Alabama's 2018 team has produced tremendous talent to the NFL

Alabama has historically had quite a few impressive rosters. NFL talent is consistently produced by Nick Saban. One of Alabama’s greatest teams ever, at least in terms of producing NFL talent, is undoubtedly the 2018 team. ESPN’s Field Yates took a look at the 2018 team last week.

The 2018 Alabama football roster had:
* 3 future NFL starting QBs (Tua, Hurts, Mac)
* 2 future 1st round picks at RB (Jacobs, Najee) + Damien Harris
* 4 future 1st round WRs (Jeudy, Ruggs, Waddle, Smith)
* 4 other future 1st round picks (Wills, Leatherwood, Surtain, Q Williams)

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 31, 2021

The tweet from Yates highlights the amount of NFL talent on Alabama’s roster. The 2018 team was 14-0 heading into the College Football Playoff National Championship. Clemson ultimately won the championship 44-16, but the talent on Alabama’s roster is undeniable.

2019 NFL Draft

Alabama’s 2018 roster began departing for the NFL during the 2019 NFL Draft. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was selected third overall by the New York Jets. Offensive lineman Jonah Williams, who was not included on Yates’ list, was selected 11^th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. The then Oakland Raiders took running back Josh Jacobs 24^th overall.

Running back Damien Harris wasn’t a first-round pick, but he went in the third round to the New England Patriots. Heading into the 2021 NFL season, all four players are in line for big roles during the 2021 season. Harris is entering his first season as New England’s No. 1 rusher.

2020 NFL Draft

While the 2019 NFL Draft was an impressive one for Alabama, 2020 was even better. The fifth overall pick was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the Miami Dolphins. Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. was taken 10^th overall by the Cleveland Browns. Wide receivers Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy were taken 12^th and 15^th overall, respectively.

Tagovailoa is entering his second season as Miami’s starter and is in line for a major breakout season. Wills is a key part of Cleveland’s offensive line. Ruggs was inconsistent last season as a rookie, but he could emerge as the Raiders’ top receiving option this season. Jeudy saw some success in Denver last season. He is again in line for a major role on the Broncos’ offense. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was also on Alabama’s 2018 team, although he finished his collegiate career at Oklahoma. Hurts was a second-round pick to the Eagles, and he is entering his first season as the starter.

2021 NFL Draft

Alabama saw an impressive six players go in the first round of the most recent NFL Draft. Receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle and cornerback Patrick Surtain all went in the top ten. Quarterback Mac Jones, tackle Alex Leatherwood and running back Najee Harris were also selected by pick 24.

Waddle and Smith could emerge as top options on their new NFL offenses. Jones was just named New England’s starting quarterback. He will be the first rookie quarterback to start an opening game for Bill Belichick. Leatherwood is in line for a major role on the Raiders’ offensive line. Harris is the top running back in this class, and he should see a ton of carries on Pittsburgh’s offense.

The fact that Alabama can produce quality NFL talent so consistently is highly impressive. The scary part is that if you look beyond the first round, Alabama still has a ton of recent draft picks. Not every player that sees collegiate success will translate that to the NFL. Alabama might be an exception to that idea.