Lackluster NFL draft proper setup for grumpy Pac-12 meetings

4:29 PM ET

The Pac-12’s 2016 NFL draft facts and figures match the conference’s general offseason narrative, just like they did last spring. Only this time, Pac-12 folks are hoping those facts and figures prove misleading, just like they did last spring.

In 2015, the Pac-12 was coming off an impressive draft when it led Power 5 conferences with nine first-round picks (tied with the ACC) and 25 selections in the first three rounds. It also was being widely touted as a legitimate challenger to the SEC as the toughest Power 5 conference.

On an administrative level, seas were (mostly) calm and skies were (mostly) sunny.

On Thursday, the draft started impressively with California QB Jared Goff picked No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, and Oregon D-lineman DeForest Buckner going seventh to the San Francisco 49ers. But things were mostly quiet thereafter, at least until day three, when 22 of 32 total selections were tapped. Other than USC QB Cody Kessler, who was picked by the Cleveland Browns in round three, it seemed Pac-12 players were selected later than their projections — Arizona’s all-everything LB Scooby Wright in the seventh round? Really? — or not at all.

NFL draft picks per conferenceConferencePlayersPicks per teamSEC513.64Big Ten473.36Pac-12322.67Big 12262.6ACC261.86NFL draft picks per programSchoolPlayersUCLA8*Stanford5Cal4USC4Arizona2Arizona State2Oregon2Washington2Oregon State1Utah1Washington …

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