The previous time the Carolina Panthers held the first pick in an NFL Draft, they chose Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.

When the Panthers make the first selection in the NFL Draft in one week, will Carolina choose another SEC quarterback?

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The Panthers traded into the No. 1 pick in a deal with the Chicago Bears with the intention of selecting a face-of-the-franchise quarterback. Their acknowledged short list earlier in the offseason included Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

On Tuesday, Carolina general manager Scott Fitterer said the Panthers had gained “clarity” about the No. 1 pick during the predraft process but had not made a final decision.

The betting odds have pegged Young as the favorite to be the Panthers’ pick.

If Young – or Levis or Richardson – does go No. 1, the quarterback would be the 22nd SEC player to come off the board first, and the second in a row.

Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars took Georgia pass-rusher Travon Walker with the No. 1 pick. The SEC has produced back-to-back first picks three times during the previous 87 drafts.

In the previous 20 NFL drafts, the SEC produced eight No. 1 picks. The ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12 had three apiece and Mountain West, Big Ten and MAC one each.

The 87 No. 1 picks have been produced by 13 conferences and nine independent teams:

· Twenty-one No. 1 picks have come from the SEC, most recently in 2022 with Georgia defensive end Travon Walker going to the Cincinnati Bengals.

· Sixteen No. 1 picks have come from the Pac-12, most recently in 2016 with California quarterback Jared Goff going to the Los Angeles Rams.

· Fourteen No. 1 picks have come from independent programs, most recently in 1991 with Miami (Fla.) defensive tackle Russell Maryland going to the Dallas Cowboys.

· Twelve No. 1 picks have come from the Big Ten, most recently in 2008 with Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long going to the Miami Dolphins.

· Seven No. 1 picks have come from the Big 12, most recently in 2019 with Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray going to the Arizona Cardinals.

· Seven No. 1 picks came from the Southwest Conference, the final one in 1982 with Texas defensive end Kenneth Sims going to the New England Patriots.

· Three No. 1 picks have come from the ACC, most recently in 2021 with Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence going to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

· One No. 1 pick came from the Big East – in 2001, when Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick went to the Atlanta Falcons.

· One No. 1 pick came from the Gulf States – in 1970, when Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

· One No. 1 pick has come from the Mid-American – in 2013, when Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher went to the Kansas City Chiefs.

· One No. 1 pick has come from the Missouri Valley – in 1947, when Oklahoma State halfback Bob Fenimore went to the Chicago Bears.

· One No. 1 pick has come from the Mountain West – in 2005, when Utah quarterback Alex Smith went to the San Francisco 49ers.

· One No. 1 pick came from the Skyline – in 1956, when Colorado State defensive back Gary Glick went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

· One No. 1 pick has come from the Western Athletic – in 2002, when Fresno State quarterback David Carr went to the Houston Texans.

The 20 SEC players who have been the first player picked during the NFL Draft include:

1940: Tennessee back George Cafego by the Chicago Cardinals

“Bad News” was a consensus All-American for Tennessee’s 1939 team, which outscored its 10 regular-season opponents 212-0, and he entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969. His war-interrupted NFL career amounted to 35 games, one touchdown run and five TD passes for three teams (none of them the Cardinals) in four seasons. The player picked immediately after Cafego, quarterback George McAfee, is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1943: Georgia running back Frank Sinkwich by the Detroit Lions

The SEC’s first Heisman Trophy winner won the Joe F. Carr Trophy as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in his second pro season, when he finished third in the league in rushing yards and in passing yards as well as serving as the Lions’ punter and place-kicker. The former Georgia star and College Football Hall of Fame member missed the 1945 season for military duty and suffered a knee injury playing on a service team. When he returned to the NFL, Sinkwich played in only 15 more games.

1945: Georgia back Charley Trippi by the Chicago Cardinals

Trippi not only had a College Football Hall of Fame career for Georgia, but a Pro Football Hall of Fame career for the Cardinals. The Cards won their most recent NFL title in 1947 with Trippi scoring on a run and a punt return in the championship game. He’s the only player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with at least 1,000 rushing, 1,000 passing and 1,000 receiving yards. He scored on runs, receptions, punt returns and interception returns and threw TD passes, spending two of his nine seasons at quarterback. He was the Cardinals’ punter, too.

1948: Alabama quarterback Harry Gilmer by the Washington Redskins

Gilmer finished fifth twice in the Heisman Trophy balloting and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Washington took Gilmer with the No.1 pick even though it had Sammy Baugh at quarterback. But the former Woodlawn High School star still went to the Pro Bowl twice in his eight pro seasons. Gilmer served as the Detroit Lions’ coach in 1965 and 1966, too.

1952: Vanderbilt quarterback Bill Wade by the Los Angeles Rams

The SEC Player of the Year for Vanderbilt in 1951, Wade had two Pro Bowl seasons in his 13-year NFL career – 1958, when he led the NFL in passing yards for the Rams, and 1963, when he led the Chicago Bears to the NFL crown, scoring both touchdowns in their 14-10 victory over the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game.

1953: Georgia end Harry Babcock by the San Francisco 49ers

Babcock broke Georgia’s receiving records with 41 receptions for 666 yards as a junior as the SEC’s top pass-catcher. A preseason auto accident slowed him as a senior, but Babcock still finished second in the SEC in receiving in 1952. The 49ers took him as a deep threat for quarterback Y.A. Tittle, but injuries limited Babcock to 30 games in three NFL seasons. He had 16 career receptions.

1960: LSU running back Billy Cannon by the Los Angeles Rams

LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner in 1959 signed contracts with both the NFL’s Rams and the AFL’s Houston Oilers – three years for $50,000 with Los Angeles and three years for $100,000 with Houston. After a court decision, Cannon wound up with the Oilers, giving the new league, which hadn’t played its first game, a boost of credibility. Houston won the AFL title in Cannon’s first two seasons, and he led the league in rushing in 1961. After a back injury, he resurrected his career as a tight end for the Oakland Raiders, earning two all-star selections.

1961: Tulane running back Tommy Mason by the Minnesota Vikings

Mason led the SEC in rushing for Tulane in 1960, then became the original Minnesota Viking – the expansion team’s first draft pick. During his 11-year NFL career, Mason went to the Pro Bowl in 1962, 1963 and 1964 and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 1963.

1965: Auburn running back Tucker Frederickson by the New York Giants

The Giants bypassed five future Pro Football Hall of Famers to pick Frederickson, who had a College Football Hall of Fame career at Auburn, where he was a two-way star and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy. Frederickson seemed headed for more honors in the NFL, going to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. But he missed the 1966 season because of a preseason knee injury. Another knee injury in 1967 derailed his pro career, although he played through 1971.

1986: Auburn running back Bo Jackson by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Heisman Trophy winner for Auburn in 1985 threw the Bucs a curve by choosing to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals. Jackson did play in the NFL, though. After the Los Angeles Raiders picked the former McAdory High School star with the 183rd selection of the 1987 NFL Draft, Jackson played 38 games in four seasons, making the Pro Bowl in 1990 before an injury ended his football career and shortened his baseball career.

1988: Auburn linebacker Aundray Bruce by the Atlanta Falcons

Bruce didn’t become the next Lawrence Taylor, as Atlanta hoped when it bypassed five future Hall of Famers to select him off Auburn’s 1987 SEC championship team. But he did spend 10 full seasons in the NFL as an outside linebacker and defensive end and even caught a pass as a tight end.

1998: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning by the Indianapolis Colts

The Colts chose the Heisman Trophy runner-up from Tennessee at No. 1 when some thought Washington State QB Ryan Leaf should be the pick. Leaf played in 25 games over three NFL seasons. Manning became a Pro Football Hall of Famer, 14-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro, the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes and a two-time Super Bowl champ.

1999: Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch by the Cleveland Browns

After a record-setting career at Kentucky, Couch was the choice for Cleveland over Syracuse QB Donovan McNabb. These were the expansion Browns, and Couch was sacked 56 times as a rookie and suffered a broken thumb and broken leg behind Cleveland’s offensive line during his five seasons. While he’s widely considered a draft bust, Couch led Cleveland to the playoffs in 2002, two seasons after it had won three games, and the Browns didn’t return to the postseason until 2020.

2004: Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning by the San Diego Chargers

After winning the Maxwell Award at Ole Miss in 2003, Manning was the obvious No. 1 choice for the 2004 NFL Draft – except he told the Chargers he wouldn’t play for them. San Diego picked him anyway, then traded Manning to the New York Giants for the fourth player picked (former Athens High School standout and North Carolina State QB Philip Rivers) and two draft choices. Manning became a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time Super Bowl champ. He started 234 games before retiring after the 2019 season.

2007: LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell by the Oakland Raiders

The big-armed LSU signal-caller held out after the Raiders bypassed Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch and Darrelle Revis to pick him at No. 1. He wound up with a six-year, $61 million contract, including $32 million in guaranteed money. But the former Williamson High School star started only 25 games and threw 18 TD passes and 23 interceptions before being released after the 2009 season.

2009: Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford by the Detroit Lions

Stafford left Georgia with a year of eligibility remaining for a six-year, $72 million contract – with $41.7 million guaranteed – with the Lions. After 12 seasons, 45,109 passing yards, 282 touchdown passes, three playoff games and one Pro Bowl selection in Detroit, Stafford joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 in a trade and ended the season as a Super Bowl champion.

2011: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton by the Carolina Panthers

After winning the Heisman Trophy and leading Auburn to the BCS national championship in 2010, Newton became the first NFL player to pass for 4,000 yards as a rookie. He’s the only player in league history with six seasons of at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards and holds the league record for touchdowns runs by a quarterback with 75. In 2015, he won the NFL MVP Award.

2014: South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney by the Houston Texans

The 2012 SEC Defensive Player of the Year for South Carolina had a widely criticized 2013 season (although he was still an All-SEC selection). That didn’t prevent the Texans from taking him at No. 1 and putting him at outside linebacker. Injuries limited Clowney to 17 games in his first two seasons, setting a theme for his career. Clowney has played the entire schedule once in his nine seasons, but still has received three Pro Bowl invtiations. He has registered 43 sacks with four teams.

2017: Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett by the Cleveland Browns

Garrett broke Jadeveon Clowney’s SEC freshman sack record by recording 11.5 for Texas A&M in 2014. He had 12 more in 2015, when he earned All-American recognition from the Football Writers Association of America and Walter Camp Football Foundation. An ankle injury slowed Garrett in 2016, but he still received unanimous All-American recognition before leaving for the NFL. In six seasons with the Browns, he has recorded 74.5 sacks, gotten four Pro Bowl invitations and earned first-team All-Pro recognition twice.

2020: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow by the Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow had a record-breaking season for LSU in 2019, when he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to an unbeaten record and the CFP national championship. Burrow became an immediate starter for the Bengals, but in the 10th game of his rookie season, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament and partially tore the posterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee. Burrow rebounded in 2021 by leading the Bengals to the AFC championship and a spot in the Super Bowl. In 2022, he received Pro Bowl recognition for the first time.

2022: Georgia defensive end Travon Walker by the Jacksonville Jaguars

Walker played outside linebacker as a rookie for the Jaguars. In 15 games, he recorded 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, one interception and one forced fumble.

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