The NFL invited more than 300 draft prospects to its scouting combine, and 69 of them hail from SEC schools.
Here is a breakdown of the SEC players who were invited to the event, which will be held in Indianapolis from Feb. 17-23:
Quarterbacks (2): Nick Marshall, Auburn; Blake Sims, Alabama.
Running backs (12): Cameron Artis-Payne, Auburn; Mike Davis, South Carolina; Jalston Fowler, Alabama; Todd Gurley, Georgia; Braylon Heard, Kentucky; Kenny Hilliard, LSU; Matt Jones, Florida; Terrence Magee, LSU; Marcus Murphy, Missouri; Josh Robinson, Mississippi State; Trey Williams, Texas A&M; T.J. Yeldon, Alabama.
Wide receivers (6): Sammie Coates, Auburn; Chris Conley, Georgia; Amari Cooper, Alabama; Christion Jones, Alabama; DeAndrew White, Alabama.
Tight ends (3): Rory Anderson, South Carolina; Cameron Clear, Texas A&M; AJ Derby, Arkansas.
Offensive linemen (14): Trenton Brown, Florida; A.J. Cann, South Carolina; La'el Collins, LSU; Reese Dismukes, Auburn; Max Garcia, Florida; Chaz Green, Florida; Jarvis Harrison, Texas A&M; D.J. Humphries, Florida; Arie Kouandjio, Alabama; Darrian Miller, Kentucky; Mitch Morse, Missouri; Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M; Corey Robinson, South Carolina; Austin Shepherd, Alabama.
Defensive linemen (12): Angelo Blackson, Auburn; Trey Flowers, Arkansas; Dante Fowler Jr., Florida; Markus Golden, Missouri; Danielle Hunter, LSU; Leon Orr, Florida; Darius Philon, Arkansas; Shane Ray, Missouri; Preston Smith, Mississippi State; Za'Darius Smith, Kentucky; J.T. Surratt, South Carolina; Gabe Wright, Auburn.
Linebackers (10): Kwon Alexander, LSU; Neiron Ball, Florida; Trey DePriest, Alabama; Xzavier Dickson, Alabama; Bud Dupree, Kentucky; Amarlo Herrera, Georgia; A.J. Johnson, Tennessee; Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State; Martrell Spaight, Arkansas; Ramik Wilson, Georgia.
Defensive backs (8): Justin Coleman, Tennessee; Jalen Collins, LSU; Landon Collins, Alabama; Justin Cox, Mississippi State; Senquez Golson, Ole Miss; Cody Prewitt, Ole Miss; Damian Swann, Georgia; Jermaine Whitehead, Auburn.
Specialists (2): Kyle Christy, Florida; Josh Lambo, Texas A&M.
A few observations:
There are several notable SEC names who didn’t make the list. Among them: David Andrews (Georgia), Ben Beckwith (Mississippi State), Kaleb Eulls (Mississippi State), Connor Neighbors (LSU), Nick Perry (Alabama), Jermauria Rasco (LSU), Bud Sasser (Missouri) and C.J. Uzomah (Auburn).
The depth in this pool of SEC draft prospects is still impressive, but it might trail slightly behind recent SEC classes in high-end talent. The league has had double-digit first-round picks in four consecutive drafts, but it’s possible that the streak will end this year. ESPN Scouts Inc. lists seven SEC players (No. 3 Shane Ray, No. 4 Amari Cooper, No. 12 Dante Fowler, No. 14 Landon Collins, No. 23 Todd Gurley, No. 24 La’el Collins, and No. 32 Jalen Collins) among its top 32 prospects for 2015.
Alabama had 11 players invited. That’s not much of a surprise since the Crimson Tide won the conference and appeared in the College Football Playoff. But considering that Florida went 7-5, it’s a bit of a surprise that nine Gators received invitations.
The SEC’s talent along the line of scrimmage remains impressive. There are multiple future NFL stars on both sides of the line in this class.
Nick Marshall was invited as a quarterback? We’ll see about that. Although he starred at the position at Auburn, he expects to play defensive back in the pros. He’ll almost certainly work with the guys in the secondary in Indianapolis.
While not technically an SEC guy, former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham is sure to be one of the most debated prospects on hand. He has every physical tool that an NFL team could want -- and he seemed to be on the verge of superstardom when he caught 59 passes for 883 yards and 12 TDs in 2013 at Mizzou -- but his dismissal last year is a huge red flag. He’d be a surefire first-round pick if not for the off-the-field questions.
Every SEC school except Vanderbilt had a player invited.