Three Alabama questions heading into Day 2 of the NFL Draft

Legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban saw his final group of players be selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday. In total, 47 former Crimson Tide players were selected in the first round during his tenure. It’s a remarkable run culminating in JC Latham, Dallas Turner and Terrion Arnold hearing their names called during a wild first round where six quarterbacks were taken with the opening 12 picks and no defensive player was selected until pick 15.

Heading into Day 2, several former Alabama players still wait in the wings to fulfill their NFL dreams and add their names to Saban’s extensive list of draftees. As those players await their selections, here are three questions heading into rounds two and three of the NFL Draft on Friday.

McKinstry was seen as a fringe first-round option but dropped out of Day 1 contention after just three cornerbacks were taken in the first round, and none were picked before the Philadelphia Eagles selected Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell.

That said, McKinstry, who was watching the opening night festivities with his family in Birmingham, will likely not have to wait long to hear his name called in the second round. ESPN has the three-year Tide starter ranked as the third-best player available after the opening round — though he does sit behind another defensive back in Iowa’s Cooper DeJean.

McKinstry watched his secondary teammate Terrion Arnold get selected in the first round to the Detroit Lions. The record-breaking lack of defensive players taken at the top of the first round hurt McKinstry’s chances to sneak in, but that will likely benefit those selecting early in Round 2.

“He has good length, runs well enough to stick with receivers and locates the ball well,” NFL Draft Analyst Steve Muench writes. “McKinstry also has the instincts and body control to smother receivers underneath. He makes it difficult for WRs to finish catches, and he broke up 20 passes over the past two seasons. He's a dangerous punt returner with good open-field vision and burst.”

Teams including the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons could all use secondary help next season and have selections in the top 15 of the second round. Whichever team ends up with McKinstry will end up with a first-round talent with valuable upside on Day 2.

Unlike cornerbacks, wide receivers were called early and often on Day 1. Seven were picked in the first round including a pair of wideouts to close out the opening night of the draft.

That sets an interesting precedent for the position on Day 2, which makes Burton's potential draft destination all the more interesting. Before Day 1, Pro Football Focus projected Burton as the No. 83 overall pick but dropped him to pick No. 94 going to the San Francisco 49ers in its latest Day 2 mock draft. The drop is likely due to a few high-level players expected to go Round 1 staying on the board. A Day 2 mock draft from the Sporting News has Burton selected at pick No. 72 to the New York Jets.

While he likely won’t be taken until the third round, Burton could be taken within a wide range of selections and remains a wildcard among Alabama players still waiting to hear their names called. Burton hauled in 39 catches for 798 yards and eight touchdowns last season and has some impressive testing numbers to boot. As more receivers start to go on Day 2, a team could value Burton’s big-play ability higher than he’s currently projected.

It’s a safe bet that Alabama will have a pair of defenders drafted on Day 2. Based on recent projections, McKinstry is unlikely to stay on the board for long, while Chris Braswell is projected to hear his name called in the second or early third round. The talented partner in crime to Turner last season, Braswell ranked second on Alabama with eight sacks and registered 10.5 tackles for loss.

That leaves Eboigbe as the next man up from Alabama’s 2023 defense. The veteran had a strong fifth season at Alabama after he bounced back from a season-ending neck injury in 2022. Eboigbe finished with 63 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and seven sacks, commanding Alabama’s defensive line and helping the Crimson Tide reach the College Football Playoff.

Eboigbe’s versatility along the defensive line could make up for lacking some of the traits teams require earlier in the draft. He’s currently ranked No. 126 among players left in the draft after Day 1 but could outperform that projection if a team likes his upside. Missouri’s Darius Robinson was seen as a fringe first-round pick and was taken No. 27 overall by the Cardinals in large part because of his ability to lineup on the inside or outside of the defensive line. Should a team value that same trait in Eboigbe, the 6-foot-4, 297-pound lineman could find himself sneaking into the latter part of the third round and avoid dropping to a Day 3 pick.