2021 NFL Draft sees 28 Pac-12 selections

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Pac-12 Conference had 28 players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, highlighted by OREGON offensive tackle Penei Sewell (seventh overall selection by the Detroit Lions), USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker (14th overall selection by the New York Jets) and WASHINGTON outside linebacker Joe Tryon (32nd overall selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). The three selections marked the 11th consecutive NFL Draft that the Pac-12 has had at least three players selected in the first round.

After Sewell was selected with the seventh overall pick, it marked the second time in school history for the Ducks to have Top 10 picks in back-to-back years (also, Justin Herbert selected sixth overall by the Chargers in 2020) and the first time since 2015-16 when Marcus Mariota was selected second overall in 2015 and DeForest Buckner seventh overall in 2016. The seventh spot marked the highest ever by an offensive lineman for Oregon (previous, Kyle Long selected 20th overall in 2013) and the highest by a Pac-12 offensive lineman since 2012 (USC’s Matt Kalil selected fourth overall by Minnesota).

USC has now seen back-to-back years with an offensive lineman selected in the first round after Vera-Tucker was selected 14th overall (also, Austin Jackson selected 18th overall by Miami in 2020). Vera-Tucker is the 24th Trojan offensive lineman selected in the first round since 1967, the most such selections by any school over that stretch. In total for USC, the Trojans have had 72 first-round picks since 1967, tied for the most of any school over that stretch (also, Ohio State).

Washington’s Tryon is the first Husky defensive player to be selected in the first round since 2018 when Vita Vea was selected 12th overall, also by Tampa Bay.

Pac-12/NFL Draft Notes:

• Oregon saw four defensive backs selected in the 2021 Draft, tied for the most this year (also, Georgia). Prior to 2021, four defensive backs from one school occurred only 11 times and just three times in the last 20 years.
• The Detroit Lions selected four Pac-12 players, the most of any NFL team (Sewell, Levi Onwuzurike, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jermar Jefferson).
• In total, 10 Pac-12 programs had at least one player selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, led by Oregon, Stanford and USC each with five picks. For the Ducks, five picks are their most since also having five in 2015. For the Trojans, five is their most since also having five in 2017. For the Cardinal, five is their most since also having five in 2019.  
• Pac-12 was fourth among all conferences with 28 selections, trailing the 14-team SEC (65) and Big Ten (44) conferences and 15-team ACC (42).
• Over the past three years, the Pac-12 has had 93 players selected in the NFL Draft, 2.58 per school in the 12-team league. Averaged by school, 2.58 is the third-most of any Power 5 conference over the last three years, trailing the 14-team SEC (192/4.57) and Big Ten (132/3.14) conferences. 

Selections by School – 2021 NFL Draft

• Oregon – 5
• Stanford – 5
• USC – 5
• Washington – 4
• Arizona – 2
• Oregon State – 2
• UCLA – 2
• Arizona State – 1
• California – 1
• Colorado – 1