New York Jets select Alabama star Quinnen Williams in first round of NFL Draft
By SDS Staff
Published:
And the pipeline rolls on.
The New York Jets selected Alabama’s Quinnen Williams No. 3 overall in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Williams is the 10th top-10 pick Alabama has produced since Nick Saban arrived.
It’s the 11th consecutive season that Alabama has had at least one first-round pick.
Few could have predicted Williams’ epic rise a year ago. A rotational player as a redshirt freshman, he wasn’t even considered to be the best defensive lineman when the Tide exited spring ball in 2018, much less a potential No. 1 overall pick. Raekwon Davis generated that buzz.
Then the season started, and Williams dominated from the opening snap. He led Alabama with 18.5 tackles for loss en route to becoming a unanimous All-American and easy choice as the Outland Trophy winner.
The rise even surprised Williams, who said during the draft process he couldn’t imagine a night like this because just two short years ago, “I wasn’t even playing, I wasn’t even rotating.”
Now, he’s off to the Big Apple, the most recent member of the Tide’s first-round parade.
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
