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Christopher Boan writes for BetOhio.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
How Do Power Four Conferences Stack Up in Producing NFL Talent?
BetOhio.com wanted to see how the Power Four college football conferences stack up in total Weighted Approximate Value (wAV) among drafted players who played for a school currently in the conference. Using Pro-Football-Reference.com, we found the wAV of each player drafted within the first two rounds of the 2020-24 NFL Drafts. We compared conferences based on the overall average wAV by conference. Don’t forget to check out the best Ohio sportsbook promotions from BetOhio.com too.
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How Do The Power Four Conferences Compare?
Rank | Conference | Avg. wAV |
1 | Big 10 | 16.56 |
2 | SEC | 15.71 |
3 | ACC | 13.96 |
4 | Big 12 | 11.26 |
Where Power Four Conferences Rank
Overall, no power conference has produced a higher average wAV figure over the last five drafts than the Big Ten. The league, which now has 18 teams, had an average total of 16.56 wAV over the past five drafts among current member schools, according to Pro Football Reference data.
These figures were assembled exclusively for BetOhio.com as part of our Ohio sports betting analysis. Three of the league’s newcomers this academic year, all former members of the Pac-12, account for three of the top four wAVs among players in the 2024 NFL Draft class. Behind Washington Commanders quarterback and LSU Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, who had a 20 wAV as a rookie, there were two Oregon players (Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix with a wAV of 13 and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving at 12) and one USC product, former Heisman winner and Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams (12 wAV).
The highest producing rookie from Ohio State last season was Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison, with a wAV of 8. Other top recent Buckeye products include Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud (24 wAV since 2023) and New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson (24 since 2022).
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Who Trails The Big Ten?
The Big Ten is ranking well ahead of the SEC (15.71 average wAV), ACC (13.96 wAV) and Big 12 (11.26 wAV).
In 2024, the top players were Baltimore Ravens (and former Louisville Cardinals) quarterback Lamar Jackson, at 21 wAV. Two more young quarterbacks followed – Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills (and Wyoming Cowboys) and Daniels, who tied for second at 20 AV apiece under Pro Football Reference calculations.
That trio alone would notch the ACC top billing, followed by the Mountain West Conference and SEC. But there are plenty more wAV totals to break down in order to fully figure out with NCAA conference has produced the most value in the opening rounds of the NFL Draft of late. Anybody looking for draft props for NFL betting in Ohio might well want to watch for these trends.
This year, Field Yates of ESPN.com has Miami QB Cam Ward (ACC), Penn State edge Abdul Carter (Big Ten), Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (Big 12), Colorado wideout/cornerback Travis Hunter (Big 12) and Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham (Big Ten) going in spots 1 through 5 in the first round on April 24. Those picks could allow each of the four conferences to earn even more wAV by the time the 2025 NFL regular season ends.
Northeast Ohio’s team has the No. 2 overall pick in this month’s draft, barring a trade. See our Cleveland Browns betting guide for more general information on the topic.
USA Today photo by Nathan Ray Seebeck
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