. A Hall of Famer, Manning would play 17 seasons in the NFL from 1998-2015, a career that included 14 Pro Bowls, seven All-Pro selections, five MVP’s, two Super Bowl titles, and more.

Texas A&M Aggies – Myles Garrett (2017)

Texas A&M’s lone player selected first overall came back in 2017, when Myles Garrett went No. 1 to the Cleveland Browns. Garrett has so far played six NFL seasons from 2017-22, a span that also includes four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections.

Vanderbilt Commodores – Billy Wade (1952)

Concluding here with Vanderbilt, the Commodores have had one player selected No. 1 overall in Billy Wade, who was taken first in 1952 by the Los Angeles Rams. Wade would play 13 seasons in the NFL from 1954-66, a span that included two Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl.