Alabama Lands Three First Round Picks on Opening Night of the 2019 NFL Draft
Alabama football saw three former players selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday night in downtown Nashville, Tenn. The three picks were highlighted by defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (No. 3, New York Jets), offensive lineman Jonah Williams (No. 11, Cincinnati Bengals) and running back Josh Jacobs (No. 24, Oakland Raiders).
The three first-round selections for the Crimson Tide ties Clemson and Mississippi State for the most from any team in this year’s opening round and gives head coach Nick Saban the most first-round draft picks in college football history. The three selections moves Saban’s career total to 34 first-round picks, surpassing the previous high of 33 by Penn State’s Joe Paterno.
Alabama has now had 29 players selected in the first round of the last 11 NFL Drafts. They are listed below:
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), Josh Jacobs (Oakland, No. 24)
The second and third rounds will continue Friday beginning at 6 p.m. CT and can be seen on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes. The 2019 Draft will wrap up with rounds 4-7 on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. and can be seen on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes.
Alabama First Round Recap
Player | Pick | Team |
Quinnen Williams | 3 | New York Jets |
Jonah Williams | 11 | Cincinnati Bengals |
Josh Jacobs | 24 | Oakland Raiders |
Quinnen Williams (No. 3 | New York Jets)
Quinnen Williams was the first Alabama player taken in this year's draft. He exploded onto the scene in 2018, winning the Outland Trophy along with earning unanimous All-America accolades and first team All-SEC recognition as a redshirt sophomore. The 2018 season saw Williams total 70 tackles, including seven sacks (-53 yards) and a team-high 18.5 tackles for loss (-84 yards). That mark ranked second in the SEC and in the top 10 nationally while also finishing as the ninth-best single-season total in program history.
Jonah Williams (No. 11 | Cincinnati Bengals)
Jonah Williams earned unanimous All-American accolades, All-SEC First Team recognition and the SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy along with Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award finalist honors as a junior to cap off an impressive three seasons. A stalemate along the Alabama offensive front, Williams spent his freshman season at right tackle before moving to left tackle each of the last two years. He started all 44 games of his Alabama career, blocking for 20 100-yard rushers over three seasons.
Josh Jacobs (No. 24 | Oakland Raiders)
Josh Jacobs leaves Tuscaloosa after three seasons with the Crimson Tide. An elusive back who was a weapon every time he touched the ball, Jacobs totaled 1,491 career rushing yards with 16 scores while adding 48 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns. He also returned kickoffs as a sophomore and junior. His most productive season came in 2018 where he played in all 15 games to record a team-high tying 1,315 all-purpose yards for an average of 87.7 yards per game. Jacobs finished with 640 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground while adding 20 receptions for 247 yards and three scores on offense. He also accounted for 428 yards and one score on 14 kickoff returns to average 30.6 yards per return, a total that led the SEC and was second in the FBS. Jacobs’ junior campaign was highlighted by his postseason performances, first earning SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player honors before a standout CFP Semifinal that saw him accumulate 158 all-purpose yards.
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