Nick Saban and the Alabama football team had a tough go of things in 2022, given the standards that they are used to. They lost two conference games for the first time since 2019 and the second time since 2010, and were not a part of the SEC Championship game.
But despite their “shortcomings”, there will be no lack of representation for the Crimson Tide in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. The school ranks 6th in most players drafted into the NFL, and they’ll look to add to their total this year by sending plenty of players from both sides of the ball.
Could Alabama Have Three Top-Ten Picks In 2023 NFL Draft?
The first Alabama player taken should be Will Anderson, who many are picking to be the number one overall selection. Anderson is an incredible pass rushing prospect, with both the size and ability to make in immediate impact at the next level. Unless a quarterback-hungry franchise sells the farm to move up to the number one spot to take a prospect that they love, Anderson should be the first player taken overall.
It is very likely that there will be two players from Alabama drafted just within the top-5. Bryce Young is a year removed from winning the Heisman Trophy, but he may still be just as valuable a prospect in 2023. He missed time due to injury in 2022 and didn’t put up the same numbers that he did in his award-winning season, but he was good enough to remain as arguably the best quarterback prospect in the class, and one of the top considered players overall.
Could Any Other ‘Bama Guys Make The Top-10?
So whether the Crimson Tide have three players drafted in the top-10 of the 2023 NFL Draft or not will depend mostly on Brian Branch, and it any team decides to select him that early. He was Alabama’s best defensive back, racking up 90 tackles while defending 7 passes and intercepting two of them. He has been considered both a safety and cornerback, but would be a great addition to any secondary in the NFL.
There is one more chance for a top-10 pick, though it is more of an outside shot. Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the top-ranked running back prospects, clearly behind only Bijan Robinson from Texas. Running backs haven’t been as hot a draft commodity in recent years, so a team reaching into the top-15 for the second-rated running back is highly unlikely. But should he sneak into the top-20 or even the top-15, then Alabama could have four of its prospects taken in the first half of the first round.
It would be quite an accomplishment for a team that underperformed to their standards last season.
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