Greg Ostendorf, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Ten years running: SEC finishes draft with most picks ... again

The 2016 NFL draft belonged to the SEC yet again. For the 10th straight year, the conference which boasts the reigning national champion (Alabama) led the way with 51 total draft picks over the three-day span. Second was the Big Ten with 47, followed by the Pac-12 with 32.

On Friday, we recapped the first round as it pertained to the SEC. Here’s a look back at the top storylines from Rounds 2 through 7.

Day 2 belongs to Alabama

Nick Saban and three of his former players -- Reggie Ragland, Jarran Reed and A'Shawn Robinson -- traveled to Chicago to join other draft hopefuls in the green room. All three expected to hear their name called in the first round.

Instead, the only Crimson Tide player taken in the first round was center Ryan Kelly, who went No. 18 to the Indianapolis Colts.

But it was only a matter of time before the others were chosen, and it felt like it was one after the other in Friday’s second round. First it was Ragland going to the Buffalo Bills at pick No. 41. Then, in back-to-back picks, Derrick Henry went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 45 followed by Robinson to the Detroit Lions at No. 46. Three picks later, Reed -- the last of the Alabama players in the green room -- was taken by the Seattle Seahawks.

Cyrus Jones wrapped up the second round when he was drafted by the New England Patriots at No. 60, and Alabama’s lone third-round pick was Kenyan Drake to the Miami Dolphins at No. 73. In all, six Tide players were taken on Day 2.

Feel-good story

Arguably the best story of the entire draft took place Friday night when Auburn offensive tackle Shon Coleman was selected in the third round at pick No. 76 by the Cleveland Browns.

Coleman was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, shortly after he signed his letter of intent with Auburn. He took two years away from football, battling the disease. Once he beat it, he returned to Auburn in 2012 and redshirted that season. He saw the field for the first time in 2013, and after starting the past two seasons at left tackle, he left early for the NFL draft.

It was only fitting that Coleman got the call from the Browns while watching the draft in Memphis at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the same hospital where he had treatment six years earlier.

Cleveland also drafted Auburn wide receiver Ricardo Louis in the fourth round.

Quarterbacks fall to Day 3

After the SEC had zero quarterbacks taken in the 2015 NFL draft, only two were drafted in 2016 and neither heard their name called until the third day.

Mississippi State's Dak Prescott was the first to go at pick No. 135 in the fourth round to the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott broke nearly every record during his time in Starkville, but a DUI back in March might have caused him to slip some in the draft.

"It was the elephant in the room," Prescott said. "It's something in the past. It's something that I can guarantee everyone won't happened again. It was a mistake, but it's going to make me a better person and it already has."

After Prescott, the Jacksonville Jaguars took Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen in the sixth round with pick No. 201. Allen led the nation in Total QBR this past season and will likely serve as the primary backup to Blake Bortles.

Best late-value picks

From Tyrann Mathieu (LSU) in the third round to Geno Atkins (Georgia) in the fourth round to Stevie Johnson (Kentucky) in the seventh round, there are always steals to be had on the second and third days.

Here’s a look at a five SEC players who went late in this year's draft and could pay huge dividends for teams down the road.

  • Fourth round: WR Pharoh Cooper, Los Angeles Rams

  • Fourth round: LB Antonio Morrison, Indianapolis Colts

  • Fifth round: LB Kentrell Brothers, Minnesota Vikings

  • Sixth round: TE Jerell Adams, New York Giants

  • Seventh round: RB Keith Marshall, Washington Redskins

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