Alabama has a strong chance next month to have its first player taken No. 1 overall in an NFL draft since 1948.

It remains to be seen whether the Chicago Bears will keep or trade that pick, which would help determine whether Bryce Young or Will Anderson has the best shot to be taken No. 1.

Former Alabama cornerback Eli Ricks played last season with both Young and Anderson, and was asked by a reporter Thursday at the NFL scouting combine which player he would take if he was an NFL general manager holding the top pick.

Ricks chose a third option.

“I’m taking Eli Ricks, to be honest,” he said.

At one point, Ricks’ opinion might not have been far off from reality. The former five-star recruit was one of the top-rated high school prospects in the 2020 class, and after transferring from LSU to Alabama last offseason was projected as a top-10 pick in the 2023 draft. But the preseason All-American was slow to learn Alabama’s defensive system and did not become a starter until midseason, before missing time because of a concussion.

Now Ricks is ESPN’s No. 17 cornerback in the upcoming draft and No. 122 overall, which projects him to be chosen in the middle rounds of the April 27-29 draft in Kansas City.

Ricks was invited to the NFL combine despite his limited playing time the past two seasons — he missed most of the 2021 season because of a shoulder injury — and will not participate in drills this week because of a Grade II hamstring strain, he said Thursday.

That makes Alabama’s pro day March 23 an important opportunity for Ricks to show NFL teams what he can do.

“I expect to do it all at pro day, and I expect to surprise a lot of people, to be honest,” he said.

Ricks was one of five Alabama underclassmen to enter the draft. Three of them — Young, Anderson and Jahmyr Gibbs — declared at a news conference Jan. 2 with Nick Saban, while Brian Branch made his announcement on social media later that day. Ricks made his call a day later.

“Basically it was just whether or not I felt ready, and whether I could benefit an NFL team or not,” Ricks said Thursday. “And I feel like I could benefit an NFL team this year, so that’s really why I made a decision to declare.”

Ricks added that he never considered entering the transfer portal if he returned to school.

Thursday marked the second time Ricks spoke to reporters after committing to transfer to Alabama in December 2021. He was not made available last season by the school until the Sugar Bowl required the locker room to be open to reporters, when was when Ricks answered questions for the first time.

High expectations for Ricks never materialized at Alabama, but Ricks suggested they did not affect him.

“I don’t really look into the media,” he said. “I’m barely on social media as it is. Coach Saban told me, ‘just work, stay focused.’ I was at a whole new school, whole new program and all I was focused on was getting used to the pressure out there.”

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