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A second Alabama defensive lineman is off the board. Isaiah Buggs became the 10th Alabama selected in this year’s draft when he was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 192 overall pick in the sixth round. The selection marks the third straight year Alabama has 10 or more players selected in the draft.
Buggs is the fifth Alabama player selected on Day 3 of the draft Saturday, joining outside linebacker Christian Miller (No. 115 overall, Carolina Panthers), safety Deionte Thompson (No. 139 overall, Arizona Cardinals) offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher (No. 153 overall, Washington Redskins) and linebacker Mack Wilson (No. 155 overall, Cleveland Browns). Defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (No. 3 overall, New York Jets), offensive lineman Jonah Williams (No. 11 overall, Cincinnati Bengals) and running back Josh Jacobs (No. 24 overall, Oakland Raiders) were taken in the first round on Thursday, while tight end Irv Smith Jr. (No. 50 overall, Minnesota Vikings) and running back Damien Harris (No. 87 overall, New England Patriots) were taken on Friday.
Buggs was one of the most underrated members of Alabama’s defense last season. The 6-foot-3, 306-pound defensive lineman led the Crimson Tide with 9.5 sacks and was second on the team with 13.5 tackles for a loss. Buggs’ best game came against Texas A&M when he called a career-high 3.5 sacks as part of a season-best seven tackles.
“The thing that people underestimate is that Isaiah Buggs practices every day against (former Alabama LT) Jonah Williams,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said during the Senior Bowl earlier this year. “You talk to our players who are in the league now — they talk about how they were challenged every day in practice and how that helped them improve and become a more consistent player. I think whoever gets Buggs is going to get that kind of player.”
Buggs was listed at 6-foot-5 on Alabama’s official roster but measured in a couple of inches shorter during at the NFL Combine. The lack of height will likely mean he moves to defensive tackle at the next level.
“I played all over, even at Bama I played inside, outside,” Buggs said. “It doesn’t matter. You can put me anywhere on the field, and I’ll get it done.”
