Yhonzae Pierre's draft projection shows what Kane Wommack needs him to become for Alabama

After leading Alabama’s defense in 2025 with eight sacks, Yhonzae Pierre didn't need another season in Tuscaloosa to prove he belonged in the NFL. 

He could have left for the 2026 NFL Draft as a projected top-40 pick. Instead, Pierre chose to return to Alabama for his fourth season. Now, The Athletic's Dane Brugler believes Pierre has a chance to turn that decision into a first-round selection come April 2027.

Dane Brugler believes Yhonzae Pierre can be a Top 20 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft

“Pierre flirted with leaving for the 2026 NFL Draft, where he likely would have been a top-40 pick,” Brugler wrote while previewing the ceiling of the 2027 NFL Draft edge rusher class. “Instead, he returned to Tuscaloosa for his fourth season — and a chance to cement his status as a top-20 prospect.” 

The obvious takeaway is that Pierre is betting on himself. But the more important story is what third-year defensive coordinator Kane Wommack needs him to become — and according to the continued signs coming from Alabama's fall camp, Pierre is already trending in that direction.

“I think Yhonzae has just continued to take steps in the right direction,” Wommack told reporters on Tuesday. “I mean, there's a guy at the beginning of the season, where he played a role for us, right, but his role continued to increase and grow. And I've made no bones about it, we haven't had probably the pass rush that we would like over the first two years. But Yhonzae has put us in a position where we could do some more things on the back half of last season, and I think he's continued to evaluate his craft. Right now, he's got a lot of confidence when he comes off the edge. You can see it in his movement, his anticipation. And those things have got to translate to game day, but certainly excited about his trajectory."

That's the important part of Wommack’s evaluation.

He’s not simply saying Pierre has upped his game. He's saying that Pierre’s development has given Alabama more freedom defensively. And that individual growth could favor a Crimson Tide pass rush unit that only accumulated 33.5 sacks in 2025.

If Alabama can rely on Pierre to consistently win off the edge, Wommack doesn't have to manufacture pressure on every down. He can be more creative with his fronts, create better matchups for the rest of the Tide’s pass rushers, and put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks without compromising the rest of the defense.

This expected development is what makes Pierre’s senior return so important.

His next step isn't necessarily about doubling his sack total. It's about becoming the player opposing offenses have to account for every time they line up — and the player Wommack can trust to make the rest of his defense more dangerous.

If Pierre takes that step, Brugler's top-20 projection may prove to be only the beginning of his NFL conversation. For Alabama, the bigger payoff would be immediate: Pierre becoming the pass-rush catalyst capable of raising Wommack's defensive ceiling in 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow