Who Keeps Alabama’s First-Round Streak Alive in 2026?

For the 17th straight season, the Alabama Crimson Tide has produced a first-round draft pick to the NFL. For the 14th time in those 17 years, Alabama produced multiple first-round picks in the NFL draft.

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Here is the list of first-round draft picks from the Crimson Tide since Nick Saban's first in 2009:

2009 – Andre Smith (No. 6, Cincinnati)
2010 - Rolando McClain (No. 8, Oakland), Kareem Jackson (No. 20, Houston)
2011 - Marcell Dareus (No. 3, Buffalo), Julio Jones (No. 6, Atlanta), James Carpenter (No. 25, Seattle), Mark Ingram (No. 28, New Orleans)
2012 – Trent Richardson (No. 3, Cleveland), Mark Barron (No. 7, Tampa Bay), Dre Kirkpatrick (No. 17, Cincinnati), Dont'a Hightower (No. 25, New England)
2013 – Dee Milliner (No. 9, New York Jets), Chance Warmack (No. 10, Tennessee), D.J. Fluker (No. 11, San Diego)
2014 – C.J. Mosley (No. 17, Baltimore), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (No. 21, Green Bay)
2015 – Amari Cooper (No. 4, Oakland)
2016 – Ryan Kelly (No. 18, Indianapolis)
2017 – Marlon Humphrey (No. 16, Baltimore), Jonathan Allen (No. 17, Washington), O.J. Howard (No. 19, Tampa Bay), Reuben Foster (No. 31, San Francisco)
2018 – Minkah Fitzpatrick (No. 11, Miami), Da’Ron Payne (No. 13, Washington), Rashaan Evans (No. 22, Tennessee), Calvin Ridley (No. 26, Atlanta)
2019 – Quinnen Williams (No. 3, New York Jets), Jonah Williams (No. 11, Cincinnati Bengals), Josh Jacobs (Oakland Raiders, No. 24)
2020 – Tua Tagovailoa (No. 5, Miami Dolphins), Jedrick Wills Jr. (No.10, Cleveland Browns), Henry Ruggs III (No. 12, Las Vegas Raiders), Jerry Jeudy (No. 15, Denver Broncos)
2021 – Jaylen Waddle (No. 6, Miami Dolphins), Patrick Surtain II, (No.9 Denver Broncos), DeVonta Smith (No. 10, Philadelphia Eagles), Mac Jones, (No. 15, New England Patriots), Alex Leatherwood, (No. 17, Las Vegas Raiders), Najee Harris, (No. 24, Pittsburgh Steelers)
2022 – Evan Neal (No. 7, New York Giants), Jameson Williams (No. 12, Detroit Lions)
2023 – Bryce Young (No. 1, Carolina Panthers), Will Anderson Jr. (No. 3, Houston Texans), Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12, Detroit Lions)
2024 – JC Latham (No. 7, Tennessee Titans), Dallas Turner (No. 16, Minnesota Vikings), Terrion Arnold (No. 24, Detroit Lions)
2025 – Tyler Booker (No. 12, Dallas Cowboys), Jihaad Campbell (No. 31, Philadelphia Eagles)

With the conclusion of the 2025 NFL draft, draft experts will turn their eyes to Pittsburgh, the host of the 2026 NFL draft. The Crimson Tide is expected to have a strong season in 2025, and with it, Alabama could extend its already NCAA-leading streak of first-rounders. Who are the most likely candidates to extend the Tide's streak of first-round prospects, and could Alabama put multiple first-rounders in the 2026 NFL draft?

The most likely candidate is offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, who PFF ranks as the No. 6 prospect in the 2026 NFL draft. Max Chadwick writes about Proctor:

"Proctor was tasked with protecting Jalen Milroe’s blindside in each of his first two seasons. While he took his lumps as a true freshman in 2023, the former five-star recruit showed serious improvement down the stretch of the season, which carried over into his sophomore campaign.

Since Week 8 of 2023, Proctor has earned a 76.5 overall PFF grade, which is eighth among SEC tackles. Some of his best performances have come against some elite defensive lines as well. Across three games against Georgia and South Carolina, the Iowa native recorded a 90.4 PFF pass-blocking grade with only one pressure allowed on 96 pass-blocking snaps.

Proctor is a dancing bear at 6-foot-7, 369 pounds with preposterous athleticism at that monstrous size. If he can play at a more consistent level, he has the upside of being a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft."

One prospect who was ranked as a fringe first-rounder before deciding to return to Alabama was Bandit defensive lineman LT Overton. Overton totaled 42 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks for the Crimson Tide last season. However, Overton posted an 18 percent pass-rush win rate according to PFF, good for a top-30 grade in college football. His 81.7 run defense grade from PFF is 25th in the country. At 283 pounds, Overton can skyrocket his stock with a big year two in Tuscaloosa.

Deontae Lawson was in the midst of a career year at Alabama before suffering an ACL tear in the Tide's 24-3 loss to Oklahoma. Lawson has said he would have declared for the NFL if he hadn't suffered the injury, but now, Alabama will return a stud linebacker from its top-10 defense last season. Lawson posted 76 tackles, four pass breakups, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception in 11 games for Alabama last season. PFF currently ranks Lawson as the No. 21 prospect in next year's NFL draft, with his eight pass breakups since 2023 ranking No. 1 among all returning linebackers in the nation. "Lawson takes on blocks very well due to his strong build at 6-foot-2, 239 pounds, and does an outstanding job at reading the quarterback’s eyes in zone coverage," writes Max Chadwick.

The Tide could see a return to the first round at wide receiver next season, with Germie Bernard coming off a career year with the Tide in 2024 (50 receptions, 794 yards, 2 touchdowns). According to NFL Draft Buzz, Bernard runs a 4.52 40-yard dash, but his on-field play is much faster than that. His lone 100-yard performance came in Alabama's 28-14 victory over Auburn, where he caught seven passes for 111 yards. His touchdown numbers will need to increase next season, but game-breakers at receiver tend to go early in the NFL draft (as we saw with Texas's Matthew Golden on Thursday). The 6-foot-1, 209-pound receiver from Las Vegas, Nevada, should have plenty of opportunity in 2025 with Ryan Williams demanding most of the attention from opposing defenses.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.