Alabama football and the NFL draft go hand in hand, though many will claim that the Tide’s magical run of sending players to the league will end with head coach Nick Saban choosing to retire. For now, the league still seems to like the players in Tuscaloosa.
With draft season upon us and the actual event not taking place for a few more months, it’s time to put all of our attention into mock drafts.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper has revealed his debut 2024 mock draft (subscription required) and included three Crimson Tide standout players. However, he left one out that many believe has the potential to be a top-10 selection.
First off the board out of Alabama is outside linebacker Dallas Turner at No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons.
“The Falcons ranked 32nd in pass rush win rate (30.9%) and 29th in takeaways (16),” writes Kiper. “Veterans Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree led the team with 6.5 sacks apiece. This is a front seven that needs an injection of youth. With Turner, they’d get the best edge defender in this class, a 242-pound outside linebacker who had 22.5 sacks over three college seasons. He ranked eighth in the FBS with a 16.7% pressure rate in 2023.”
The Falcons have needs on both sides of the ball, but considering the limited number of start-worthy quarterbacks in the 2024 class, it’s not likely that Atlanta will be able to land one of them with the eighth pick. Turner is a quality pick and should be an instant difference-maker for the team.
Next up is cornerback Terrion Arnold, who Kiper projects to be selected at No. 13 to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Ultimately, this might be Las Vegas’ best chance to get a true No. 1 cover corner, though, as Arnold took his game to another level in 2023,” writes Kiper. “He picked off five passes and had 12 total breakups as quarterbacks completed just 37.9% of their passes when he was the nearest defender in coverage. He can shut down one side of the field for a defense that improved down the stretch but still has a ways to go to compete in a tough AFC West.”
The Raiders are no strangers to selecting Alabama players, as they’ve done so in the first round multiple times over the last few drafts. Arnold is one of the highest-rated defensive backs in this class, so it makes sense for Las Vegas to go all in on adding to the secondary.
Finally, with pick No. 18, Kiper believes the Cincinnati Bengals select offensive tackle JC Latham.
“Latham started 27 games at right tackle for the Crimson Tide over the past two seasons,” writes Kiper. “He can maul defenders in the run game, but he’s also light on his feet as a pass-protector. With Jonah Williams headed to free agency, Latham could slot in on the right side and be an instant starter.”
The Bengals need to prioritize one thing: protecting their star quarterback, Joe Burrow. Kiper mentions that the franchise will have to replace offensive tackle Jonah Williams as he heads to free agency. The irony of it all is that Williams was a first-round selection by Cincinnati out of Alabama. Tide replacing Tide.
Overall, the three named players are worthy of being selected in the first round, as many Alabama and college football fans would agree. The interesting part is that Kiper did not include the Crimson Tide’s stellar defensive back, Kool-Aid McKinstry, who has been considered a possible top-10 selection in the upcoming draft.
Perhaps it was an oversight, or maybe Kiper isn’t too keen on McKinstry’s play. Whatever it may be, there are plenty of opportunities for Kiper to explain his reasoning as there will surely be more mock drafts soon to come from the veteran draft analyst.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Alabama football and its former players who are preparing for the 2024 NFL draft.
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