Four Alabama players drafted in 1st round of NFL draft
TUSCALOOSA —This was a mighty slide for the Crimson Tide.
A night some thought would see Alabama set a new Southeastern Conference record with five first-round draft picks turned offensive, forcing the program to wait more than two hours before its first player was picked, fittingly, by a storied alumnus.
Under general manager Ozzie Newsome, the Baltimore Ravens selected Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey with the No. 16 overall pick, extending the Crimson Tide’s modern stranglehold on this three-day event and beginning a long-awaited run on Alabama players.
One pick later, the Washington Redskins drafted defensive end Jonathan Allen.
Tight end O.J. Howard went two later at No. 19 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, lending some normalcy to an otherwise stunning evening where Reuben Foster fell to No. 31 and Cam Robinson, in Philadelphia along with Allen and Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, went unselected.
Under Saban, Alabama’s now had at least one first-round pick in the last nine drafts — the longest active streak by any team. It is now tied with Florida’s nine-year run from 1983-91 for the SEC record. The four first-rounders tie with Alabama’s 2011 and 2012 drafts for the most in school history.
A departure from nearly all pre-draft prognostications, the first round was a trade-happy affair that featured an early run on offensive skill positions. Seven of the first 10 selections were either a quarterback, running back or receiver. Three quarterbacks were selected with the first 12 picks, all via trades.
“Somebody please help me understand how not one player from The University of Alabama has been drafted yet,” tweeted running back Damien Harris about an hour and a half into the proceedings. “This is just disrespectful.”
Respect was soon given to Humphrey, an All-SEC player as a redshirt freshman who intercepted two passes last season starting opposite Anthony Averett.
Then came Allen, whose selection ended a painstaking wait in the Philadelphia green room.
“Dream scenario,” said Allen, the reigning Bronco Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Award Winner and a lifelong Redskins fan, told Sirius XM Radio.
RELATED: Autauga Academy grad O.J. Howard headed to Tampa Bay
Howard, the 6-foot-6 downfield threat who caught 45 passes as a junior, was named a third-team All-American and now returns to the site of his final college game — the Tide’s 35-31 loss to Clemson in the national championship game.
Two linebackers were selected ahead of Foster, who ranked eighth on ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s final Big Board, but was selected by the 49ers, who traded with Seattle for the 31st overall pick.
His selection ended a bizarre predraft journey that featured an altercation with an NFL combine nurse — an incident for which he was not invited to the NFL draft, according to ESPN — a diluted urine sample and questions regarding his injured right shoulder.
NFL Network’s Mike Mayock reported during the draft that Foster’s late medical “rechecks” medical checks raised concern. A linebacker lauded for his speed and ability to seamlessly drop into coverage, Foster was the MVP of the 2016 SEC Championship Game and the Crimson Tide’s leading tackler last season.
Now with nine first-rounders in nine years, Alabama trails only Miami (Florida), which had a first-round selection in 14 straight drafts from 1995-2008.