At around 7 p.m. CDT April 24 – three weeks from now – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will say, “The Tennessee Titans are on the clock,” and the league’s 90th draft will be underway.

The league’s teams will select 32 players that night to complete the first round in Green Bay, Wisconsin, before the second and third rounds occur on April 25 and the draft concludes with the fourth through seventh rounds on April 26.

In this year’s first round, two Crimson Tide players – linebacker Jihaad Campbell and guard Tyler Booker – seem the most likely prospects to keep a streak going that stretches back through 21 drafts.

In the 2003 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers selected Tuskegee cornerback Drayton Florence with the 14th choice in the second round. That made Florence the first player from an Alabama high school or college picked in the NFL Draft that year. In every draft since, at least one player with Alabama football roots has been chosen in the first round.

In the 2024 NFL Draft, four alumni of Alabama high schools and colleges were selected in the first round. Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 7, outside linebacker Dallas Turner joined the Minnesota Vikings at No. 17 and cornerback Terrion Arnold headed for the Detroit Lions at No. 24. The Denver Broncos chose Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, a former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn standout, at No. 12.

Since the NFL Draft started in 1936, 135 players with Alabama football roots have been selected in the first round. Another 28 have been picked in positions that would be in the first round now but weren’t when the player was selected. The first NFL draft had nine first-round picks.

One player from an Alabama high school and college was selected in the first round in the 1930s, four players were picked in the 1940s, seven in the 1950s, eight in the 1960s, 12 in the 1970s, 15 in the 1980s, 13 in the 1990s, 16 in the 2000s, 36 in the 2010s and 22 so far in the 2020s.

The most players with Alabama football roots chosen in a single first round is seven in 2021.

The Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders have selected a player from an Alabama high school or college in the first round of an NFL Draft eight times apiece, the most among NFL teams. While Washington has participated in every NFL Draft, Miami made its first NFL Draft picks in 1967.

Nine players from Alabama high schools and colleges have been chosen with the No. 6 selection, the most frequent landing spot. The Pick Six players have been Robert Brazile, Eric Curry, Julio Jones, Walter Jones, Lee Roy Jordan, Barry Krauss, Andre Smith, Richard Todd and Jaylen Waddle. Brazile and Walter Jones are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Two of the eight No. 4 picks with Alabama football roots also are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – John Hannah and Derrick Thomas. The other state players taken with the fourth pick have been Amari Cooper, Brent Fullwood, Jon Hand, Keith McCants, Philip Rivers and Lowell Tew.

The New England Patriots hold the fourth pick and the Las Vegas Raiders have the sixth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The players with Alabama football roots who have been selected in the first round of a regular NFL draft include:

First pick

• Quarterback Harry Gilmer (Woodlawn, Alabama): 1948 by the Washington Redskins.
• Running back Tucker Frederickson (Auburn): 1965 by the New York Giants.
• Running back Bo Jackson (McAdory, Auburn): 1986 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Linebacker Aundray Bruce (Carver-Montgomery, Auburn): 1988 by the Atlanta Falcons.
• Quarterback JaMarcus Russell (Williamson): 2007 by the Oakland Raiders.
• Quarterback Cam Newton (Auburn): 2011 by the Carolina Panthers.
• Quarterback Jameis Winston (Hueytown): 2015 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Quarterback Bryce Young (Alabama): 2023 by the Carolina Panthers.

Second pick

• Back Riley Smith (Alabama): 1936 by the Boston Redskins.
• Running back Bo Matthews (Butler-Huntsville): 1974 by the San Diego Chargers.
• Linebacker Cornelius Bennett (Ensley, Alabama): 1987 by the Indianapolis Colts.
• Running back Ronnie Brown (Auburn): 2005 by the Miami Dolphins.
• Offensive tackle Greg Robinson (Auburn): 2014 by the St. Louis Rams.

Third pick

• Offensive tackle Chris Samuels (Shaw, Alabama): 2000 by the Washington Redskins.
• Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (Huffman, Alabama): 2011 by the Buffalo Bills.
• Running back Trent Richardson (Alabama): 2012 by the Cleveland Browns.
• Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (Alabama): 2019 by the New York Jets.
• Outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama): 2023 by the Houston Texans.

Fourth pick

• Back Lowell Tew (Alabama): 1948 by the Washington Redskins.
• Guard John Hannah (Albertville, Alabama): 1973 by the New England Patriots.
• Defensive end Jon Hand (Sylacauga, Alabama): 1986 by the Indianapolis Colts.
• Running back Brent Fullwood (Auburn): 1987 by the Green Bay Packers.
• Linebacker Derrick Thomas (Alabama): 1989 by the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Linebacker Keith McCants (Murphy, Alabama): 1990 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Quarterback Philip Rivers (Athens): 2004 by the New York Giants.
• Wide receiver Amari Cooper (Alabama): 2015 by the Oakland Raiders.

Fifth pick

• Center Vaughn “Cisco” Mancha (Alabama): 1948 by the Boston Yanks.
• End Jim “Red” Phillips (Benjamin Russell, Auburn): 1958 by the Los Angeles Rams.
• Linebacker E.J. Junior (Alabama): 1981 by the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Defensive end John Copeland (Valley, Alabama): 1993 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Running back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams (Etowah, Auburn): 2005 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama): 2020 by the Miami Dolphins.

Sixth pick

• Linebacker Lee Roy Jordan (Excel, Alabama): 1963 by the Dallas Cowboys.
• Linebacker Robert Brazile (Vigor): 1975 by the Houston Oilers.
• Quarterback Richard Todd (Davidson, Alabama): 1976 by the New York Jets.
• Linebacker Barry Krauss (Alabama): 1979 by the Baltimore Colts.
• Defensive end Eric Curry (Alabama): 1993 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Offensive tackle Walter Jones (Aliceville): 1997 by the Seattle Seahawks.
• Offensive tackle Andre Smith (Huffman, Alabama): 2009 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Wide receiver Julio Jones (Foley, Alabama): 2011 by the Atlanta Falcons.
• Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (Alabama): 2021 by the Miami Dolphins.

Seventh pick

• Quarterback Bobby Thomason (Leeds): 1949 by the Los Angeles Rams.
• Quarterback Travis Tidwell (Woodlawn, Auburn): 1950 by the New York Giants.
• Running back Joe Childress (Robertsdale, Auburn): 1956 by the Chicago Cardinals.
• Safety Mark Barron (St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama): 2012 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Outside linebacker Josh Allen (Abbeville): 2019 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Defensive tackle Derrick Brown (Auburn): 2020 by the Carolina Panthers.
• Offensive tackle Evan Neal (Alabama): 2022 by the New York Giants.
• Offensive tackle JC Latham (Alabama): 2024 by the Tennessee Titans.

Eighth pick

• Running back Bobby Marlow (Troy High, Alabama): 1953 by the New York Giants.
• Offensive tackle Ken Rice (Auburn): 1961 by the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Linebacker Rolando McClain (Decatur, Alabama): 2010 by the Oakland Raiders.

Ninth pick

• Fullback Butch Avinger (Sidney Lanier, Alabama): 1951 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Running back Wilbur Jackson (Carroll-Ozark, Alabama): 1974 by the San Francisco 49ers.
• Cornerback Antonio Langham (Hazlewood, Alabama): 1994 by the Cleveland Browns.
• Cornerback Carlos Rogers (Auburn): 2005 by the Washington Redskins.
• Cornerback Dee Milliner (Stanhope Elmore, Alabama): 2013 by the New York Jets.
• Cornerback Patrick Surtain II (Alabama): 2021 by the Denver Broncos.

Tenth pick

• Offensive tackle Willie Anderson (Vigor, Auburn): 1996 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Guard Chance Warmack (Alabama): 2013 by the Tennessee Titans.
• Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (Alabama): 2020 by the Cleveland Browns.
• Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (Alabama): 2021 by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Eleventh pick

• Defensive end DeMarcus Ware (Auburn High, Troy): 2005 by the Dallas Cowboys.
• Cornerback Leodis McKelvin (Troy): 2008 by the Buffalo Bills.
• Offensive tackle D.J. Fluker (McGill-Toolen/Foley, Alabama): 2013 by the San Diego Chargers.
• Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama): 2018 by the Miami Dolphins.
• Offensive tackle Jonah Williams (Alabama): 2019 by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Twelfth pick

• End Dave Middleton (Ensley, Auburn): 1955 by the Detroit Lions.
• Center Jackie Burkett (Auburn): 1959 by the Baltimore Colts.
• Quarterback Joe Namath (Alabama): 1965 by the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Defensive end Trace Armstrong (John Carroll Catholic): 1989 by the Chicago Bears.
• Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (Lee-Montgomery, Alabama): 2020 by the Las Vegas Raiders.
• Wide receiver Jameson Williams (Alabama): 2022 by the Detroit Lions.
• Running back Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama): 2023 by the Detroit Lions
• Quarterback Bo Nix (Pinson Valley, Auburn): 2024 by the Denver Broncos.

Thirteenth pick

• Linebacker Takeo Spikes (Auburn): 1998 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Defensive tackle Nick Fairley (Williamson, Auburn): 2011 by the Detroit Lions.
• Defensive tackle Daron Payne (Shades Valley, Alabama): 2018 by the Washington Redskins.  

Fourteenth pick

• Defensive tackle Ron Billingsley (Gadsden): 1967 by the San Diego Chargers.
• Defensive end Marty Lyons (Alabama): 1979 by the New York Jets.
• Cornerback Derrick Burroughs (Blount): 1985 by the Buffalo Bills.
• Defensive end Gerald Robinson (Notasulga, Auburn): 1986 by the Minnesota Vikings.

Fifteenth pick

• Center Forrest Blue (Auburn): 1968 by the San Francisco 49ers.
• Offensive tackle Wayne Gandy (Auburn): 1994 by the Los Angeles Rams.
• Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (Alabama): 2020 by the Denver Broncos.
• Quarterback Mac Jones (Alabama): 2021 by the New England Patriots.

Sixteenth pick

• Defensive end Mike Pitts (Alabama): 1983 by the Atlanta Falcons.
• Defensive back Jason Allen (Muscle Shoals): 2006 by the Miami Dolphins.
• Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (Hoover, Alabama): 2017 by the Baltimore Ravens.
• Outside linebacker Dallas Turner (Alabama): 2024 by the Minnesota Vikings.

Seventeenth pick

• Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (Gadsden City, Alabama): 2012 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Linebacker C.J. Mosley (Theodore, Alabama): 2014 by the Baltimore Ravens.
• Defensive end Jonathan Allen (Alabama): 2017 by the Washington Redskins.
• Offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood (Alabama): 2021 by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Eighteenth pick

• Guard Bob Cryder (Alabama): 1978 by the New England Patriots.
• Center Ryan Kelly (Alabama): 2016 by the Indianapolis Colts.

Nineteenth pick

• Wide receiver Terry Beasley (Lee-Montgomery, Auburn): 1972 by the San Francisco 49ers.
• Running back Shaun Alexander (Alabama): 2000 by the Seattle Seahawks.
• Tight end O.J. Howard (Autauga Academy, Alabama): 2017 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Twentieth pick

• Wide receiver Dennis Homan (Muscle Shoals, Alabama): 1968 by the Dallas Cowboys.
• Linebacker Dwayne Rudd (Alabama): 1997 by the Minnesota Vikings.
• Cornerback Kareem Jackson (Alabama): 2010 by the Houston Texans.
• Wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount): 2021 by the New York Giants.

Twenty-first pick

• Cornerback Don McNeal (Escambia County, Alabama): 1980 by the Miami Dolphins.
• Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Alabama): 2014 by the Green Bay Packers.

Twenty-second pick

• Cornerback Hanford Dixon (Theodore): 1981 by the Cleveland Browns.
• Defensive end Bryan Thomas (Minor, UAB): 2002 by the New York Jets.
• Linebacker Rashaan Evans (Auburn High, Alabama): 2018 by the Tennessee Titans.

Twenty-third pick

• Tight end Ozzie Newsome (Colbert County, Alabama): 1978 by the Cleveland Browns.
• Running back Antowain Smith (Stanhope Elmore): 1997 by the Buffalo Bills.
• Defensive end Dee Ford (St. Clair County, Auburn): 2014 by the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Offensive tackle Tytus Howard (Monroe County, Alabama State): 2019 by the Houston Texans.

Twenty-fourth pick

• Running back James Brooks (Auburn): 1981 by the San Diego Chargers.
• Running back Josh Jacobs (Alabama): 2019 by the Oakland Raiders.
• Running back Najee Harris (Alabama): 2021 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Cornerback Terrion Arnold (Alabama): 2024 by the Detroit Lions.

Twenty-fifth pick

• Tight end Reese McCall (Jess Lanier, Auburn): 1978 by the Baltimore Colts.
• Defensive end Emanuel King (Leroy, Alabama): 1985 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Quarterback Jason Campbell (Auburn): 2005 by the Washington Redskins.
• Offensive tackle James Carpenter (Alabama): 2011 by the Seattle Seahawks.
• Linebacker Dont’a Hightower (Alabama): 2012 by the New England Patriots.

Twenty-sixth pick

• Linebacker Les Kelley (Cullman, Alabama): 1967 by the New Orleans Saints.
• Defensive end Don Reese (Vigor): 1974 by the Miami Dolphins.
• Cornerback Fernando Bryant (Alabama): 1999 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Wide receiver Calvin Ridley (Alabama): 2018 by the Atlanta Falcons.  

Twenty-seventh pick

• Offensive tackle Victor Riley (Auburn): 1998 by the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Wide receiver Roddy White (UAB): 2005 by the Atlanta Falcons.

Twenty-eighth pick

• Running back Mark Ingram (Alabama): 2011 by the New Orleans Saints.

Twenty-ninth pick

• Safety George Teague (Jeff Davis, Alabama): 1993 by the Green Bay Packers.
• Guard Ben Grubbs (Elmore County, Auburn): 2007 by the Baltimore Ravens.  

Thirtieth pick

• Guard Kendall Simmons (Auburn): 2002 by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Safety Jimmie Ward (Davidson): 2014 by the San Francisco 49ers.
• Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (Hewitt-Trussville, Auburn): 2020 by the Miami Dolphins.

Thirty-first pick

• Linebacker Reuben Foster (Auburn High, Alabama): 2017 by the San Francisco 49ers.

Thirty-second pick

• Center Lee Gross (Lee-Montgomery, Auburn): 1975 by the New Orleans Saints.  

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.