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.

In their first NFL Draft after joining the league as an expansion team, the Minnesota Vikings selected Tulane running back Tommy Mason with the No. 1 pick in 1961 and took North Carolina linebacker Rip Hawkins with the 15th choice.

But it was at No. 29, with the first pick of the third round, where the Vikings hit the jackpot. They drafted Georgia quarterback Fran Tarkenton, sending him on his way to an 18-year NFL career and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Tarkenton spent the first six and the final seven of those seasons with Minnesota. The quarterback helped the Vikings reach three Super Bowls – all lost by Minnesota.

When he retired, Tarkenton had more passing yards, touchdown passes, victories and rushing yards than any quarterback in NFL history.

The nine SEC players drafted in the first round with the No. 29 pick include:

· Alabama defensive back George Teague, Packers, 1993

· Ole Miss running back John Avery, Dolphins, 1998

· Auburn guard Ben Grubbs, Ravens, 2007

· Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, Vikings, 2013

· Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley, Patriots, 2014

· Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, Cardinals, 2016

· Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan, Jaguars, 2018

· Georgia offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson, Titans, 2020

· Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes, Packers, 2021

Every NFL Draft since 1993 has included at least 29 selections in the first round. The 17 SEC players drafted with the No. 29 pick who were not first-rounders include:

· Tennessee end Al Hust, Cardinals, 1943

· Florida center Roger Adams, Steelers, 1945

· Georgia Tech guard Bill Healey, Yanks, 1948

· Georgia Tech halfback Frank Ziegler, Eagles, 1949

· Tulane linebacker Bill Svoboda, Cardinals, 1950

· Kentucky defensive end Walt Yowarsky, Redskins, 1951

· Georgia Tech tackle Lum Snyder, Eagles, 1952

· Tulane tackle Dalton Truax, Packers, 1957

· Georgia quarterback Fran Tarkenton, Vikings, 1961

· Kentucky quarterback Rick Norton, Browns, 1966

· LSU defensive back Tommy Casanova, Bengals, 1972

· Florida linebacker Ralph Ortega, Falcons, 1975

· Florida linebacker Sammy Green, Seahawks, 1976

· Auburn running back Joe Cribbs, Bills, 1980

· Auburn defensive end Doug Smith, Oilers, 1984

· LSU running back Garry James, Lions, 1986

· Auburn guard Ed King, Browns, 1991

Of the first 32 slots in the NFL Draft, the 29th selection is the one that has been used the most on SEC players with 26.

Tarkenton won the NFL MVP Award in 1975, when he was the first-team All-Pro quarterback. He also had nine Pro Bowl selections. But Tarkenton isn’t the only all-star among the SEC’s No. 29 picks.

Patterson has been a four-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler as a kick returner. Casanova was an All-Pro once and a Pro Bowler twice.

Cribbs was a Pro Bowl selection three times, Grubbs and Snyder were picked two times apiece and Svoboda was selected once.

Bryan, Patterson and Stokes played in the 2022 NFL season.

RELATED:

· THE SEC’S BEST NO. 30 PICK

· THE SEC’S BEST NO. 31 PICK

· THE SEC’S BEST NO. 32 PICK

(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.)

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE SEC, GO TO OUR SEC PAGE

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