On Thursday night, Alabama has four players who are likely to go in the first round of the NFL draft: safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, wide receiver Calvin Ridley, linebacker Rashaan Evans and defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne. When Roger Goodell calls one of those names, it will mark 10 straight years with an Alabama player in the first round.
That’s a rare thing: Alabama currently has nine straight drafts with a first-round pick, tying it with Florida from 1983 to 1991 for the second-most consecutive drafts for a school to have a player chosen in the first round.
But once Alabama moves to 10 straight years, it will still be a ways away from the all-time record: Miami had 14 consecutive drafts with a first-round pick, from 1995 to 2008.
Given the talent Alabama recruits, there’s every reason to believe that Alabama players will keep going in the first round in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. That’s when Alabama would tie Miami’s record for the most consecutive drafts with a first-round pick.