The S-E-C chants were deafening once again on the first day of the NFL draft, as the pre-eminent college football conference saw a record 15 players selected in the first round Thursday night.
As for the Conference of Champions? Perhaps a little less volume … especially without Bill Walton on the broadcast.
The Pac-12 had just three players picked in the opening round of the draft, matching last year’s record low since the conference expanded to 12 schools and ending the worst two-year period over the same timeframe. While things might not have been as bad as a year ago, when the conference had to wait until the 22nd pick for one of its athletes to be chosen, it represents another piece of evidence in the growing narrative that the Pac-12 is being left behind.
Both the Big Ten (5) and Big 12 (5) had more first-rounders, while the ACC had three a year after seeing seven taken early.
Meanwhile, one must go all the way back to the spring of 2011 — just before CU joined the Pac-12 — to find a Buff selected with one of the first 32 picks. That year there were two: offensive lineman Nate Solder (18th overall, New England) and defensive back Jimmy Smith (27th, Baltimore). With Laviska Shenault selected with the 42nd overall pick Friday, the Buffs have now had 12 players drafted overall since 2012.
Here’s a look at how the Pac-12 has fared in the first round in the nine years since CU joined the conference:
| Year | Picks | Highest pick |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | No. 6: Justin Herbert (Oregon), QB, L.A. Chargers |
| 2019 | 3 | No. 22: Andre Dillard (Washington St.), T, Philadelphia |
| 2018 | 4 | No. 3: Sam Darnold (USC), QB, N.Y. Jets |
| 2017 | 6 | No. 3: Solomon Thomas (Stanford), DE, San Francisco |
| 2016 | 4 | No. 1: Jared Goff (California), QB, L.A Rams |
| 2015 | 9 | No. 2: Marcus Mariota (Oregon), QB, Tennessee |
| 2014 | 3 | No. 9: Anthony Barr (UCLA), LB, Minnesota |
| 2013 | 5 | No. 3: Dion Jordan (Oregon), DE, Miami |
| 2012 | 4 | No. 1: Andrew Luck (Stanford), QB, Indianapolis |