Few things can be more synonymous with Alabama football than the NFL draft.
409 players were selected in the draft since 1936, according to Pro Football Reference, leaving the league littered with Tuscaloosa-made talent from Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.
Offensive tackle Evan Neal and wide receiver Jameson Williams were selected in the first round of the NFL draft last year by the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions, respectively. Both players were taken in the top 15 of Mel Kiper's 2022 NFL mock draft, Neal at one spot ahead of the Giants at No. 6 and Williams at No. 15 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Two Alabama football players were featured in ESPN analyst Mel Kiper's most recent mock draft. Will Kiper successfully predict where the two Alabama standouts go in the 2023 draft?
Quarterback Bryce Young: No. 2 overall, Houston Texans
A former five-star recruit from Mater Dei high school in Santa Ana, California, Young followed up a Heisman-winning campaign in 2021 with 3,328 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and 245 total completions as Alabama football took an 11-2 overall record and a 6-2 record against conference opponents. Young threw for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-20 win over Kansas State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in late December.
Bryce Young went second off the board to the Houston Texans, who feature a quarterback room of Davis Mills, Case Keenum and E.J. Perry. Four quarterbacks were selected with the first five picks of Mel Kiper's mock draft, including Ohio State star C.J. Stroud and Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud went first overall to the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers set up several meetings with the Ohio State signal caller and sent multiple representatives to Ohio State's Pro Day on Wednesday.
Junior linebacker Will Anderson Jr. stepped in to support his Alabama football teammate in early March.
“I would say Bryce played in the SEC, one of the best conferences in college football,” Anderson said at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. “Big defensive tackles, big defensive linemen, big pass rushers. Took a lot of hits during his years there. I have all confidence in Bryce Young.
“If I was in the position to take him, I'm taking him.”
Linebacker Will Anderson Jr.: No. 4 overall, Arizona Cardinals
Anderson became the only non-quarterback to be taken in the top 5 and the first of four defensive players in the top 10 when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the fourth pick of Kiper's mock draft.
The 6-foot-4-inch Alabama football edge rusher finished with 51 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and one pass deflection in his third season with the Crimson Tide. In September, he earned a season-high three tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks against the Vanderbilt Commodores, a game that saw Alabama take a 55-3 victory behind 400 passing yards and 228 rushing yards.
Myjai Sanders and Jonathan Ledbetter may take up the two starting defensive end spots for the Cardinals, according to ESPN. The Cardinals and Denver Broncos earned 36 sacks in 2022, taking places behind the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. According to the NFL, Arizona finished the season with a 69.8% completion percentage, 3,915 passing yards allowed, and 2,016 rushing yards allowed.
Anderson mentioned what he could bring to an NFL team during the draft combine earlier this month.
“I see myself as a very versatile player who can do just about anything,” he said.
Anderson Jr., who met with the Chicago Bears at the combine, had a message for the team at the beginning of March.
“The culture is great there,” said Anderson Jr., per 670 the Score. “I can tell they're on to something special.”
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