Alabama Football's good and not so good NFL Draft first round

Alabama Football had some big winners in the 2024 NFL Draft First Round.

Foremost was the television analyst debut of Nick Saban. Saban nailed his work on ABC. On Thursday night, no talking head on any platform provided insight and substance that came close to what Saban provided.

Going beyond the current of Nick Saban as a TV commentator, Thursday night reinforced what was already known. That is no coach has come close to Nick Saban as the NFL Draft GOAT. Check out the exclamation point provided below.

Of course, an NFL Draft carries more importance than any associated television performance. There was serious business done, the result of which can have major positive and negative impacts on NFL teams.

There were big stories from Thursday night. Not the least of them was how much offensive skills dominate first-round draft decisions. Only nine defensive players were selected in the 2024 NFL First Round. Of the 23 offensive players chosen, there were six quarterbacks, and they came in the Draft's first 12 selections. Eight offensive tackles, seven wide receivers, one tight end, and one center were also selected.

Of the nine defensive players drafted, four were edge players, plus three cornerbacks, one defensive tackle, and one defensive end.

Alabama had been widely projected to have four, 2024 first-rounders. Instead, three former Alabama players were selected. J.C. Latham was selected at No. 8 to the Tennessee Titans. Dallas Turner was drafted at No. 17 to the Minnesota Vikings. Terrion Arnold was drafted No. 24 to the Detroit Lions.

The not-so-good for Alabama players starts with Kool-Aid McKinstry. He will be drafted in Friday's second round. McKinstry can still have a successful and lengthy NFL career, but slipping to the second round costs Kool-Aid more than a few dollars.

The biggest Alabama football story Thursday night centered on new head coach, Kalen DeBoer. Alabama fans have long questioned the objectivity of Kevin Scarbinsky. Forget all that with the tweet below.

Kalen DeBoer had three Washington players chosen in the first 20 players drafted. Nick Saban, Kirby Smart and Brian Kelly had two each. As Aaron Sorkin once wrote, these are facts and they are not in dispute. What can be gleaned from these facts? Can we cast aside weeks of drivel from January and February that claimed Kalen DeBoer is an unproven recruiter and developer of talent? One NFL Draft is not an adequate sample, but it is a strong indication, that Kalen DeBoer, while not a GOAT, is a major force for the rest of college football to reckon with.

Full 2024 NFL Draft First Round Details