Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko said something that is now the center of attention throughout the college football community: He believes you usually need about 13 NFL Draft picks to win the SEC.
Elko also feels good about his 2025 team and thinks they’ll have double-digit players picked in the draft, more than the school has ever had.
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Why Does Mike Elko Think 13 NFL Draft Picks Are Needed to Win the SEC?
ESPN insider Pete Thamel captured the essence of Elko’s strategic thinking in a recent tweet:
“Interesting nugget from Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, who says winning the SEC typically means having around 13 NFL Draft picks: ‘We should get to double-digit NFL draft picks this year. That’ll be the first time Texas A&M has done that in a very long time.”
Interesting nugget from Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, who says winning the SEC typically means having around 13 NFL Draft picks: “We should get to double-digit NFL draft picks this year. That’ll be the first time Texas A&M has done that in a very long time.”
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 17, 2025
This post tells a different story, as Texas A&M had selected three players in the 2025 NFL Draft despite that modest number, including first-round pick Shemar Stewart and second-round selections Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner.
Elko isn’t just guessing when he links NFL Draft picks to winning big in the SEC. Looking at the numbers: Michigan’s 2023 title team had 13 players picked in the 2024 draft, which broke their school record. Georgia’s 2021 champs sent 15 players to the draft the next year, with five going in the first round. That’s a strong pattern.
How Has the SEC’s Draft Dominance Shaped Championship Success?
The SEC’s tight grip on NFL talent is essential context for Elko’s claims. The SEC has led all conferences in draft picks for the last 18 years, since 2007. For example, the SEC had 79 players drafted in the 2025 draft, with Georgia having 13 total picks and Texas with 12 total picks.
This environment creates a self-reinforcing paradigm where championship success requires enough NFL depth at multiple position groups. Current SEC powers consistently provide that kind of NFL talent, especially when compared to Elko’s threshold of 13 draft picks – Georgia alone has had 25 draft selections (first three rounds) from the last four drafts, and Alabama has produced similar figures.
What Does Texas A&M’s Draft History Mean for Elko’s Projections?
Elko’s projection matters in the context of Texas A&M’s NFL Draft history. The last time the Aggies had 10 players drafted (in one draft) was in 1976, and Texas A&M’s highest draft total in the modern era of a 7-round draft format was seven selections in 2019. The last three drafts averaged 3 to 5 selections.
After looking at who’s on the roster, the coach feels good about the team. Key players like left tackle Trey Zuhn, right guard Ar’Maj Reed-Adams, and cornerback Will Lee III are back. Linebacker Taurean York is ranked 23rd on Pro Football Focus’s 2026 Big Board, which stands out. They also picked up KC Concepcion, who transferred from NC State.