Alabama’s Way-Too-Early Top 2027 NFL Draft Prospects

The 2026 NFL draft wrapped up over the weekend, with 10 former Crimson Tide players selected in the seven-round draft in Pittsburgh, with five others signing undrafted free agent offers from NFL teams.

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With the 2026 draft out of the way, national draft analysts are already preparing for what should be a loaded 2027 class, with numerous college football stars expected to hit the draft next year, including Texas quarterback Arch Manning, Oregon QB Dante Moore, Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman, Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, Alabama WR Ryan Coleman-Williams, Texas edge Colin Simmons, South Carolina edge Dylan Stewart, Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown, and countless others. While some players could opt to return to college football if they have not yet exhausted their eligibility, underclassmen such as Coleman, Smith, Coleman-Williams, and Brown are expected to waive their remaining eligibility as likely first-round prospects after just three seasons in college football.

With the selection of Kadyn Proctor by the Miami Dolphins (and Ty Simpson by the Los Angeles Rams), Alabama extended its already record-setting first-round streak to 18 years, and 10 years of having multiple first-round picks in the NFL draft. Who are the likely candidates to see those streaks extend to 19 years nd 11 years, respectively, in the 2027 NFL draft in Washington, D.C.?

Zabien Brown, Cornerback (Junior)

Brown, a 6-foot, 194-pound cornerback from Mater Dei High School in California, has been a starter for defensive coordinator Kane Wommack for the last two seasons and was a lockdown member of Alabama's secondary during that time. Alabama is known for putting high-level defensive backs in the NFL, with the Tide's most recent first-round DB coming in 2024 when the Detroit Lions drafted Terrion Arnold. Alabama's most recent DB drafted was Domani Jackson by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round on Saturday.

So far during his Alabama career, Brown has totaled 57 tackles, eight pass breakups, five interceptions, 4.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. Brown is a threat to score defensively, leading the country in pick-sixes in 2025 with a 99-yard return against Tennessee and a 50-yard pick-six against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff. Brown also had a scoop-and-score as a freshman in 2024, going 68 yards to the house against Mercer.

Brown appeared in four way-too-early mock drafts for the 2027 NFL draft, with CBS Sports Cooper Petagna and USA Today's Michael Middlehurst Schwartz sending him to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 16th pick, The Score's Dane Belbeck sending him to the San Francisco 49ers with the 22nd pick, and Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer sending Brown to the Houston Texans with the 18th pick.

Ryan Colema-Williams, Wide Receiver (Junior)

The Crimson Tide's 2024 freshman phenom has now become a veteran who hopes to hear his name called in the NFL Draft this time next year. After a stellar freshman season that saw Williams lead the Crimson Tide in receiving with 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, his totals dipped slightly as a sophomore, with 49 receptions, 689 yards, and four touchdowns. Even still, Williams is a big-play threat that is hard to bring down once the ball is in his hands. His best performance with the Crimson Tide came last season against Wisconsin, when he caught five passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns against the Badgers.

Alabama's history at wide receiver is one of the best in the nation, with recent stars like Jameson Williams, DeVonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle demanding league-wide attention after all three were first-round picks in their respective drafts. Alabama has also had stars dating back to the early days of the Saban dynasty in Tuscaloosa, with Julio Jones almost certain to be a Hall of Fame receiver, Amari Cooper shining during his career, and Calvin Ridley still circulating in the league. Again, all three were first-round selections. Receiver production has dipped at Alabama in recent history, but the future is bright in Tuscaloosa with Coleman-Williams, sophomore Lotzier Brooks, and freshman Cederian Morgan looking to return Alabama to the mountain top in the NFL draft in the coming years.

Coleman-Williams appears in four of the way-too-early NFL mock drafts for 2027, with CBS Sports Cooper Petagna and Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer sending him to the Dallas Cowboys with the 21st pick, Yahoo Sports' James Dator sending him to Las Vegas with the seventh pick, and The Score's Dane Belbeck sending him to the Seahawks with the 30th pick.

Yhonzae Pierre, Edge Rusher (Redshirt Junior)

Redshirt junior Yhonzae Pierre exploded onto the scene for the Crimson Tide last season. After starting the season third on Alabama's depth chart, he got his opportunity to start midway through the season due to injuries, and capitalized on it, ending the year with 52 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. Pierre could've gone to the NFL after the 2025 season, but decided to return to Tuscaloosa for what is now expected to be his final season with the Crimson Tide. His top performance came against the Tennessee Volunteers in 2025, when he tied his career high in tackles with six and had a career-high three sacks against the Volunteers.

Alabama is known to produce elite edge rushers in the NFL, with the two most recent first-round draft picks being Will Anderson Jr., who just signed a three-year extension with the Texans to become the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL, and Dallas Turner, who had 11 tackles for loss and eight sacks last season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Pierre appeared in two mock drafts for the 2027 NFL draft, with CBS Sports' Cooper Petagna sending Pierre to the Seahawks with the 31st pick and The Score's Dane Belbeck sending him to the Washington Commanders with the 12th pick.

Alabama Players Eligible to Declare for the 2027 NFL Draft

Zabien Brown, DB
Ryan Coleman-Williams, WR
Yhonzae Pierre, Edge
Bray Hubbard, DB*
Keon Sabb, DB*
Devan Thompkins, DL*
Terrance Green, DL
Red Morgan, DB
Caleb Woodson, LB*
Desmond Umeozulu, Edge*
Kedrick Bingley-Jones, DL*
Jah-Marien Latham, Edge*
Daniel Hill, RB
Austin Mack, QB
Cayden Jones, LB
Carmelo O'Neal, DB
Edric Hill, DL
Zavier Mincey, DB
Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., DB
Noah Rogers, WR
William Sanders, OL
Racin Delgatty, OL
Jayvin James, OL
Ethan Fields, OL
QB Reese, LB
Rico Scott, WR
Steve Bolo Mboumoua, DL
Kevin Riley, RB
Josh Ford, TE
Danny Lewis Jr., TE*
Fatutoa Henry, DL*
Isaia Faga, DL
Jay Lindsey, TE
Adam Watford, P*
Conor Talty, K
Khalifa Keith, RB
Casey Poe, OL
Jack Sammarco, TE

*Expected final season of eligibility under current NCAA eligibility parameters.

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_.