2016 NFL draft superlatives in the SEC

11:10 AM ET

Another year, another great relationship between the NFL and the SEC. Despite having zero top-5 picks and just one top-10 pick (Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd to the Chicago Bears at No. 9) in last week’s NFL draft, the SEC led the nation with eight first-round picks and 51 total selections. It was the 10th straight year the SEC led the nation in draft picks and the fifth time in the last six years that the SEC had the most players selected in the first round.

The SEC was obviously one of the biggest winners of the NFL draft, but who were some of the winning draft picks? Who surprised us? Who went too high? Too low?

Biggest team winner(s): Alabama and Florida led all SEC schools with seven draft selections apiece. Florida actually beat Alabama in first-round draft picks (2-1). Alabama went from one first-round pick (C Ryan Kelly) to having five taken in the second round. At least one Florida player has been selected in every NFL draft since 1952, the longest streak in SEC history. Florida has had seven first-round picks in the last four NFL drafts and at least one in nine of the last 10 drafts.

Better luck next year: Tennessee was the only SEC team without a single player drafted this year. No Curt Maggit, no Brian Randolph and no Marquez North. That should certainly change next year, but that had to be a tough few days for the Vols.

Biggest surprise: Not seeing Alabama defensive behemoths Reggie Ragland, Jarran Reed and A’Shawn Robinson drafted in the first round was perplexing. Three of the SEC’s best defensive players in 2015 — and who were essentially locks for the first round — didn’t hear their names called until the second round, with Ragland, viewed by many as the top linebacker in the …

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