For more than a decade and a half, Alabama Football has dominated NFL Drafts. The reason was Nick Saban was the greatest all-time producer of NFL talent. Saban's last Alabama roster in 2023 produced 10 players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, including three first-round picks in JC Latham, Dallas Turner, and Terrion Arnold.
A reasonable expectation for this week is that Alabama will have seven players drafted. At least two of them, Jihaad Campbell and Tyler Booker, should be first-round selections. Jalen Milroe will also be in attendance for the first round. Most mocks have Jalen being a second-round pick, or at worst, being drafted in the third round.
If Milroe hears his name called on Thursday night, his selection would further Alabama's status as the SEC's 'QBU'. Unless a fringe pick is counted for the Florida Gators. Al.com's Nick Kelly explained that Florida is tied with Alabama with six drafted quarterbacks, but only if Wayne Peace is counted. Peace was chosen in the 1984 Supplemental Draft.
So Alabama either leads all SEC teams with six first-round quarterbacks drafted or is tied with Florida at six. Alabama's six are Harry Gilmer, Joe Namath, Richard Todd, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young. Alabama has Super Bowl-winning QBs in Bart Starr, Kenny Stabler, and Jalen Hurts, but none were NFL first-round selections.
Smart learned how to develop players as an Alabama Football assistant
With Saban no longer coaching, Georgia fans are quick to crow that Kirby Smart is the current King of NFL player production. Smart has produced 65 drafted players. That number could grow into the high 70s this week. According to Mark Inabinett, a big haul would still leave Smart outside the top 10 of NFL players produced by SEC coaches. From his LSU and Alabama coaching stints, Nick Saban is No.1 with 156 players drafted. Next is Ole Miss legend Johnny Vaught, with 123 players drafted. Bear Bryant is third on the list with 120 players counted from his Kentucky and Alabama tenures, but not including Texas A&M, because the Aggies were not then an SEC team. The only other SEC coach in triple digits is Florida's and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier with 102.
Smart also trails three former Georgia coaches, Wally Butts, Vince Dooley, and Mark Richt. Kirby might be only two NFL Drafts away from passing the three Georgia coaches, plus Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd, Auburn's Shug Jordan, and Tennessee's Phil Fulmer.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, Kalen DeBoer has two of his Washington players selected in the top nine picks.