Alabama mock draft heading into the 2023 NFL Combine

With the 2023 NFL Draft Combine honing into view, all eyes turn toward Indianapolis. Alabama fans, they'll be keeping a close eye on six former players who are taking their first steps toward the NFL.

As a result, Tide Illustrated peered through nine different NFL mock drafts to give a sense of where each player will be taken when the draft begins in April. All but one of the mock drafts used had either edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. or quarterback Bryce Young projected as the No. 1 overall pick. The last time a Crimson Tide player was selected with the first pick of the NFL draft was in 1948 when Washington took Harry Gilmer.

Who we used: Athlon Sports (Bryan Fischer, Jan. 31), Draft Wire (Luke Easterling), ESPN (Todd McShay), Pro Football Network (Joe Broback), Sports Illustrated (Dec. 28), Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer), The Athletic (Staff), The Draft Network (Brentley Weissman), Yahoo Sports (Charles McDonald).

Bryce Young's talent has NFL scouts drooling over his potential at the next level, but despite his video game-like stats, it's a bit unclear where he'll end up. A quarterback of Young's stature is usually selected with the No. 1 pick. The only caveat is the Chicago Bears own that pick, and they selected their franchise signal-caller already in Justin Fields.

Indianapolis and Houston are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback which may see both teams lobby trades at Chicago to try and wrestle that No. 1 pick away. Even if the Texans or the Colts obtain that pick, it still isn't a sure thing Young will be drafted at No. 1. Scouts have made remarks about Young's size being an issue at the NFL level.

With that, Young's performance at the NFL Combine becomes even more important as he'll battle with Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis to be the first player off the board.

Athlon Sports: Las Vegas Raiders — Round 1, Pick 7

Draft Wire: Indianapolis Colts — Round 1, Pick 1

ESPN: Indianapolis Colts — Round 1, Pick 1

Pro Football Network: Indianapolis Colts — Round 1, Pick 1

Sports Illustrated: Houston Texans — Round 1, Pick 1

Sporting News: Houston Texans — Round 1, Pick 2

The Athletic: Indianapolis Colts — Round 1, Pick 1

The Draft Network: Houston Texans — Round 1, Pick 2

Yahoo Sports: Houston Texans — Round 1, Pick 2

Unlike Young, Will Anderson can rest assured he'll be selected fairly early when the NFL Draft commences in April. The Bears are one of the teams who need to bolster its pass rush after tallying 1.2 sacks per game last season. That average tied Chicago for last in the NFL in 2022 and Anderson's production would be an instant jolt to its defense.

If the Bears trade the No. 1 pick, Arizona would jump at the opportunity to pick Anderson as it looks to replace three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt who retired at the end of the season. Regardless of what Anderson does at Lucas Oil Stadium, it's unlikely he'll fall past the Cardinals at No. 3.

Athlon Sports: Chicago Bears — Round 1, Pick 1

Draft Wire: Arizona Cardinals — Round 1, Pick 3

ESPN: Arizona Cardinals — Round 1, Pick 3

Pro Football Network: Houston Texans — Round 1, Pick 2

Sports Illustrated: Chicago Bears — Round 1, Pick 2

Sporting News: Chicago Bears — Round 1, Pick 1

The Athletic: Arizona Cardinals — Round 1, Pick 3

The Draft Network: Chicago Bears — Round 1, Pick 1

Yahoo Sports: Arizona Cardinals — Round 1, Pick 3

With Anderson and Young having a better sense of when they are going to be drafted, the picture becomes cloudier for Brian Branch who is projected from the early teens all the way to pick No. 30. The defensive back was arguably the best defender on the field for Alabama not named Anderson. His performance in the Sugar Bowl showed just that as he tallied 12 tackles, four for a loss and a sack against Kansas State.

Branch's performance in the combine may help clear up some of the confusion regarding his draft stock. While he's secured a first-round selection thanks to his time at Alabama, it's unclear where he's going to land at this point.

Athlon Sports: Washington Commanders — Round 1, Pick 16

Draft Wire: Philadelphia Eagles — Round 1, Pick 14

ESPN: Seattle Seahawks — Round 1, Pick 20

Pro Football Network: Jacksonville Jaguars — Round 1, Pick 24

Sports Illustrated: Buffalo Bills — Round 1, Pick 30

Sporting News: New England Patriots — Round 1, Pick 14

The Athletic: Green Bay Packers — Round 1, Pick 13

The Draft Network: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Round 1, Pick 19

Yahoo Sports: Detroit Lions — Round 1, Pick 18

The do-it-all running back for Alabama is a fringe first-round pick at this point in the NFL Draft process. While he ran for a team-high 926 yards and seven touchdowns, the Georgia Tech transfer is slotted behind Texas running back Bijan Robinson in most mock drafts. However, his ability to catch out of the backfield and his shiftiness when he has the ball in his hands makes Gibbs an intriguing prospect for many teams who are looking to add a bit of a wildcard to their offense.

A good showing at the combine could bolster Gibbs' stock and solidify him as a late first-round pick.

Draft Wire: Las Vegas Raiders — Round 2, Pick 38

ESPN: Buffalo Bills — Round 1, Pick 27

Pro Football Network: Philadelphia Eagles — Round 1, Pick 30

The Draft Network: Cincinnati Bengals — Round 1, Pick 29

Yahoo Sports: Los Angeles Rams — Round 2, Pick 37

Henry To'oTo'o didn't appear in any of the nine mock drafts for this week, indicating he'll be a Day 2 or Day 3 selection. Sports Illustrated slotted the Alabama defensive signal-caller in the first round in its Jan. 23 mock draft, but it's a bit too optimistic to see the Tennessee transfer get selected on Day 1.

Regardless of when he gets drafted, the NFL team who selects To'oTo'o will get a seasoned middle linebacker who tallied more than 350 tackles during his four seasons in college.

Sports Illustrated: Detroit Lions — Round 1, Pick 18 (Jan. 23)

Similar to To'oTo'o, Battle will likely have to wait until Day 2 or Day 3 to hear his name called. The Sporting News slotted Battle in at the No. 29 spot in its Jan. 31 mock draft, but he'll need an impressive performance to climb up into the first round.

Despite recording six interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns, Battle struggled in coverage this season. It's an aspect he'll need to show improvement in during the combine and at Alabama's Pro Day.

Sporting News: Cincinnati Bengals — Round 1, Pick 29 (Jan. 31)