Dallas Turner . JC Latham . Terrion Arnold . Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Those four could be the last of a burgeoning group of former Alabama players taken in the first round of the NFL Draft under Nick Saban . The Athletic's Dane Brugler had each of the four Crimson Tide players mocked to go in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft in his mock on April 17. But the retirement of the legendary coach following 17 seasons and six national championships means a new era is upon the college football world.
REQUIRED READING: Seven good questions for Alabama's Nick Saban in his NFL draft analyst role | Goodbread
Before Saban became Alabama's coach on Jan. 4, 2007, the Crimson Tide had not produced a first-round pick since 2000, when offensive tackle Chris Samuels (No. 3 to Washington ) and running back Shaun Alexander (No. 19 to Seattle ) were selected.
In 2009, offensive tackle Andre Smith was the first player to hold the designation under Saban, going No. 6 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals . That's when the floodgates opened, as Saban and Alabama have had a first-round pick in every draft since 2009.
Here's a look at Alabama's draft history under Nick Saban:
Saban has coached 44 players to become first-round picks during his Alabama tenure. Offensive tackle Andre Smith was the first offensive player, while linebacker Ronaldo McClain was the first defensive player. In 2011, when the Atlanta Falcons traded a significant package to move up to No. 6, Julio Jones became the first offensive skill position taken in the first round.
Freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed a pass to fellow freshman Jaylen Waddle to give Alabama the national championship over its rival Georgia in 2018. That 2017 signing class produced eight first-round picks. Tagovailoa and Waddle were among the six first-round Alabama draft picks in 2021, tying the 2001 Miami Hurricanes for most players drafted in the first round in a single season.
Interestingly, when the Carolina Panthers selected Bryce Young last year, Young became the first Saban player to go No. 1 overall from Alabama.
Here's a list of all 44 NFL Draft first-round picks under Saban:
2009:OT Andre Smith, Cincinnati Bengals (6th overall)
2010:LB Ronaldo McClain, Oakland Raiders (8th)
2010:DB Kareem Jackson , Houston Texans (20th)
2011:DT Marcell Dareus , Buffalo Bills (3rd)
2011:WR Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons (6th)
2011:OT James Carpenter, Seattle Seahawks (25th)
2011:RB Mark Ingram II , New Orleans Saints (28th)
2012:RB Trent Richardson , Cleveland Browns (3rd)
2012:S Mark Barron , Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7th)
2012:DB Dre Kirkpatrick , Cincinnati Bengals (17th)
2012:LB Dont'a Hightower, New England Patriots (25th)
2013:DB Dee Milliner , New York Jets (9th)
2013:G Chance Warmack , Tennessee Titans (10th)
2013:OT D.J. Fluker , San Diego Chargers (11th)
2014:LB C.J. Mosley , Baltimore Ravens (17th)
2014:DB Ha-Ha Clinton Dix, Green Bay Packers (21st)
2015:WR Amari Cooper , Oakland Raiders (4th)
2016:C Ryan Kelly , Indianapolis Colts (18th)
2017:CB Marlon Humphrey , Baltimore Ravens (16th)
2017:DE Jonathan Allen , Washington (17th)
2017:TE O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19th)
2017:LB Reuben Foster , San Francisco 49ers (31st)
2018:S Minkah Fitzpatrick , Miami Dolphins (11th)
2018:NT Daron Payne , Washington (13th)
2018:LB Rashaan Evans , Tennessee Titans (22nd)
2018:WR Calvin Ridley , Atlanta Falcons (26th)
2019:DT Quinnen Williams , New York Jets (3rd)
2019:OT Jonah Williams , Cincinnati Bengals (11th)
2019:RB Josh Jacobs , Oakland Raiders (24th)
2020:QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (5th)
2020:OT Jedrick Wills , Cleveland Browns (10th)
2020:WR Henry Ruggs , Oakland Raiders (12th)
2020:WR Jerry Jeudy , Denver Broncos (15th)
2021:WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins (6th)
2021: CB Patrick Surtain II , Denver Broncos (9th)
2021:WR DeVonta Smith , Philadelphia Eagles (10th)
2021:QB Mac Jones , New England Patriots (15th)
2021: OT Alex Leatherwood , Oakland Raiders (17th)
2021:RB Najee Harris , Pittsburgh Steelers (24th)
2022:OT Evan Neal , New York Giants (7th)
2022:WR Jameson Williams , Detroit Lions (12th)
2023:QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (1st)
2023:DE Will Anderson Jr. , Houston Texans (3rd)
2023:RB Jahmyr Gibbs , Detroit Lions (12th)
Since the 2009 NFL Draft, Saban and Alabama had at least four draft picks selected in every draft. At least seven players were chosen yearly, except for the 2009 (four) and 2011 (five) drafts. The 2018 NFL Draft was the high water mark, with 12 drafted players. The 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023 drafts each saw 10 players drafted.
Alabama produced more than 123 NFL Draft picks during Saban's since 2009, more than any other program. According to an article from The Athletic in January, Saban's players earned $2,269,810,252 in career earnings.
Saban had players drafted by all 32 NFL organizations during his tenure.
Ozzie Newsome Jr., the former General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens, was born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and attended and played football at the University of Alabama under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Newsome finished his Alabama career with 102 receptions for 2,070 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, returning 40 punts for 301 yards. As a three-time Pro Bowler, Newsome finished his NFL career with 662 receptions for 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 23rd overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft.
Following his playing career, Newsome worked in various roles for the Browns organization. In 1996, he was hired as the Ravens executive vice president/player personnel. In 2002, he was named the Ravens GM, making him the first African-American to hold the title in the league.
Newsome showed love to his alma mater during his tenure, especially with Saban leading the helm. Newsome drafted fullback Le'Ron McClain in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. That was the first of nine Crimson Tide selections he would make during his tenure. Linebacker C.J. Mosley was selected 17th overall in the 2013 draft and became the first Alabama player Newsome chosen in the first round under Saban.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: 44 Alabama players selected in the NFL Draft under Nick Saban's tenure
