2026 NFL Draft: Just 4 Alabama players included in top-150 ranking
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In the 2024 NFL Draft, Alabama had 3 players selected in the first round, 2 more in the second, and a sixth player taken in the third round. That was the program’s final year under Nick Saban.
In 2025, Alabama had only 3 players picked across the first 2 days of the draft.
The 2026 NFL Draft might be even leaner.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Field Yates published his own ranking of the top 150 prospects in this year’s draft class. Alabama had just 4 players listed in the ranking: offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor (No. 14), quarterback Ty Simpson (29), wide receiver Germie Bernard (54), and edge LT Overton (111).
By comparison, Georgia had 7 players in Yates’ top-150 ranking. Texas A&M had 8 players listed. Auburn had 4.
Quite a bit of attention is on Simpson, a player many consider the second-best quarterback in this year’s class. Will Simpson be picked in the first round? A pretty lengthy Alabama streak is on the line if he doesn’t.
Alabama has had multiple first-round picks in the same draft class for 9 straight years. The last time Alabama had fewer than 2 first-round picks was 2016, when Ryan Kelly went 18th to the Colts and another Alabama player didn’t come off the board until pick No. 41.
(That was the Derrick Henry draft. The former Alabama runner went 45th, then went on to make every other team regret their decision to pass him by.)
The 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23. Fans can trade on Simpson’s draft slot at Kalshi.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
