Six of the first 15 players selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night came from the Pac-12, which produced eight total picks in the opening round. Former USC star quarterback Caleb Williams highlighted the league’s haul by going No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears.
It was the Pac-12’s best showing in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2015 when it had nine players taken. The league had produced no more than four first-round selections in each of the past six drafts before Thursday. Only the SEC (11) had more first-round selections this year.
The timing is ironic since the schools that comprised the Pac-12 in 2023 are splintering in a variety of directions for the upcoming season as conference realignment rocks college football. The opening night of the draft offered a striking reminder of just how strong the league’s swan song was in 2023 as six different schools saw players selected.
Washington snapped a six-year College Football Playoff drought for the Pac-12 last season, and the Huskies were well-represented early in the draft with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. going No. 8 overall to Atlanta and receiver Rome Odunze going to Chicago at No. 9. Offensive tackle Troy Fauntanu made it three Huskies selected in the first round when the Steelers picked him at No. 20. It was the first time since 2015 that Washington produced multiple first-round picks and the first time since 1941 that it produced two top-10 selections. Only Alabama and LSU matched Washington with three first-round picks.
Here’s the 2024 NFL Draft broken down by school and conference at the conclusion of the first round. The breakdown is based on the leagues in which the teams competed in during the 2023 season.