Alabama saw its second safety drafted Friday night when Jordan Battle was selected 95th overall in the third round by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Battle’s selection came after his teammate in the secondary, Brian Branch, was taken No. 45 overall in the second round by the Detroit Lions. A third starter at safety for the Tide, DeMarcco Hellams, could also be drafted Saturday.

Battle became the seventh Alabama player drafted in 2023, and joined offensive tackle Tyler Steen and defensive lineman Byron Young as third-round picks.

Battle started 44 games over the past four seasons, the most among any Alabama player entering the draft. That included Battle starting all 27 games the past two seasons.

The second-highest rated safety in the 2019 high school class, Battle saw the field immediately as a freshman. The South Florida native started four games in 2019 as a sixth defensive back, then started 12 of 13 games in 2020 as Alabama went undefeated and won a national title.

Battle earned first-team All-SEC honors from both coaches and the Associated Press in 2021, was a second-team AFCA All-American and third-team AP All-American. He intercepted three passes as a junior and returned two for touchdowns, including one against Georgia in the SEC championship game.

Despite the accolades and some second-round projections for the 2022 NFL draft, Battle decided to return for a senior season. He repeated as a first-team All-SEC pick by coaches and was a second team pick by the AP. The AP again named Battle a third-team All-American, and he was a second-team All-American by the AFCA and Sporting News.

Battle was one of three permanent captains chosen by his teammates for the 2022 season, joining Bryce Young and Will Anderson.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.