Has Alabama produced back-to-back first round QBs?

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones still has one year of eligibility remaining, but could he already have his eyes set on the NFL?

Alabama has not seen many star quarterbacks to leave the program and have successful careers in the NFL in recent years. Do they get the jobs done while  wering crimson and white? Yes, but they don’t draw much attention from NFL front offices.

AJ McCarron has proven to have a long-lasting NFL career, but has bounced around numerous teams in a backup role.

Tua Tagovailoa, who garnered national attention all throughout his career while at Alabama, was selected No. 5 overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL draft and has just now gottens started with a starting role.

However, if you were to tell an Alabama fan ten years ago that they will have a first-round quarterback on their roster, they’d look at you like you had three heads.

Now, if you told them they had two future first-rounders, you’d most likely be laughed all the way out of the state.

Current quarterback, Mac Jones, stepped in last season after Tagovailoa’s season-ending hip injury and finished out the year with a Citrus Bowl win over Michigan, but it didn’t seem as if the fansbase was 100% on board with his skill set and becoming the guy.

I mean, following up what Tagovailoa was to the Crimson tide seemed about as equal of a tough job as filling Nick Saban’s spot when he will one day inevitably retire.

Jones has not just filled the spot, he’s arguably out-performing Tagovailoa.

He’s now the favorite to win the Heisman trophy and is one of the top ranked quarterbacks in almost all categories.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller believes Jones will follow in Joe Burrow’s footsteps by having one amazing season and taking the opportunity to secure the NFL money that awaits.

Miller projects the Chicago Bears to draft Jones with the No. 19 selection in the 2021 draft and move on from Mitchell Trubisky.

“The Chicago Bears must give head coach Matt Nagy a chance to draft his own quarterback after the team swung big and missed big in the 2017 draft and again in the offseason,” writes Miller. “Unfortunately, the Bears are expected to win too many games to be a player for the elite quarterback prospects but could still land one of college football’s best breakout players in Mac Jones.

After replacing an injured Tua Tagovailoa last year, Jones showed remarkable improvement over the course of the season and has picked up where he left off this year with awesome downfield throwing, pocket awareness and the ability to process what the defense is doing. Jones is more than an Alabama game-manager and is the type of total-field quarterback with arm strength and accuracy to all levels the Bears so badly need.”

There’s plenty of time left in the 2020 college football season to see Jones’ draft value increase or decrease. There is also the chance that he doesn’t enter the draft and instead stays at Alabama, or transfers, for one final season.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Mac Jones and where he stands on draft boards for the 2021 NFL draft.