Ranking the 35 best NFL players from SEC schools, including NFL MVP Cam Newton from Auburn and former Georgia back and Rookie of the Year, Todd Gurley.
Best NFL Players from the ACC / Big Ten / Big 12 / Pac-12
The SEC is home to the reigning national champions at Alabama and won eight of the last 10 national titles in college football. It is at the top of the mountain when it comes to college football dominance but also at the top when it comes to producing players for the next level in the NFL.
Pro Bowl and All-Pro rosters are littered with SEC football products, including NFL MVP Cam Newton and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley.
Every SEC football team is represented on this ranking of the 35 best NFL players from SEC schools but none more than the LSU Tigers who had the most players selected with eight. LSU was followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators who all had five.
This is a ranking of active players and not to be confused with an all-time ranking and doesn’t take into consideration what these players accomplished during their college careers.
Excluded from the ranking are the SEC football players taken in the recently completed 2016 NFL Draft. After reading through the list, please leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section and continue the conversation by letting us know who is ranked too high or too low.
Without further ado, here are the 35 best NFL players from SEC schools.
Next: Begin Slideshow
35. Kyle Williams – The veteran defensive tackle out of LSU suffered a season-ending injury after six games last year to snap his streak of three straight Pro Bowl berths. Williams had 21 sacks the previous three years but as he enters his age-33 season, this could be his last chance to make a mark in the NFL.
34. Jason Witten – The future Hall of Fame tight end out of Tennessee is in the twilight of his career with his last two seasons the worst since his rookie year but still topped 700 yards. The Dallas Cowboys hope he’ll have another good year or two left in him as he enters his age-34 season.
33. Eric Reid – The first of many LSU players on this list was a first round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2013 and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Reid had four interceptions, 12 passes defended and 73 tackles and looked like the next great defensive back out of LSU. He hasn’t approached those numbers since, but I think they could be a result of the decaying defense in front of him.
32. Jordan Matthews – The SEC’s all-time receiving leader out of Vanderbilt has 152 receptions, 1,869 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Depending on the quarterback play in Philadelphia can approach 100 receptions and 1,300-yards in 2016.
31. Eddie Lacy – The former Alabama back had more than 2,300 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first two pro seasons with the Green Bay Packers before regressing in 2015 with 758 yards and three touchdowns. His 4.1 ypc average was the same as his rookie year when he had 1,178 yards but was out of shape and lost his grip on the starting job. He’s committed himself to getting in peak condition this offseason and could be a candidate to win the Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2016.
Next: No. 30-27
30. Joe Haden – Missed 11 games last year, but when healthy, is one of the best corners in the NFL. The two-time Pro Bowler out of Florida earns this spot on his reputation but faces a crucial 2016 season as he hopes to regain that standing as one of the game’s best corners. If healthy, he can be a top-15 player on this list next year.
29. Mark Ingram – Former Heisman winner at Alabama had 1,174 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns for the New Orleans Saints in 2015, one year after making his first Pro Bowl with a career-high 964 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
28. Jay Cutler – Quietly had his best year with the Chicago Bears last year with a career-high 92.3 passer rating and led the NFL with four fourth-quarter comebacks. Most impressive thing about this is he did it without Brandon Marshall, first round pick Kevin White and injured stars Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett for the bulk of the year.
27. Alshon Jeffery – Missed seven games last year but when healthy was putting up career-best numbers for the Bears. The South Carolina product averaged a career-high 89.7 yards per game that had him in line to top his career-high of 1,421 yards set in 2013 when he made his lone Pro Bowl.
Next: No. 26-23
26. Jason Peters – Eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro is on the back end of his career, but the 33-year old Arkansas alum is still playing at a high level.
25. Mike Pouncey – I think the Florida product is a better right guard than he is a center, but he’s still a Pro Bowl caliber there who has made the NFL All-Star game the last three seasons.
24. Trai Turner – Former third round pick out of LSU made the Pro Bowl in his second season for the Carolina Panthers and is quickly emerging as one of the best guards in the NFL.
23. Jordan Reed – The Florida alum has a career year in 2015 with 87 receptions for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns in his third pro season in Washington. He had three touchdowns combined in his first two seasons and failed to top 500 yards, but if he can prove last year wasn’t a fluke, he can be one of the top-five players at the tight end position.
Next: No. 22-19
22. Randall Cobb – The only member from Kentucky on this list had 91 receptions, 1,287 yards, and 12 touchdowns in 2014 to make his first Pro Bowl. The Green Bay Packers star slipped a touch in 2015 when he was the No. 1 receiver with Jordy Nelson sidelined but look for him to revert to his 2014 form with a healthy Nelson back in the fold in 2016.
21. Amari Cooper – The Oakland Raiders made the former Alabama receiver the No. 4 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and he turned in 72 receptions for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns to make the Pro Bowl. Look for him to approach 90 receptions, 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016.
20. Jarvis Landry – Former LSU teammate of Odell Beckham is one of the best slot receivers in the NFL with 194 receptions and 1,915 yards in his firs two seasons. The arrow is point sky-high for the Miami Dolphins second round pick in 2014.
19. Mike Evans – The lone Texas A&M product on this list had 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him with the No. 7 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He boosted his reception numbers to 74 and had 1,206 yards but his touchdown totals dropped to three. That’s more of a fluke than anything and I’d look for the 6-5 receiver to approach the double-digit mark again next year.
Next: No. 18-15
18. Matthew Stafford – The former No. 1 overall pick out of Georgia has been one of the most productive passers since entering the league. He’s a volume passer who had the benefit of throwing to Calvin Johnson but averaged 4,635 yards and 29 touchdowns over the last five years. He is only 39-41 over that same span, though.
17. Andrew Whitworth – The veteran out of LSU is a two-time Pro Bowler and was named a first-team All-Pro last year at the age of 34. He’s started 148 out of 152 games in his career.
16. Reggie Nelson – The former first round pick out of Florida has been one of the better free safeties over the last five years but had his best season yet last year when he led the NFL with eight interceptions. Nelson also had a career-high 12 passes defended to make his first Pro Bowl team.
15. Maurkice Pouncey – A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro out of Florida is one of the best centers in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Next: 14-11
14. Sheldon Richardson – The former Missouri star won the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2013 and has 13.5 sacks over the last two years. If he can avoid off-the-field trouble, he can be one of the best interior defensive linemen in the game.
13. Marcell Dareus – The No. 3 pick in the 2011 draft out of Alabama had a down year in 2015 with only two sacks after collecting 10.5 sacks in 2014 to earn his first All-Pro honors. I think he’s due for a big bounce back in 2016.
12. Eli Manning – The former No. 1 pick out of Ole Miss is a two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowler who is coming off arguably his best season yet at the age of 34. Manning had a career-high 4,436 yards, 35 touchdowns and 93.6 quarterback rating.
11. Todd Gurley – This seems too low for the former Georgia back who won the Offensive Rookie of the Year and was a second-team All-Pro. It just speaks to the depth and star power that the SEC has in the NFL. Gurley ran for 1,106 yards and had 10 touchdowns in only 13 games (12 starts) and his 85.3 ypg average was third-best in the NFL. He could easily be in the top five on this list next year.
Next: 10. Fletcher Cox
Fletcher Cox is the best player from the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the NFL. The former No. 12 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft earned a spot in the Eagles starting lineup as a rookie and has started every game since.
Cox was named a second-team All-Pro in 2014 after recording a career-high 61 total tackles and had four sacks and three fumble recoveries, including one he took back for a touchdown.
Cox made his first Pro Bowl team in 2015 and was named a second-team All-Pro for the second year in a row after posting career-highs in tackles with 71 and sacks with 9.5. His 9.5 sacks were 1.5 off the lead among defensive tackles, trailing Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins and Kawann Short who had 11 apiece.
Next: 9. Geno Atkins
Geno Atkins is one of the biggest draft steals this century. The former fourth round pick out of Georgia in the 2010 draft slid because he’s 6-1, 286 pounds, but despite lacking ideal measurables for the position has played like a high first round pick.
He may be short, but Atkins is one of the strongest players in the NFL and he’s able to use that strength to develop into one of the better interior pass rushers in the league.
Atkins made his first of four Pro Bowl trips in 2011 after getting 7.5 sacks and made his first All-Pro team the next year with a career-high 12.5 sacks. He also had career-highs in tackles with 54 total tackles and four forced fumbles.
He looks fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in the ninth game of 2013 after getting 11 sacks last year, tied for the most among defensive tackles.
Next: 8. A.J. Green
A.J. Green has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL since the Cincinnati Bengals spend the No. 4 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft on the former Georgia standout. Green has eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in his first five seasons with at least 65 receptions and six touchdowns.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection had his best year in 2013 when he set career-highs with 98 receptions for 1,426 yards and equaled his career-high with 11 touchdowns. He had 86 receptions for 1,297 and 10 touchdowns last year.
Green’s 81.2 receiving yards per game for his career ranks as the fourth-best mark in NFL history, behind Julio Jones, Calvin Johnson and Antonio Brown. With another five years like his first five, Green should merit Hall of Fame consideration.
Next: 7. Justin Houston
Justin Houston is the third straight player from Georgia on this list of best NFL players from the SEC and like Atkins, represents one of the biggest draft steals this century.
Houston slid to the third round where the Kansas City Chiefs took him with the No. 70 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft that is heavily populating this list.
He had 5.5 sacks as a rookie while making 10 starts and has nearly averaged one sack per game in his last four years. Houston had 21 sacks in his next 27 games over the next two years before leading the NFL in 2014 with 22 sacks.
Houston was named a first-team All-Pro after his breakout season. He was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl in 2015 after getting 7.5 sacks in 11 games. For his career, Houston has 56 sacks in 70 games.
Next: Tyrann Mathieu
Tyrann Mathieu was a Heisman finalist his last eligible year at LSU but slid to the third round and pick No. 69 after he was dismissed after failed drug tests. He’s made up for the mistakes he made in college and turned into one of the best players in the NFL.
Mathieu was named a first-team All-Pro in 2015 and was in contention to win the Defensive Player of the Year for most of the year until getting hurt with two games left on the schedule.
The Honey Badger had three interceptions in his first two seasons but had five in 2015 and set a new career-high with 17 passes defended and 80 solo tackles. The Cardinals free safety is recovering from knee surgery but if he is healthy for Week 1 should be in line to compete for the DPOY.
Next: 5. Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. was the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft but before he played his first NFL game for the New York Giants it looked like his rookie season would be a lost one. The former LSU star hurt his hamstring early in training camp, missed all of the preseason and the first round regular season games.
More from Alabama Crimson Tide
- #10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF
- College Football Playoff: Projected top 4 after Week 2
- Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 2
- Alabama football: Is the Nick Saban Dynasty officially over?
- Alabama football: 3 bold predictions vs. No. 11 Texas in Week 2
But when he got on the field, there wasn’t a receiver more productive than him as a rookie. Beckham led the NFL with 108.8 receiving yards per game and finished with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games.
His rookie season was encapsulated with his insane one-handed leaping catch on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s arguably the most freakishly awesome catch in NFL history.
He won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in a season that was highlighted by his insane one-handed leaping catch on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s arguably the most freakishly awesome catch in NFL history.
Beckham is coming off a season that saw him haul in 96 receptions for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The two-time Pro Bowler is a candidate to lead the NFL in receptions, yards and/or touchdowns as he enters his third year, which has typically been reserved for the “breakout” year for receivers.
Next: 4. Eric Berry
Eric Berry was the No. 5 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Tennessee by the Chiefs. Berry was one of the few players in the SEC who could make Florida’s Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow look human during his career and he’s been a stud since entering the league.
Berry made the Pro Bowl as a rookie when he reeled in four interceptions, which remains a career-high, 10 passes defended and 87 total tackles. He tore his ACL in the first game of his sophomore season but returned to make the Pro Bowl in the next two seasons and his first All-Pro nod in 2013.
The 2014 season was one he’ll never remember after his season was cut short after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Berry kicked cancer’s ass and returned to make 15 starts for the Chiefs in 2015 and returned to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time and earned his second first-team All-Pro bid.
Next: 3. Patrick Peterson
Patrick Peterson was the No. 5 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft after winning the Bednarik, Thorpe, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Consensus All-American honors as a junior at LSU.
Peterson is one of the best athletes in the NFL who made a bigger impact as a punt returner as a rookie than a cornerback. Peterson led the NFL with four punt returns for touchdowns and 699 return yards to earn All-Pro honors. He was a pretty good corner too with a pair of interceptions and a career-high 64 tackles.
He’s not asked to return punts as frequently any longer as he’s developed into one of the game’s two or three best cornerbacks. Peterson set a career-high with seven interceptions in 2013 and set new highs with 17 passes defended and led the NFL with five fumble recoveries.
Peterson is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro.
Next: 2. Julio Jones
Julio Jones is the best NFL player from Alabama and could go down as one of the best receivers in NFL history by the time his career is over. Jones was the No. 6 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons who moved up 21 spots to get the player who averages more receiving yards per game (95.4) than any player in NFL history.
Over the last three seasons, Jones has averaged 112.3 yards per game and is coming off his best season yet after making his first All-Pro team. Jones led the NFL with 136 receptions and with 1,871 yards (116.9 ypg).
He could legitimately challenge the receptions record held by Marvin Harrison who had 143 in 2002 and Calvin Johnson’s record for yards in a season with 1,964 set in 2012.
Next: 1. Cam Newton
Cam Newton was the No. 1 pick in the famed 2011 NFL Draft that has seen 15 of the first round picks that year make at leat one Pro Bowl. Newton led the Auburn Tigers to an undefeated National Championship season and won the Heisman in his lone season on the Plains.
The Carolina Panthers knew they made the right pick after Newton set rookie records with 854 yards passing in his first two games (422,432) en route to winning the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and making the Pro Bowl.
More saturday blitz: 50 Best SEC Football Players of All-Time
Two years later, he was back in the Pro Bowl after leading the team to a 12-4 record. Two years after that, Newton won the league MVP after a 15-1 regular season and took the team to the Super Bowl.
Newton threw for 3,837 yards and a career-high 35 touchdowns while adding 636 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.