Why Does SEC Lack 1st-Round NFL Talent in 2026? Players Haven't Met Expectations

Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks is returning to the field in hopes of impressing NFL scouts.

The 6-foot-5, 330-pound senior injured his left foot in training camp and reinjured it during his season debut, a Week 3 loss at LSU. Once projected as a potential first-round draft pick in 2026, Banks spent the last two months recovering from surgery and plans to play the final two games for the Gators (3-7, 2-5 SEC).

"It’ll be nice to get him back, another big body in front to come help us in that run game as well," Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales said.

Banks has plenty to prove, beginning with Saturday’s rivalry game against No. 20 Tennessee. It’s a common theme for players in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.

With the NFL draft five months away, the SEC looks like it could have its fewest number of first-round picks since sending just seven to the stage in 2015. Up for debate is whether it’s a one-year fluke or the direct result of revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness payments causing the top talent to be spread across more programs.

"The SEC is basically indicative of what the 2026 draft is going to look like," said longtime NFL evaluator Tony Pauline, who spent the last three years at Sportskeeda Pro Football. "It’s disappointing and filled with a lot of players who have not met expectations.

"It’s no coincidence that the NFL draft is going to be an uninspired one, especially at the top, and it goes hand in hand with that’s exactly what’s happening with the SEC."

The SEC has enjoyed at least 10 first-round selections in five of the last six years, and adding Texas and Oklahoma in 2024 was only supposed to increase the league’s draft dominance.

The conference landed 15 players in the first round —