Alabama 2023 NFL Draft tracker

Tide Illustrated will provide full coverage of Alabama players in the NFL Draft. This page will be updated throughout the draft with updates every time a Crimson Tide player comes off the board.

Thursday, April 27: Round 1 (7 p.m.)

Friday, April 28: Rounds 2-3 (6 p.m.)

Saturday, April 29: Rounds 4-7 (11 a.m.)

All times listed are in central standard time.

The entire NFL Draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

Carolina Panthers select Bryce Young at No. 1 overall

As he did throughout his Alabama career, Bryce Young made history Thursday night. The former Heisman Trophy winner was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, becoming the first Crimson Tide player in 75 years to achieve the honor.

The only other Alabama player to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft is halfback Harry Gilmer, who was picked by Washington in 1948. Former Alabama quarterback Joe Nammath was selected by the New York Jets with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1965 American Football League Draft before the two leagues merged the following years.

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Houston Texans trade back into the top five to take Will Anderson

Alabama wasn’t able to complete the NFL Draft’s elusive 1-2 punch. However, the Crimson Tide added another top-five selection Thursday night as edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was taken No. 3 overall by the Houston Texans. Anderson follows quarterback Bryce Young, who was selected by the Carolina Panthers, becoming the first Crimson Tide taken with the No. 1 overall pick in 75 years.

After selecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick, the Texans traded with the Arizona Cardinals to move back into the top five and take Anderson.

The selections of Anderson and Young mark the first time in the Nick Saban era that Alabama has had multiple players taken in the first five picks of the NFL Draft. The only other time it occurred was in 1948 when halfback Harry Gilmer (No. 1, Washington), fullback Lowell Tew (No. 4, Washington) and Vaughn Mancha (No. 5, Boston Yanks) helped the Crimson Tide achieve the feat.

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Detroit Lions take Jahmyr Gibbs as Alabama lands three in top 15

A third Alabama player is off the board. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs became the latest Crimson Tide player to come off the board during Day 1 of the draft Thursday night. He follows quarterback Bryce Young who went No. 1 overall and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who was selected No. 3 overall by the Houston Texans

Gibbs transferred to Alabama from Georgia Tech last offseason. In his lone season with the Crimson Tide, the 5-foot-9, 199-pound back averaged 6.13 yards per carry, rushing for a team-high 926 yards and seven touchdowns. He also recorded 444 yards and three scores on a team-high 44 receptions. In addition to his offensive contribution, Gibbs averaged 19.85 yards on 13 kickoff returns.

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Brian Branch's wait is over as Detroit Lions take him in the second round

Brian Branch had to wait an extra day, but he finally heard his name called Friday night when he was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 45 overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft.

The Alabama defensive back was one of 17 draft-eligible players to attend the first round of the draft in Kansas City but slipped out of the first round Thursday night. He returned Friday to hear his name called out. Branch joins former Alabama teammate Jahmhyr Gibbs, who was drafted by the Lions with the No. 12 overall pick.

Branch’s selection marks the 12th straight year Alabama has had a defensive back selected in the NFL Draft. Over that span, 19 Crimson Tide have been drafted.

Eagles take Tyler Steen with 65th overall pick

For the fourth consecutive year, Alabama has had an offensive lineman taken in the NFL Draft as Tyler Steen was selected with the 65th overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round.

Steen earned the starting job as Alabama’s left tackle after transferring from Vanderbilt in 2021. He started all 13 games with the Crimson Tide and tallied 13 knockdown blocks while helping lead Alabama to the No. 4 scoring offense in the country as it averaged more than 41 points per game. Steen earned a 74.4 pass-block grade in 841 snaps last season good for 12th on the team. His consistency on the blind side helped Alabama average more than 5.5 yards per carry as he allowed 4.5 sacks, 12 pressures, eight quarterback hits and committed four penalties.

Raiders take Byron Young with 70th overall pick

As impressive as Alabama’s recent stretch of offensive linemen being drafted to the NFL, the Crimson Tide has now had a defensive lineman drafted in the past seven years with Byron Young heading to the Las Vegas Raiders with the 70th pick in the third round.

Young exploded in his senior season in Tuscaloosa, totaling 48 tackles, including 5.5 for loss and four sacks. He added six quarterback pressures, two pass breakups and a forced fumble which resulted in him being named a second-team All-American by the AFCA. Young was one of the best run-defenders on the team recording a 75.6 run-defense grade according to Pro Football Focus. He also ranked seventh on Alabama grading at 78.3 after playing in 548 total snaps.

Bengals select Jordan Battle with 95th pick

The first Alabama safety is off the board as Jordan Battle was selected with the 95th pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Battle played in 54 games over the course of his four-year career at Alabama. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native he registered 251 tackles, six interceptions and three touchdowns. Battle earned second-team All-America accolades from the AFCA and Sporting News, and a third-team All-America selection by the Associated Press.

“Jordan Battle is my third safety,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said leading up to the draft. “I love the anticipation. I love his eyes. I wish he had a little bit more twitch, but he is somebody that I think especially immediately, he is going to get on the field and be really good on special teams as well. Something he did well there.”

Alabama's Day 2 run continues as 49ers take Cam Latu with 101st pick

Alabama is catching fire late on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Tight end Cameron Latu became the eighth Crimson Tide player taken overall and the fifth player taken Friday night when the San Francisco 49ers selected him with the 101st pick.

Latu recorded 30 catches for 77 yards and four touchdowns over 11 games last season. In 2021, he hauled in 26 catches for 410 games while hauling in eight touchdowns, the most in a single season by a Crimson Tide tight end.

"High-hipped pass-catching tight end with run-blocking fortitude to mold," said NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein. "Latu’s lean legs and angular frame aren’t made for drive blocking or neutralizing bigger players, but he does a nice job of sustaining move blocks in space. He changes route speed to open throwing windows over the first two levels.

"There are some issues with focus drops at times, but he plucks throws with good hand extension when possible. Latu could have roster appeal as an F tight end with an average ceiling."

Henry To'oTo'o drafted No. 167 to Houston Texans

The long wait for Henry To’oTo’o is finally over as he was selected with the 167th pick in the fifth round by the Houston Texans on Saturday. He joins Will Anderson and Christian Harris as the third Alabama drafted by the Texans.

The former Tennessee Volunteer wracked up 207 total tackles during his two seasons with Alabama. He earned first-team All-SEC honors from the league coaches and added eight tackles for loss along with 2.5 sacks last season. To’oTo’o recorded a 70.4 defensive grade and 72.1 run-defense grade in 850 total snaps at the inside linebacker position.

DeMarcco Hellams goes No. 224 to the Atlanta Falcons

For the first time in the Nick Saban era, Alabama has had three safeties selected in the NFL Draft as DeMarcco Hellams was selected 224th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round.

The defensive back nicknamed “Hitman” led Alabama and ranked sixth in the SEC in tackles with 108, including three for loss and one sack. He also broke up seven passes, recorded a quarterback hurry, notched one interception and forced a fumble that he recovered. Due to his incredible sense for the ball, Hellams was one of the Crimson Tide’s best run-defenders recording an 86.8 second only to Brian Branch.

Emil Ekiyor signs with hometown Indianapolis Colts

Emil Ekiyor’s wait is finally over as the versatile guard was signed by his hometown team the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.

The three-year starter at Alabama Earned first-team All-SEC recognition from both the Associated Press and the league coaches thanks to his ferocity as a run-blocker. He allowed one sack, nine pressures, eight quarterback hits and committed one penalty on the season which led Ekiyor to a 70.4 run-block grade according to PFF. While he was a solid run-blocker during his tenure at Alabama, he got better as a pass-blocker recording a 79.9 which ranked him fifth.

D.J. Dale signs with the Buffalo Bills

D.J. Dale has signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent on Saturday.

Dale played in 12 games during his senior campaign, recording 17 stops, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He added a fumble recovery, one pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Dale was another strong run-defender recording a 75.4 grade which ranked him sixth on the team according to PFF. He was also one of six players to have a defense grade above 80, tallying an 80.5.

Eli Ricks expected to sign with Philadelphia Eagles

Eli Ricks is expected to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles according to reports. He would join a secondary that features Josh Jobe.

Ricks’ time in college was marred with injuries. While at LSU a season-ending injury not only cut short his tenure in Baton Rouge and hindered his start in Tuscaloosa. After missing the first few games of the season, Ricks worked his way onto the field appearing in 10 games along with five starts. During that time recorded 13 tackles, including one for loss along with four pass breakups. He was also one of Alabama’s best defensive backs in coverage recording a 72.8 according to PFF.

Jaylen Moody signs with the Cincinnati Bengals

Jaylen Moody has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent according to multiple reports.

Moody returned for a fifth season and earned the starting job as the Will linebacker playing in 10 games and earning eight starts. He totaled 50 tackles, including eight tackles for loss to go with a pair of sacks. Moody added one quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery.

Kendall Randolph signs with the Seattle Seahawks

After waiting the entire weekend, Kendall Randolph is finally going to get his chance at the next level, signing with the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night.

Randolph was a jack-of-all-trades for Alabama’s offensive line, playing guard and serving as a blocking tight end last season. He made three starts for the Crimson Tide in 2022, two at guard and one as a blocking tight end. Since 2019, Randolph has been making the switch between the two positions as he tallied 45 appearances during his four-year tenure.