Alabama Football: Great, good and bad in NFL Draft First-Round

Alabama football had a strong first-round in the 2020 NFL Draft. Nick Saban set a new record, four former Tide players were chosen, but there was disappointment.

The NFL Draft always offers a mixed bag of emotions. Four former Alabama football players experienced a joyous first-round Thursday night. Two others had to have been quite disappointed.

Nick Saban set another NFL first-round record with now 38 of his former players reaching first-round selections. The Alabama Crimson Tide tied its team record of four, first-round picks.

Based on Spotrac estimated numbers, the four former Alabama football players will sign contracts totaling almost $82M. The guaranteed numbers will be somewhat less but will still be buckets of money.

While LSU bested the Crimson Tide with five first-round selections, Alabama football had the more impressive Draft. Four former Tiders were chosen in the first 15 picks. LSU had one – the top one in Joe Burrow. To anyone who understands the game, there was no surprise the SEC dominated again. On top of the nine picks from LSU and the Crimson Tide, six more former SEC players were chosen. In those six were two Auburn and two Georgia players and one each from Florida and South Carolina.

The Crimson Tide had the second quarterback chosen, the second offensive lineman and the first two wide receivers. On the flip side, six cornerbacks were selected, not including Trevon Diggs. No safeties were chosen, dashing the dreams of Xavier McKinney. Both former Alabama football players will certainly be chosen in the Draft’s second round.

Six more former Alabama football players hope to be drafted, including Jalen Hurts. Jalen appears to be trending up and may get a Friday night call. Some of the former Tide players will be forced to wait and sweat out Saturday.

What can Alabama football fans expect on Friday night? Xavier McKinney will be the first safety chosen, somewhere in the top half of the second round. Trevon Diggs will go somewhere in the middle of the round. Jalen might get chosen and Raekwon Davis as well.

Alabama football fans will be closely following the Dolphins picks on Friday night. The Phins have two picks and Tua needs some help in a running back and maybe another offensive lineman.