NFL teams restocked their rosters with the latest crop of Alabama stars, as 10 former Crimson Tide players were selected in this year’s draft over the past three days.
This year marks Nick Saban’s final draft class. In total, the legendary head coach produced 133 draft picks for the Crimson Tide, including 44 first-round selections.
While Saban has made the switch from coach to commentator, his replacement at Alabama should fill in just fine when it comes to developing next-level talent. First-year head coach Kalen DeBoer saw 10 of his former Washington players selected over the weekend, including a trio of first-round picks.
Draft news dominated the headlines this weekend. However, back in Tuscaloosa, Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats is busy trying to assemble his dream roster.
Starting forward Grant Nelson appears to be back after electing not to enter the NBA Draft. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide hosted four-star freshman Labaron Philon Saturday and is set to bring in Rutgers transfer forward Cliff Omoruyi for a visit Sunday.
There’s plenty to discuss, so pour yourself a drink, and let's dive in.
Drink of the week — Hurricane
We’re stirring up something big and red to welcome Clifford Omoruyi to Tuscaloosa on Sunday. The former Rutgers forward is set to be in town as he visits Alabama basketball as part of his recruiting tour after entering the transfer portal.
Omoruyi was one of the nation’s best rim protectors last season, averaging 2.9 blocks per game. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward also averaged 10.4 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 51.2% from the floor. After Alabama brought in a trio of talented guards from the portal, Omoruyi would serve as one of the final pieces in the Tide’s dream roster we discussed during last week’s column.
The Hurricane is the perfect drink to honor Alabama’s key visitor. The classic rum cocktail was invented at Pat O'Brien’s Bar in New Orleans' French Quarter. Its namesake comes from the tall glass it is served in, which resembles a hurricane lamp.
Like the roster Alabama basketball is trying to build, this drink requires plenty of components. You’ll need two ounces of dark rum, two ounces of white rum, two ounces of passion fruit juice, an ounce of orange juice, an ounce of lime juice, a half ounce of simple syrup and a half ounce of grenadine (or more if you want to increase the redness of your drink). From there, it’s simple. Shake all the ingredients over ice and pour and strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cherry and orange slice.
Be careful. This drink is an easy sipper, but drink too many of them, and they’ll send you to the floor quicker than a Cliff Omoruyi block.
Cheers!
(Commercial break: My drink of the week section is now sponsored by my friends at Session Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. Session has been a mainstay in Tuscaloosa’s cocktail scene since 2019 and offers some of the tastiest drinks in town. Stop by and tell them I said hi!)
Alabama draft superlatives
Here are a few superlatives for this year’s Alabama draftees.
Most likely to succeed — Dallas Turner
Due to an abundance of offensive skill players and a couple of panic moves at the quarterback position, a defensive player wasn’t selected until the Indianapolis Colts took edge rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 15 overall. After previously being projected to land in the top 10, Dallas Turner didn’t hear his name come off the board until two picks later when the Minnesota Vikings swooped him up at pick No. 17.
The Vikings aren’t just getting a 6-foot-3, 247-pound edge rusher who ran a 4.46 time in the 40-yard dash and posted a 40.5-inch vertical jump. They are getting the pissed-off version of him, who will be hell-bent on proving himself this fall. Condolences to the rest of the league’s quarterbacks
Best dressed — Terrion Arnold
The NFL always delivers showstopping outfits, and all three Alabama draftees in attendance for Thursday’s first round came dressed for the occasion. Turner donned a shiny mint green suit and sunglasses that would make former NBA star Horrace Grant proud. Meanwhile, J.C. Latham came decked out with a diamond grill and plenty of bling to accentuate his all-black attire.
However, this award goes to Terrion Arnold, who donned a salmon skin print suit that featured a nice homage to his roots as well as his coined Alabama LANK acronym. The look was designed by Tom Marchitelli who, according to ESPN, crafted it with the help of Arnold and his stepmom.
"[I told Arnold] this is a one-of-one. I'm not making it for anyone else," Marchitelli told ESPN. "And then he said, 'Well, I'm already a one of one.'"
Best friend — Jalen Milroe
Jalen Milroe is hoping a big season this fall will yield first-round status for himself next spring. If that’s the case, the current Alabama quarterback already has some red-carpet experience, as he traveled to downtown Detroit to take in the draft with Arnold.
Milroe and Arnold are best friends and the co-creators of Alabama’s LANK slogan. After Arnold was selected No. 24 overall by the Detroit Lions, Milroe took some time to reflect on their journey together at Alabama.
“We came into college as teammates, but now we’re brothers,” Milroe said on ABC’s broadcast of the draft. “Along this journey that he’s been on, I tried to be a best friend for him a positive and a brother he can have around him. So to have this opportunity for him is outstanding. To share this moment with him, be here in Michigan, it means a lot. But I know that Terrion’s been through a lot. A lot of adversity, but it makes him stronger. I’m just amazed at how he is as a person, on and off the field. I’m super excited for him and his family.”
Best fit — J.C. Latham
Former Alabama standout Derrick Henry is no longer touting the rock in Tennessee, but the Titans running game should be in good shape moving forward with the addition of Latham. The 6-foot-6, 342-pound lineman is one of the strongest players in the draft and should offer plenty of power at the next level.
After starting on the right side the past two seasons at Alabama, Latham figures to begin his professional career at the left tackle position. If Tennessee does indeed hand him blindside blocking duties, he will line up next to the Titans’ first-round selection from last year, Peter Skoronski.
Biggest steal — Kool-Aid McKinstry
This year’s run of defensive backs began late in the first round, costing Kool-Aid McKinstry his chance to come off the board on Day 1. Still, the five-star cornerback should offer first-round talent at the next level. The New Orleans Saints were the eventual benefiter from McKinstry’s slide, trading up four spots to select him No. 41 overall in the second round.
McKinstry, 6-foot, 200 pounds, offers nice size and versatility as a defensive back. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just 19 receptions on 39 targets (48.7%) while holding opposing quarterbacks to a 73.1 NFL passer rating on balls thrown his way.
Most upside — Jermaine Burton
Had it not been for a few character concerns, Jermaine Burton might have come off the board in the early second round. Instead, the Cincinnati Bengals nabbed him at No. 80 overall in the third round.
Burton led Alabama in receiving the past two seasons recording 798 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 catches last fall after netting 677 yards and seven scores on 40 receptions in 2022. The 6-foot, 196-pound receiver ran an impressive 4.45 time in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine. That speed is what allowed him to average an SEC-leading 20.46 yards per catch last season.
“He is a tremendous competitor,” Saban said on ABC’s NFL draft coverage. “He’s got great quickness. He’s got really good speed. He can come in and out of a break. He can beat man-to-man.
“I really, really like this guy, (but) the No. 1 thing that he needs to do — and I think emotional maturity is the best way to say it — is do the right things all the time. He does the right things on the field. He knows the importance of what he has to do in the field. He wants to be a player. That’s all he thinks about. But you’ve got to do the right things in your life all the time so that you can do the best things that you can do on the field and be the best you can do.”
Mr. Irrlevant— Jaylen Key
There’s only one official superlative in the NFL Draft, and this year it went to a former Alabama player. Jaylen Key became “Mr. Irrelevant” when the New York Jets took him with the 257th and final pick. Key is the second former Crimson Tide player to earn the Mr. Irrelevant title since it was first given out in 1976. He joins cornerback Ramzee Robinson, who was selected last by the Detroit Lions in the 2007 draft.
This past season, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Burdy became the first Mr. Irrelevant QB in the common draft era (since 1967) to start and win a playoff game. Purdy ended up leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs.
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