After a long wait, Ronnie Harrison became the first former Alabama player taken on Day 2 of the NFL Draft on Friday when he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 93 overall pick in the third round.
The hard-hitting safety is the fifth Crimson Tide player selected in this year’s draft, joining Minkah Fitzpatrick (No. 11, Miami Dolphins), Da'Ron Payne (No. 13, Washington Redskins), Rashaan Evans (No. 22 Tennessee Titans) and Calvin Ridley (No. 26, Atlanta Falcons, who were all picked in the first round Thursday night.
Harrison earned All-SEC honors from The Associated Press last season after finishing tied with a team-leading 74 tackles. He tallied 4.5 of those stops for a loss and added 2.5 sacks. Harrison was equally deadly in coverage as he finished tied for second on the team with three interceptions while tallying four pass breakups.
Often overshadowed by fellow safety Fitzpatrick last season, Harrison comes as a value pick for the Jaguars. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, he has both the physical skills and mental awareness to contribute right away and is capable of playing either safety position in the NFL.
Harrison has drawn comparisons to fellow Alabama safety Landon Collins, who has become an integral part of the New York Giants defense in recent years. Like Collins, Harrison is capable pass defenders but hangs his hat on his ability to help out against the run.
