For 13 Years Now, An Alabama Player Is Drafted In The First Round

For 13 consecutive years now, Nick Saban has shipped a player to the NFL from Alabama in the first round of the draft.

Share This Post

It’s no secret that Nick Saban has had 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).

But, although we almost always immediately think about the titles when we talk about Saban, he has quietly put together quite the accomplishment. With the selection of Jaylen Waddle to the Miami Dolphins, Saban has now sent a player to the NFL in the first round for 13 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)

Wow. 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 13 years, the average draft position in the first round is 8.7.

As for this particular pick, I love it. You want to give your promising young quarterback every chance you can for him to succeed. Stockpile talent on that side of the ball. We saw the Indianapolis Colts do this for years – surround your quarterback with talent. That offense needed an injection of speed and electricity, and Waddle brings that. He can ignite your offense in several different ways, but the bottom line is that he’s a guy who you want with the ball in his hands. The Dolphins aren’t that far away – so with a few more pieces, they could become real contenders. Big night for Alabama…..yet again…

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 and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley