NFL Draft: Top talent producers

With the NFL Draft starting on April 28, it’s always fun to look back in recent history to see trends. In our NFL Draft series we’ll look at a few different aspects of the first round and today we look at the schools that have produced the most first-rounders recently. This is obviously a great recruiting tool and it’s no surprise to see that since 2011, Alabama has clearly been the leader.

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The rundown: Over the last five drafts, Alabama is the clear leader in first-round draft picks with 14, doubling the amount of the next two schools; Florida State and Texas A&M. What makes their recent draft history more impressive is that seven of their 14 first round draft picks were selected in the top 10, including Amari Cooper last year at No. 4, Trent Richardson in 2012 at No. 3 and in 2011 the combo of Marcel Dareus at No. 3 and Julio Jones at No. 6. It is easy to see why the Crimson Tide have dominated the sport on the field in recent years.

Farrell’s take: There’s a reason why Nick Saban’s recruiting classes always seem to rank No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation and a reason why he keeps winning national titles. This Alabama recruiting run is the closest thing to a dynasty in recruiting I’ve ever seen, and this year they could add players like Reggie Ragland, A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed and possibly Derrick Henry in round one. It will be a while before any team is able to close this gap.

The rundown: The Seminoles, who have long been regarded a top producer of NFL-level talent, continued this trend over the last five drafts. Jameis Winston is the name that first comes to mind as he was the No. 1 overall selection in 2015, but surprisingly he is the only top-10 pick from Florida State since 2006 when Ernie Sims was selected No. 9. Since 2011, the Seminoles have also produced Kelvin Benjamin, who had a big rookie season in 2014 before an injury sidelined him last year, and E.J. Manuel, who hasn’t panned out in Buffalo.

Farrell’s take: The ‘Noles have had a ton of talent over the last few years and are neck and neck with Alabama when it comes to overall number of picks in the last couple of drafts. But when it comes to first-rounders, they are obviously behind ‘Bama by quite a bit. Jalen Ramsey is going to add to this number this year and we can’t forget guys like Ronald Darby and some others who didn’t make it in the first round but are clearly on their way to stardom.

The rundown: The Aggies producing the same number of first-round picks since 2011 as Florida State may surprise some people, but the level of talent coming out of College Station has been consistent and improved. In fact, while Florida State has only produced one top-10 pick in recent years, Texas A&M has produced five. Von Miller at No. 2 in 2011 and Luke Joeckel at No. 2 in 2013 lead the way, while Jake Matthews, Mike Evans and Ryan Tannehill were also top 10 selections. We also can’t bring up Texas A&M without bringing up Johnny Manziel, who was selected at No. 22 in 2014.

Farrell’s take: The Aggies have had some big moments on the field in the last five years or so, but for them to be tied with Florida State in first-rounders is surprising and impressive. Germain Ifedi could sneak into round one and add to this number and obviously Myles Garrett is on the radar big-time for 2017. The recent offensive line tradition at A&M is hard to beat.

The rundown: While on-field success in Gainesville has slipped in recent years, the production of elite NFL-caliber talent has not. However, it wasn’t until the 2015 draft when Dante Fowler was selected with the No. 3 overall selection that the Gators had produced a top 10 pick since 2010, when Joe Haden received the call at No. 7. Aside from Fowler, other ex-Gators who have been drafted since 2011 and are making their mark in the NFL include Matt Elam, Sharrif Floyd and Mike Pouncey.

Farrell’s take: The Gators have been a bit down until this past season but you can’t argue with the high-level talent coming out. Vernon Hargreaves III is sure to add to this number and could be a top 10 pick a la Haden. Safety Keanu Neal is also a guy who could slip into round one. The big surprise is the lack of offensive skill players coming out of Florida in recent years.

The rundown: For the Tigers, Patrick Peterson is the highest drafted player over the last five drafts, when he was chosen at No. 5 by Arizona in 2011. While Morris Claiborne and Barkevious Mingo were also top 10 selections, it is now Odell Beckham Jr. who has established himself as the other elite ex-Tiger since 2011. Selected with the No. 12 selection by the New York Giants in 2014, Beckham’s productivity and highlight reel receptions have already made him one of the stars of the league.

Farrell’s take: It’s doubtful that LSU will have a first-rounder this year, but in 2017 they will obviously have Leonard Fournette and a few others that could pop into round one. Tre’Davious White could help keep the DBU tag alive for LSU.

The rundown: The Tar Heels may be a program that surprises some people for making it this high on the list. Jonathan Cooper headlines the group with a No. 7 selection in 2013 followed by Eric Ebron at No. 10 in 2014. Also, Robert Quinn, who is considered one of the better young pass rushers in the league, was selected at No. 14 in 2011, while fellow defensive end Quinton Coples has failed to live up to expectations to this point after being selected at No. 16 in 2012.

Farrell’s take: UNC is a surprise here as well, probably moreso than Texas A&M since it just recently had national success this past season but have been a middling ACC team otherwise. They won’t have any first-rounders this year and could slide behind a few teams in the coming years, but you have to be impressed with five first-rounders in five drafts.

The rundown: The Trojans are another traditional power program that makes the list, but maybe not as high as some would expect. Since 2011, the headliner of the group is actually Matt Kalil at No. 4 in 2012, but Tyron Smith at No. 9 in 2011 has proven to be the most worthy on the field. Leonard Williams, who was selected at No. 6 in 2015 by the New York Jets, is an ex-Trojan worth keeping a close eye on after a promising rookie season and the potential for more playing time in 2016.

Farrell’s Take: This number is a bit low for USC, especially compared to the Pete Carroll years, but recruiting limitations have hurt. They aren’t expected to have any first-rounders this year unless someone takes a flier on Su’a Cravens, but with the program able to take full recruiting classes now, expect the next few years to have USC back on the map a bit in this regard.

The rundown: Overall, the Huskies have not produced as many overall draft picks as the programs above them on this list, but their output of first-round talent has been impressive. Jake Locker is the highest Husky selected since 2011 at No. 8, but he definitely hasn’t been the most productive. Marcus Peters made an immediate impact with Kansas City last year, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, while fellow rookie Shaq Thompson quickly made a name for himself for the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers.

Farrell’s take: This is a bit stunning. The Huskies have done a solid job recruiting over the last many years, but to have as many first-rounders as programs like USC and more than some of the traditional powers is impressive. They don’t have anyone on the radar for the first round this year and they could slide down this list over the next few years, but this is certainly something to sell to recruits.

The rundown: The Badgers have long been known for their production of offensive linemen, and have produced three first-rounders since 2011 with Gabe Carimi, Kevin Zeitler and Travis Frederick. However, it is J.J. Watt who at No. 11 is the highest Badger draft pick in the last five years and undoubtedly has been the most productive. Wisconsin has been one of the more consistent programs in the country over the last two decades and their output into the NFL shows why.

Farrell’s take: This is a bit of a surprise despite Wisconsin’s incredible offensive line tradition simply because recruiting at Wisconsin isn’t easy with a weak home recruiting base. There is no one on the radar for round one this year, but you can expect the Badgers to continue to put big men in round one and every once in a while have a skill first-rounder like Melvin Gordon.

The rundown: Multiple schools have produced four first-round draft picks since 2011, all of which come from Power 5 conferences plus Notre Dame. For Auburn, the top of the list is obviously Cam Newton, who was selected No. 1 overall in 2011. Robert Griffin’s selection at No. 2 in 2012 tops the list for Baylor, while Clemson’s highest selection has been Sammy Watkins at No. 4 in 2014. A.J. Green at No. 4 in 2011, DeVante Parker at No. 14 in 2015, Aldon Smith at No. 7 in 2011, Michael Floyd at No. 13 in 2012 and Marcus Mariota at No. 2 in 2015 are the top selections for Georgia, Louisville, Missouri, Notre Dame and Oregon since 2011.

Farrell’s take: Auburn doesn’t have a first-rounder this year barring a surprise and the same can be said for Missouri, but the rest of the schools could add to their numbers. Baylor has both Corey Coleman and Andrew Billings as possible first-rounders, Clemson has Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd and Mackensie Alexander as potentials and Georgia has Leonard Floyd, who could land in the top 10. Louisville has Sheldon Rankins who is a surefire first rounder it appears, Notre Dame has Ronnie Stanley, plus Will Fuller, who could slide into round one and we all know Jaylon Smith would have been a top 10 pick prior to his injury. Oregon boasts DeForest Buckner, who could go top 10 as well. I see Clemson and Georgia especially adding to these numbers over the next few years.