Alabama made it 14 years in a row with at least one player selected in the opening round – and 6 straight with at least two opening round picks – this past spring, but it was still something of an off-year for the Tide as ‘only’ 7 total players from the program were selected overall including ‘just’ two first rounders. In comparison, Alabama had averaged over 4 first rounders per year over the previous 5 year span including 6 in 2021.
However, nobody’s crying any tears for Nick Saban and company as they figure to be back with a vengeance at the 2023 draft. Indeed, in QB Bryce Young, the reigning Heisman winner, and DE Will Anderson, the returning defensive player of the year in college football who posted 17.5 sacks last fall, Alabama has two legit contenders to ne the #1 pick overall at the upcoming draft. Meanwhile, CB Eli Ricks, who transferred from rival LSU, also has top 10 potential, while FS Malachi Moore, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and ILB Henry To’oTo’o will get later opening round consideration. What sets the Alabama draft class from the rest of the field, though, is its depth as WR Jermaine Burton, OGs Emil Ekiyor and Javion Cohen, SS Jordan Battle, CB Brian Branch, DTs Byron Young and Justin Eboigbe and TE Cameron Latu all have at least some second-day possibilities.
If any team is going to give Alabama a run for its money as the top team in the country, both on the field and at the draft, it could be Ohio State which has its own candidate to be the #1 pick this year in QB CJ Stroud, while WR Jaxon Smith-Njiba is a better prospect that either of former teammates Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave, the 10th and 11th players selected respectively at the 2022 draft. The Buckeyes also have arguably the top OT combination in the country in LT Paris Johnson, a third OSU top ten prospect, and massive RT Dawand Jones, although the latter is more likely second-day target. Same for DE Zach Harrison and safeties Ronnie Hickman and Lathan Ransom who also figure to grade out somewhere in that second-day area.
Defending national champion Georgia, which dominated the 2022 draft, also figures to give Alabama some competition at the upcoming draft, although like Ohio State, the Bulldogs don’t really have the same kind of depth as the Tide. And like last year, the strength of Georgia draft class will be its defense which features at least three top first-round prospects in DT Jaylen Carter, CB Kelee Ringo and OLB Nolan Smith. Carter, in fact, will get some top 5 consideration, while Ringo is arguably the top cover corner in next year’s draft with top 10 potential of his own. The Bulldogs also have several solid second-day candidates including FS Tykee Smith, CB Chris Smith, OT Broderick Jones, OG Sedrick VanPran and TEs Arik Gilbert and Darnell Washington.
The rest of our pre-season list of top 10 draft classes for the upcoming draft has Clemson at #4, Notre Dame at #5, and LSU at #6 with Oregon, South Carolina, Miami and Florida rounding out the top 10. Clemson, for example, will be lead by a pair of top prospects in DT Bryan Bresee and rising DE Myles Murphy, along with LB Trent Simpson, while Notre Dame also features a trio of first-round candidates in TE Mike Mayer, DE Ike Foskey and S Brandon Joseph. For its part, LSU has its own top ten prospect in WR Kayshon Boutte, along with DE BJ Ojulari and DT Jaquelin Roy, a couple of later opening round candidates.
