AJ McCarron

If Houston wants to meet its QB need without drafting Johnny Manziel with the first pick, A.J. McCarron could be a viable option. (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)

(VASHA HUNT)

That the SEC will have more players picked in the NFL draft than any other conference this weekend is hardly news anymore. It's sort of an annual thing.

Every year, the SEC dominates the draft and, probably more than any other time of the year, the league's critics are silenced as pro football verifies what the SEC's supporters claim all the time: that the SEC has the deepest, best conference in college football.

That was never more true than last year, when the SEC sent 63 players to the NFL in the draft,

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That kind of dominance promises to happen again this weekend. Some mock drafts have SEC players going with as many as six of the top 10 picks, and at least seven SEC players have been projected to go among the top 10 in various mocks.

It seems the more success the SEC has, the more high-caliber players it attracts. That begs the question: Will there come a day where an NFL team can have a viable draft picking only players from the SEC?

It's an interesting question. Of course, no team would purposely set out to do that, but could there be a draft where, with each of its picks, a team finds that an SEC player is the best available option?

That may not be as far-fetched as you think.

Below, I went through two teams' upcoming 2014 drafts and mocked them using that scenario. I tried to match their needs with SEC players expected to be available when those teams will likely target those positions. I found that, while there were some stretches among the picks, it wasn't hard to find a scenario in which an NFL team assembles a quality draft of only SEC players without compromising on talent or need.

I looked at two teams that happen to be in the SEC footprint: the Houston Texans and the Atlanta Falcons. I chose them because each is likely to pick an SEC player with its first pick, getting their drafts off to a solid SEC start.

Here's what I came up with:

Houston Texans

Needs: Quarterback, linebacker, defensive tackle, defensive end, right tackle

Total picks: 10

Jadeveon Clowney is projected by most to be the top pick in the NFL draft next week.

1. (1st overall) DE-LB Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina

: Most expect the Texans to pick the top player on almost every draft board over local favorite Johnny Manziel, who would meet the QB need and provide a local hero. Clowney would be a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker in the Texans' 3-4 scheme.

2. (33rd overall) QB AJ McCarron, Alabama:

The Texans need a QB of the future and in this scenario, they might be wise in the wake of the Matt Schaub meltdown to go with a proven winner with intangibles. McCarron has a boatload of intangibles that might make him more attractive than a Teddy Bridgewater or an SEC player with better physical tools, like Zach Mettenberger.

3. (65th overall) OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee:

Richardson would still be on the board as the Texans look to find immediate help at right tackle without having to draft too high to get it.

4. (101st overall) DT Daniel McCullers, Tennessee:

Another Vol, McCullers is a two-gap nose guard type that might fit the Texans' scheme better than a couple other SEC defensive tackles that might be available with that pick, Anthony Johnson of LSU and Kelcy Quarles of South Carolina.

4. (135th overall) CB Andre Hal, Vanderbilt:

Having met their most pressing needs, the Texans will have an opportunity at the end of the fourth round to improve their depth at cornerback and Hal could be available here.

5. (141st overall) CB Chris Davis, Auburn:

Here, the Texans can continue to address secondary depth issues by getting a player who can cover outside and inside, plus provide help on special teams.

6. (177th overall) OG Zach Fulton, Tennessee:

The Texans also need help with inside offensive line depth and Fulton is the first of two players they might take.

6. (181st overall) OG Anthony Steen, Alabama:

A proven winner, Steen could combine with Fulton and Richardson to give the Texans solid offensive line help.

7. (211th overall) LB Ronald Powell, Florida:

Once a 5-star prospect coming out of high school, Powell is a high-risk guy with some potential upside if he can stay healthy. The Texans could gamble here to try to meet their linebacker need.

7. (216th overall) RB Alfred Blue, LSU:

The Texans don't need a top-flight running back given that they have Arian Foster, but they do need depth. Blue is an option to provide decent physicality and speed with a late-round pick, or the Texans could nab a smaller, faster option in Mississippi State's LaDarius Perkins, who may also be available late.

Why it's a stretch:

Start with the second round, where I doubt McCarron would be the Texans' pick over Bridgewater (who might be gone in the first round), Derek Carr, Tom Savage and Jimmy Garappolo. It's doubtful that Houston waits until the third round for a QB, so to make the scenario work, McCarron has to be drafted higher than his general grade. The Texans might also fill the running back need in the middle rounds instead of waiting late, and there's a gap in SEC running back prospects who are appropriate picks between rounds 3-6, after Jeremy Hill of LSU is gone and before Tennessee's Rajion Neal becomes a legitimate option in the sixth round.

Why it could work:

Outside of McCarron and Blue, it seems like the Texans can do well with SEC players meeting all their needs without having to draft too early to get them.

OK, so it could work for the Texans. But how about a different team with different needs. Let's mock another:

Atlanta Falcons





Needs:

Offensive tackle, defensive end, running back, safety, outside linebacker

Total picks: 10

Jake Matthews' could provide Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan with a lot of extra security next season.

1. (6th overall) OT Jake Matthews, Texas A&M:

Matt Ryan was sacked way too many times last season and the Falcons can address that issue by picking one of the better pass protectors to come out of college in recent seasons. Auburn's Greg Robinson, who will likely be off the board, may be a better run blocker with upside, but Matthews will solve some of Ryan's problems immediately.

2. (37th overall) DE Kony Ealy, Missouri:

A better prospect than SEC Defensive Player of the Year Michael Sam, Ealy, who had 9.5 sacks in 2013 as a junior, would nicely fill the Falcons' need for a pass rusher early in the second round.

3. (68th overall) RB Jeremy Hill, LSU:

Atlanta needs to add running backs and Hill is a good, versatile choice. He's a downhill runner who is better as a receiver than many realize, making him an option for many roles in a running back stable.

4. (103rd overall) OLB Chris Smith, Arkansas:

Atlanta needs to upgrade its pass rush and Smith can combine with Ealy to give the Falcons two players who are disruptive upfield playmakers.

4. (139th overall) S Kenny Ladler, Vanderbilt:

To get Ladler in the fourth round would be a good get for the Falcons, considering how accomplished Ladler was at Vandy.

5. (147th overall) OLB Adrian Hubbard, Alabama:

With the selections of Smith and Hubbard, Atlanta should meet its needs at the outside linebacker position. Where Smith is disruptive, Hubbard is bigger and lankier.

6. (182nd overall) TE-WR Trey Burton, Florida:

Tony Gonzalez is gone and while Burton is hardly going to replace his production, he will give Ryan a hybrid target who, like Gonzales, can be a matchup problem. He may be the best scheme fit of tight ends available late.

7. (220th overall) QB Connor Shaw, South Carolina:

A popular choice in Falcons mock drafts, Shaw is from Flowery Branch, Ga., just outside of greater Atlanta, and will bring a solid college resume to whatever pro team takes a chance on him. Falcons fans would love to see him carrying a clipboard for "Matty Ice."

7. (253rd overall) OG-C Jonotthan Harrison, Florida:

The Falcons need a little depth on the interior of the offensive line and Harrison is a good guy to meet that need with a late-round pick, given that he's capable of helping at both guard and center.

7. (255th overall) WR Solomon Patton, Florida:

No, he's not an A-lister, but Atlanta does well making late-round wide receiver picks into players who help both offensively and on special teams, and Patton is the kind of player who might provide that kind of help.

Why it's a stretch:

The Falcons might not wait until the sixth round to address their tight end need and there's little available earlier than that from the SEC, outside of Georgia's Arthur Lynch, who generally gets fourth-round grades. This scenario might have Atlanta addressing its running back need earlier than it actually will. Getting Hill -- who could be off the board by the end of the second round -- in the third is a bit late and there is a gap between Hill and the next available SEC running back, Neal (who gets a sixth-round grade). Also, there's a good chance Smith is off the board before the 103rd pick.

Why it could work:

There's been some talk that the Falcons aren't looking for a new starter at tight end and are at peace with the idea of diminishing the tight end's role in the passing game rather than searching for somebody who can replicate Gonzalez's rare talents. If that's the case, this scenario is fairly plausible.