The NFL Draft is over in 2017, but what about the history of the NFL Draft throughout this decade? The best college football programs are measured by national championships and College Football Playoff appearances, but they’re also evaluated based on how many draft picks and how many first-round picks they crank out. The number one team on this list is not a surprise, but the second and third choices might surprise you. Here is the list:
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide have been, by any measurement, the best program of the decade. They failed to make a BCS (now called a New Year’s Six) bowl only once, in 2010. They have won three national championships, have made the College Football Playoff all three years the new system has existed, and reached the national championship game last season. Alabama has won three straight SEC championships and four out of the last five. All of this success has carried into the NFL Draft. Head coach Nick Saban has produced 61 NFL draftees since 2010, and 21 first-round picks, well ahead of the rest of college football. Alabama does produce a receiver such as Julio Jones or a running back such as Mark Ingram, but the Tide load up on defense, producing bone-rattling linebackers and defensive linemen. Alabama does what other programs do, only much better.
Florida Gators
The Gators haven’t made a major bowl appearance since the 2012 season, and they weren’t very good in 2010 or 2011, so it probably comes as a shock that the Gators are second on this list. Yet, the numbers say that Florida football has produced 50 draftees and 11 first-round picks. Only Alabama has done better in both categories since 2010. Florida is like Alabama in one respect: It produces a lot of defensive stars. Florida’s offenses have been horrible for most of this decade, but the defenses have enabled the Gators to win multiple SEC East Division championships and have sustained the program’s pipeline.
LSU Tigers
When the Tigers dominated at the start of this decade, they pumped a lot of players into the draft. Even though the program has struggled in recent years, it still attracts elite talent to the state of Louisiana. LSU has been known for producing NFL-quality wide receivers. Leonard Fournette was a top-five pick this year at running back. The program finds gems at most positions on the field, and in recent years, LSU defensive backs have become important players in the league, such as Tyrann Mathieu in Arizona. LSU has churned out 50 draftees and nine first-rounders.
Ohio State Buckeyes
When the Buckeyes were not coached by Urban Meyer in the first two seasons of the decade, they suffered. However, Meyer has steadily improved the program to the point that it has created 46 draftees and 11 first-round picks this decade. Only Alabama has more first-round picks. OSU is tied with Florida for second.
This year, the Buckeyes produced three first-round picks in Mashon Lattimore, Malik Hooker and Gareon Conley. Last season, they had three players in the Top 10, which included Joey Bosa, who landed with the San Diego Chargers at No. 3, Ezekiel Elliott, who landed with the Dallas Cowboys at No. 4, and Eli Apple, who landed with the New York Giants at No. 10.
Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles, like Ohio State, were a mess at the start of this decade, and the Noles did struggle last season. In between, though, they were terrific, enabling them to generate 45 draftees and nine first-round picks since 2010.
This year’s class was a little bit nondescript but the Seminoles did produce a pair of second-round picks. Star running back Dalvin Cook was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings as was offensive lineman DeMarcus Walker, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos. This year, the Seminoles sent just four players to the draft and last year, they only sent two. However, in 2015, the Seminoles had a very impressive year with 11 players in the draft, including No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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