Since Nick Saban was hired as Alabama’s coach in January 2007, 55 players he has coached with the Tide have been selected in the NFL draft. Many expect that number to increase by at least 10 in the 2017 NFL Draft from April 27-29 in Philadelphia.
A narrative developed a few years ago that Alabama draft picks weren’t living up to the draft hype because Saban had maximized their talent in college and the players couldn’t get any better. But that talk has been dialed back a bit over the past few years.
One fact that led to a higher propensity of busts: 30 of Saban’s 55 draft picks were selected in the first or second rounds, with 18 of those going in the initial round.