Three Alabama questions we're asking heading into Day 1 of the NFL Draft

After months of speculation, Alabama’s top stars are a day away from learning their new homes. The NFL Draft will kick off Thursday at 7 p.m. CT in Kansas City in what could be a historic night for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama has had a first-round selection in each of the past 14 years and will continue that trend this season as quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. are projected to be taken in the top five picks, while defensive back Brian Branch is also widely expected to hear his name called Thursday night.

Here are three questions we are asking as Alabama prepares for the first round.

For weeks, it had become a forgone conclusion that Young would be the first player taken in the draft. While most projections still have that happening, the Alabama quarterback’s status has been thrown into a bit of doubt this week. All because of … a thread on the online discussion site, Reddit.

Tuesday saw a significant shift in odds as BetMGM moved Kentucky quarterback Will Levis to +500 from +2000 to become the first overall pick while dropping Young from -2000 to -1400. The change came after a Reddit thread was posted by a user named "SaleAgreeable2834" who said "Will Levis is currently +4000 to be the first overall pick. Well ladies and gentleman, he's telling friends and family Carolina will in fact take him on Thursday. You're welcome."

Rumors aren’t uncommon in days leading up to the draft, and it’s worth noting that despite the change in betting lines, Young is still the heavy favorite to be selected by the Panthers at No. 1 overall. Still, there will be a bit more drama heading into Thursday night’s first selection.

Young is looking to become the first Alabama to go No. 1 overall since Harry Gilmer was selected by Washington with the first pick of the 1948 draft. Young, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, is one of the most prolific players in Alabama history, ranking second in the school’s all-time record book in passing yards and passing touchdowns (80).

Despite missing a game and a half due to a shoulder injury last season, Young threw for 3,328 yards and 32 touchdowns with five interceptions while completing 64.5% of his passes. During his Heisman-winning season, the Pasadena, California native set school records, throwing for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns.

Levis is coming off a senior season in which he completed 65.4% for 2,406 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. While his numbers aren’t as impressive as Young’s, plenty of NFL teams are intrigued by the 6-foot-3, 232-pound quarterback’s raw tools and athleticism.

On top of potentially becoming the first Alabama player to be selected No. 1 overall in 75 years, Young can also play a part in history Thursday night.

It’s been 23 years since Penn State saw defensive lineman Courtney Brown and linebacker LaVar Arrington taken with the first two picks of the draft. This year, Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. could accomplish the feat for the Crimson Tide.

While most projections have Carolina selecting Young first overall, there is less certainty over what Houston will do with the second pick. The Texans could use a quarterback. But with Young off the board, they might look for the best player available, who most believe to be Anderson.

"Those were kind of whispers and I think those whispers have kind of turned into a roar,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said last week about the possibility of Young and Anderson being selected with the top two picks. “... I like Will Anderson over [Texas Tech edge rusher] Tyree Wilson. I think both of them are good players, but if they want to go defense there, I think at the end of the day Will Anderson's body of work would be enough to get him over the hump."

Outside of Brown and Arrington, players from the same team have been selected with the first two picks on two other occasions. Michigan State defensive tackle Bubba Smith and running back Clint Jones were the first pair to do it in 1967, while Nebraska wide receiver Irving Fryar and offensive lineman Dean Steinkuler did so in 1984.

While some mock drafts have Texas’ Bijan Robinson projected to be selected as early as No. 8 overall Thursday night, don’t count out Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs to become the first running back off the board. At least, that’s what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported this week.

“One NFL GM told me there's enough love for Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and some teams could prioritize him above Robinson, largely considered the draft's best back and perhaps the best overall player,” Fowler wrote in the report. “The reason? Gibbs offers more of an Alvin Kamara style of play, with the ability to hit home runs in the pass-catching game. Some teams prefer that change-of-pace playmaker in their backfield vs. the traditional do-it-all back.”

Robinson, 6-foot, 222 pounds, is viewed as more of a bell-cow back at the NFL level. The Texas standout is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, including a stellar junior campaign that saw him rack up 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground while adding 314 yards and two more scores on 19 receptions last year.

Gibbs doesn’t have the same size but brings plenty of big-play ability to the position. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound back averaged 6.13 yards per carry last season, leading Alabama with 926 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He also topped the team with 44 receptions which went for 444 yards and three scores through the air.