Alabama Football and NFL Draft: Being drafted late can be overcome
By Ronald Evans
- 1976 Draft – In the 5th round, the San Diego Chargers selected Woodrow Lowe. Lowe played linebacker for the Chargers for 11 seasons and started 151 games of his 164 game NFL career.
- 2006 Draft – In the 5th round, the Chicago Bears selected Mark Anderson. Anderson played seven NFL seasons with the Bears, Texans, Patriots and Bills.
- 2006 Draft – Also in the 5th round that year, the Green Bay Packers selected Charlie Peprah. The defensive back played seven seasons for the Packers, Falcons and Cowboys. Peprah led the Packers in tackles when Green Bay won Super Bowl XLV.
- 2015 Draft – Though AJ McCarron has never become an established starter, he has played for eight NFL seasons and appeared in 17 games. He was a 5th round selection by the Bengals.
- 1998 Draft – In the 4th round, the Pittsburgh Steelers chose DeShea Townsend. Townsend played 12 seasons for the Steelers and one season for the Colts. Townsend started on two Pittsburgh Super Bowl-winning teams.
- 2003 Draft – In the 4th round, the Baltimore Ravens selected Jarrett Johnson. Johnson played at a high level for 12 NFL seasons, starting 95 games for the Ravens and 37 games for the Chargers.
- 2007 Draft – In the 4th round, former Alabama player and Tuscaloosa County high-schooler, LeRon McClain was selected by the Baltimore Ravens. He played seven seasons for the Ravens, Chiefs and Chargers.
Barring a career-ending injury, Eddie Jackson will be added to this list after two more seasons. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 4th round of the 2017 Draft, Jackson has five outstanding seasons with the Bears, starting every one of his 76 NFL games.
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Note: Player and NFL Draft records in this post are from Pro Football Reference and NFL.com.