Alabama's best chances of extending its 17-year streak of having at least one first-round NFL Draft pick also might be the most volatile.
Both QB Ty Simpson and OT Kadyn Proctor will be polarizing prospects in the pre-draft process. They both have a wide range of NFL Draft possibilities.
Simpson is the consensus No. 2 QB in the class behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, but he'll have to fight to maintain that standing. And even if he's the No. 2 QB, that doesn't guarantee him a first-round selection.
Proctor's inconsistent tape could outweigh his elite measurables and what will likely be off-the-charts athletic testing at the combine. He never quite realized his 5-star potential in Tuscaloosa, but there may not be a bigger upside swing at his position in this year's class.
That volatility led PFF to rank both Simpson and Proctor among the 10 prospects in the draft class with the most "boom-or-bust" potential. Either one could be a home run. And either one could be used as a reason a GM gets fired down the line.
Ty Simpson and Kadyn Proctor are among the most volatile 2026 NFL Draft prospects
The concerns around Simpson stem from his lack of starts at the college level. He sat on the bench for three years in Tuscaloosa before earning the starting QB job as a redshirt junior. He started all 15 of Alabama's games in 2025, leading the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff and a road win over Oklahoma in the opening round.
Simpson's tape from the first half of the season was elite. It was less so in the second half, but Alabama fans will be the first to point out how much was working against their QB. With no running game and a wildly inconsistent offensive line, Simpson had little help around him, and opposing defensive coordinators knew it.
PFF believes that whoever drafts Simpson would be wise to sit him for a year. One of his most popular landing spots in mocks has been the Pittsburgh Steelers, who may get one more season out of future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers. That seems like a perfect spot for the Tide's QB.
For Proctor, there's genuine concern about whether he can play tackle in the NFL or if he'll have to shift inside to guard. With less of a premium being placed on interior linemen than tackles in the NFL, using a Top 20 pick on Proctor could be risky.
But the athleticism is otherworldly. The world got a taste of that with the "Krispy" package this past season, with OC Ryan Grubb putting the rock in Proctor's hands on multiple occasions. He's unlikely to get those looks in the NFL, but that athleticism will serve him well.
He'll have to improve against speed rushers to become the franchise left tackle he aspires to be, though.