NFL Draft: The SEC’s best pick at No. 25
The 2023 NFL Draft starts on April 27 with the first-round picks at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. The SEC has produced 395 first-round selections and another 108 choices among the top 32 picks who were not first-rounders. AL.com is counting down to the draft by highlighting the SEC players chosen in the first 32 picks.
Of the 16 SEC players who have entered the NFL as the 25th selection in a draft, all but one played in at least three seasons. The exception was Alvin Dark. He did not play in the NFL. But Dark played in 14 Major League seasons, went to three MLB All-Star games as a New York Giants shortstop and was the manager of the World Series-winning team in 1974 with the Oakland A’s.
Wide receiver Stanley Morgan played in 14 NFL seasons, the most among the SEC’s No. 25 picks.
Morgan led the NFL in yards per catch for three straight seasons, as he averaged 22.7 yards on 133 receptions from 1979 through 1981. His career average of 19.2 yards per reception ranks 10th in NFL history.
Morgan was a Pro Bowler in 1979 and 1980 and again in 1986 and 1987 for the New England Patriots.
The 11 SEC players drafted in the first round with the No. 25 pick include:
· Tennessee wide receiver Stanley Morgan, New England Patriots, 1977
· Auburn tight end Reese McCall, Baltimore Colts, 1978
· Alabama defensive end Emanuel King, Cincinnati Bengals, 1985
· Florida defensive back Louis Oliver, Miami Dolphins, 1989
· Georgia defensive end Charles Grant, New Orleans Saints, 2002
· Arkansas defensive back Ahmad Carroll, Green Bay Packers, 2004
· Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins, 2005
· Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos, 2010
· Alabama offensive tackle James Carpenter, Seattle Seahawks, 2011
· Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower, New England Patriots, 2012
· South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst, Baltimore Ravens, 2018
Every NFL Draft since 1967 has included at least 25 selections in the first round. The five SEC players drafted with the No. 25 pick who were not first-rounders include:
· Alabama tackle Fred Davis, Washington Redskins, 1941
· LSU back Alvin Dark, Philadelphia Eagles, 1945
· Ole Miss defensive back Billy Kinard, Cleveland Browns, 1956
· Florida guard Charley Mitchell, Cleveland Browns, 1958
· Georgia defensive back Charley Britt, Los Angeles Rams, 1960
Hightower played on three Super Bowl winners and was chosen for two Pro Bowls.
Davis played in two Pro Bowls and for two NFL championship teams.
Carpenter played for a Super Bowl-winning team in Seattle during his 11 NFL seasons.
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(The list includes only players selected in the regular NFL draft. The drafts from other leagues are not included nor are any supplemental drafts that have been held by the NFL.)
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.