Pac-12 posts an impressive haul in the NFL draft before the conference breaks up

The final season of the Pac-12 turned out to be as big a hit in the NFL draft as it was on the field.

The conference that is breaking up with 10 schools joining new leagues next season produced a record haul over the draft weekend led by No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams of Southern California.

The Pac-12 produced six of the top 15 players and eight overall first-rounders, trailing only the 11 from the SEC. It was the best total for the Pac-12 since it had nine first-rounders in 2015.

The conference had 43 total players drafted after failing to get more than 28 in the previous three drafts, setting a record for the conference in the seven-round era that started in 1994. The previous high was 39 Pac-12 players picked in 2015. Washington, which was the first Pac-12 team to make the playoff since the 2018 season, led the way with 10.