Nick Saban continues to have unprecedented success at Alabama. He’s a great motivator and leader of men, knows how to assemble a staff of coaches who enhance his strengths, can adapt and adjust as well as anyone in football, and cares deeply about setting young men up for success in the future (and yeah – he has a notorious mean streak). We immediately think about the National Championship when we talk about Saban, but he has quietly put together quite the accomplishment. With the selection of Bryce Young to the Carolina Panthers, Saban has now sent a player to the NFL in the first round for 15 consecutive years. Take a look at this list of picks:
- 2009: Andre Smith (9)
- 2010: Rolando McClain (10)
- 2011: Marcell Dareus (3)
- 2012: Trent Richardson (3)
- 2013: Dee Milliner (9)
- 2014: C.J. Mosley (17)
- 2015: Amari Cooper (4)
- 2016: Ryan Kelly (18)
- 2017: Marlon Humphrey (16)
- 2018: Minkah Fitzpatrick (11)
- 2019: Quinnen Williams (3)
- 2020: Tua Tagovailoa (5)
- 2021: Jaylen Waddle (6)
- 2022: Evan Neal (7)
- 2023: Bryce Young (1)
Man…it’s a huge boost in recruiting when you can look a kid in the eyes, say “you have a hell of a shot at going in the first round,” absolutely mean it, and have the pedigree to back it up. Now, I’ll admit – not all of these guys pan out. But, there’s a hell of a lot of talent on that list coming out of Alabama. Not only do they have a guy in the first round every year for the last 15 years, the average draft position in the first round is 8.1 (121+pick position)/15. That’s a top 10 pick every year!
Young is my #1 player in this draft – here’s my blurb about him from my big board available through Patreon: “If I were to sum up Young’s game in one word, it’s “polish.” He is absolutely NFL-ready from the neck up. What makes him a likely Week 1 starter is his demonstrated ability to process defenses on the field, go through his progressions, and hold a firm command of his playbook. He has a wealth of arm talent – he can make all of the throws and make them accurately. He has a way of fluidly moving around in the pocket under duress to extend the play – he’s even-keel, calm, cool, and collected no matter what. I dare say he’s borderline stoic. His size is the only question mark to his game when we’re talking about it translating to the NFL level.“
What a legacy in Tuscaloosa. Roll Tide, indeed.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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