Only five schools had 10 players or more drafted in this year's NFL Draft:
Michigan led the way with 13, followed by Texas with 11, then Florida State, Washington, and Alabama all had 10 players taken between the first round last Thursday night and the seventh round on Saturday afternoon.
Two immediate thoughts:
First, Nick Saban's 17-year tenure as Alabama's head coach ends with 133 total players taken in the NFL Draft, including a staggering 47 in the first round alone. Both of those numbers are incredible.
Second, Crimson Tide fans should feel confident in Kalen DeBoer's ability to both identify and develop talent after Washington had 10 players drafted from its 2023 team — and, specifically, on offense, as seven of those 10 draftees were offensive players.
We have more takeaways from the 2024 NFL Draft, at least as it pertains to Alabama. Here are some thoughts and reactions to the 10 Crimson Tide players who were drafted this past week and their respective landing spots:
JC Latham, No. 7 overall to Tennessee Titans
Latham will get a chance to start immediately and also get to work with Bill Callahan, arguably the best offensive line coach in football. Callahan will help Latham, one, transition from right tackle to left tackle, and two, get the best out of his skillset.
Tennessee has also quietly assembled some serious weapons offensively — Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, among others — so if Latham can hold up his end, the Titans' offense could be sneaky fun this season.
But Houston, with C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson leading the way, are poised to be the class of the AFC South until proven otherwise, so how the Titans fit into that puzzle will be interesting to see.
Dallas Turner, No. 17 overall to Minnesota Vikings
Turner was the third defensive player to be drafted during the first round last Thursday. Nick Saban, making his College GameDay debut during the ABC broadcast, compared Turner to Dont'a Hightower over Will Anderson because of his versatility. High praise.
Hightower played 10 years with New England and was an All-Pro in 2016, two-time Pro-Bowler (2016 and 2019), and three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots. He was one of the best linebackers in franchise history. If Turner has Hightower's career, Minnesota is going to be very, very happy.
Odds are pretty good. Hightower played many of his best years under Brian Flores, who was an assistant with New England from 2008-18. Flores is now Minnesota's defensive coordinator. Turner should be an early favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Terrion Arnold, No. 24 overall to Detroit Lions
Did anybody have a better Thursday night than Arnold? Not only was he a first-round draft pick, but he was selected by the team hosting the draft. Arnold walked onto the stage and saw roughly 200,000 Lions fans. Gotta be one of the coolest feelings ever.
Arnold is likely to play corner in Detroit, but he gives the Lions some versatility in the defensive backfield. He also reunites with Brian Branch, who starred for Detroit last season during their NFC North championship-winning campaign that ended in the NFC Championship game. He should give that secondary an immediate boost.
Kool-Aid McKinstry, No. 41 (second round) to New Orleans Saints
McKinstry had already slipped to a late first-round projection, and then came the run on offensive players in the first round, which almost guaranteed a second-round position for McKinstry. But he landed in a good spot in New Orleans.
The Saints have ranked in the top-half of the league in total defense each of the last six years, and their pass defense has ranked in the top 10 in three of the last four seasons. McKinstry will get to play alongside Tyrann Mathieu, a four-time All-Pro defensive back, and Marshon Lattimore, the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017.
Chris Braswell, No. 57 (second round) to Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As a team, Tampa Bay has recorded 40-plus sacks in each of the last five seasons, so drafting Braswell is an attempt to keep a good thing a good thing. Tampa Bay also won the NFC South and reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs last year.
Braswell will also get the opportunity to work with George Edwards, who is entering his second season with the Buccaneers. Edwards previously worked in Dallas, where he mentored All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons. Not saying Braswell is the next Parsons, but he would be wise to listen closely when Edwards coaches him.
Jermaine Burton, No. 80 (third round) to Cincinnati Bengals
Burton got drafted to a perennial AFC contender with one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He'll spend his first few seasons catching passes from Joe Burrow. Pretty rad, right? What's more, it seems like Tee Higgins, the Bengals' No. 2 receiver, could be on the way out sooner rather than later, which opens up more opportunity for Burton.
Justin Eboigbe, No. 105 (fourth round) to Los Angeles Chargers
Eboigbe will be part of the Chargers' rebuild under Jim Harbaugh, who clearly noticed Eboigbe when Michigan beat Alabama in the College Football Playoff. Harbaugh likes versatility at all positions, and Eboigbe fits the bill given that he can play anywhere on the defensive line. He should play early and often for the Chargers this coming fall.
Jase McClellan, No. 186 (sixth round) to Atlanta Falcons
The thing about sixth- and seventh-round picks is that roster spots aren't always guaranteed. In the case of McClellan, he'll battle for the RB3 spot in Atlanta. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are clearly the top two guys, but Jase is one of four other running backs vying for a spot on the 53-man roster. His versatility should help.
Will Reichard, No. 203 (sixth round) to Minnesota Vikings
If you draft a kicker, it's because you believe they're the guy. Greg Joseph left for Green Bay in free agency and have crowned Reichard their new kicking overlord. Unless he struggles, expect Reichard to be the guy for the Vikings in 2024 and, perhaps, beyond.
Jaylen Key, No. 257 (seventh round) to New York Jets
Mr. Irrelevant! But seriously, a good spot for Key. The Jets ranked third and fourth in total defense each of the last two years under head coach Robert Saleh — and the pass defense, specifically, has ranked No. 2 in 2023 and No. 3 in 2022 under defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel. That the Jets liked Key enough to draft him is telling.
Cody Goodwin covers the Alabama Crimson Tide for 247Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.
