ACC in the NFL Draft: 7-year stretch without No. 1 overall pick could end

By foxsports
Published

dThe ACC has had 51 first-round picks in the NFL draft since 2006, the second-most in that span by any league.

In spite of all that talent, the ACC has not had the first overall pick in nearly a decade -- when defensive Mario Williams was surprisingly taken by the Houston Texans in 2006.

This year, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is very likely to break that trend, as it is expected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will draft the pro-ready Winston to be their quarterback of the future.

Is it possible that doesn't happen? Sure. But it's almost a certainty at this point, as much as such things can be certainties. 

Winston won't be in attendance when the draft begins tomorrow night in Chicago. He'll be watching from home with his family, as will several other high-profile picks, including quarterback Marcus Mariota.

But Winston's teammate and center Cam Erving, Clemson's Vic Beasley, Louisville's DeVante Parker, Duke's Laken Tomlinson and Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson will all be in attendance. All five could potentially go in the first round, but there are others who are likely to have their names called on Thursday.

So let's take a look at the ACC's NFL Draft prospects, in tiers, including who's hot and potential wild cards:

LIKELY FIRST-ROUNDERS

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson

DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

Cam Erving, OL, Florida State

Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami

Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest

T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh

Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State

Hot Name(s): Erving. He struggled some as the FSU line came together in the early part of the season, and when he switched to center, he impressed everyone with how quickly he picked it up.

Now, his versatility is something that's incredibly appealing to NFL teams. He was supposed to be a surefire first-rounder in the lead-up to last season; it's as if teams are finally remembering how good he actually is.

Wild Card(s): Beyond Winston, Beasley and Erving, every projected first-rounder has been mocked significantly lower than that in some drafts.

There is much more variance with guys like Flowers and Johnson (to a lesser extent) and a lot more with Clemmings and Goldman, particularly Clemmings, who could go as high as the high 20's and as low as the third round.

LIKELY SECOND-THIRD ROUNDERS

Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State

Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson

Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke

Stephone Anthony, LB, Clemson

Eli Harold, LB, Virginia

Lorenzo Mauldin, LB, Louisville

P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State

Mario Edwards Jr., DE, Florida State

Tre' Jackson, OG, Florida State

Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State

Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami

Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami

Duke Johnson, RB, Miami

Clive Walford, TE, Miami

Hot Name(s): Dorsett/Anthony/Edwards. Dorsett didn't catch a ton of passes last year for Miami, but his speed is impossible to duplicate, and NFL teams are always looking for that.

Anthony has impressed teams in interviews, and as the quarterback of Clemson's defense last year, he's one of the more cerebral players in this class. Edwards lost some weight between the end of last season, when he was a bit out of shape, and pro days. His natural talent has always been undeniable.

Wild Card: Greene. He doesn't have prototypical wide receiver size and speed. None of the so-called measurables are on Greene's side -- except, of course, for his brain and his route-running ability, which aren't as valued as the others.

Greene proved throughout his career that none of that mattered, even when he was FSU's only receiving threat. But the fact that physically he doesn't look the part could mean he slips a bit further than he should.

This is a deep receiver draft, after all. But all it takes is one.

LIKELY THIRD-FIFTH ROUNDERS

Andy Gallik, C, Boston College

Corey Crawford, DE, Clemson

Josue Matias, G, Florida State

Nick O'Leary, TE, Florida State

Jamison Crowder, WR, Duke

Shaquille Mason, C, Georgia Tech

John Miller, OG, Louisville

Charles Gaines, CB, Louisville

B.J. Dubose, DE, Louisville

James Sample, S, Louisville

Gerod Holliman, S, Louisville

Anthony Chickillo, DE, Miami

Durell Eskridge, S, Syracuse

Sean Hickey, OT, Syracuse

Anthony Harris, S, Virginia

Max Valles, LB, Virginia

Laurence Gibson, OT, Virginia Tech

Hot Name: Valles/Sample. Valles came out of school early as a true sophomore (he spent a year at a military academy), shocking many, including his head coach. But NFL teams don't often get the opportunity to draft someone and mold them from a young age, and Valles would certainly give them that chance.

Valles was just hitting the tip of the iceberg in terms of his growth.

Sample has been projected as high as an early second-rounder by some and as late as a fourth-rounder. But it's clear that he's been a hot commodity, in spite of his teammates like Gerod Holliman having better production on the field last season.

Wild Card(s): Crowder/O'Leary. Crowder, like Greene, lacks the height of a typical wide receiver, and that's a problem to many teams. But he's always been able to make plays throughout his college career, and his potential ability to help a team on punt return could work in his favor.

He's projected to go in rounds 4-6, and could go a bit earlier. O'Leary's a name that seemed like a surefire draft pick after the 2013 season. His production didn't really match last year's, though, and he injured his hamstring in warmups before the national semifinal game against Oregon and couldn't work out on FSU's pro day.

Maybe someone will take a chance on him, but some drafts don't have him listed at all. More have him going late.

ON THE FRINGE

Garry Peters, CB, Clemson

Tavaris Barnes, DE, Clemson

DeShawn Williams, DT, Clemson

Takoby Cofield, OT, Duke

Isaac Blakeney, WR, Duke

Karlos Williams, RB, Florida State

Bobby Hart, G, Florida State

Isaiah Johnson, S, Georgia Tech

DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech

Darren Waller, WR, Georgia Tech

Zach Laskey, RB, Georgia Tech

Synjyn Days, RB, Georgia Tech

Deiontrez Mount, LB, Louisville

Dominique Brown, RB, Louisville

Michael Dyer, RB, Louisville

Jamon Brown, OT, Louisville

Jake Smith, C, Louisville

Gerald Christian, TE, Louisville

Ryan Williams, QB, Miami

Shane McDermott, C, Miami

Ladarius Gunter, S, Miami

Jon Feliciano, OG, Miami

Wil Baumann, P, NC State

Dyshawn Davis, LB, Syracuse

Kyshoen Jarrett, S, Virginia Tech

Merrill Noel, CB, Wake Forest