5 best Alabama Crimson Tide players to watch out for in 2024 NFL Draft ft. Dallas Turner

The Alabama Crimson Tide are one of the most prominent football teams in college athletics, creating superstars for the NFL.

Among the current active offensive players in the league from Alabama are quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young; running backs Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris, Derrick Henry, and Jahmyr Gibbs; wide receivers Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and DeVonta Smith; and linemen Ryan Kelly, Landon Dickerson, and Jedrick Wills.

On the other side of the ball, there are linemen Daron Payne, Quinnen Williams, Jonathan Allen, and Will Anderson Jr., linebackers CJ Mosley and Terrell Lewis, and defensive backs Trevon Diggs, Patrick Surtain II, Marlon Humphrey, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

But the pool will only get deeper in 2024, when these five players join them.

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1) LB/DE Dallas Turner

Ole Miss v Alabama

As established before, Dallas Turner is a freak of an edge rusher. He is capable of overpowering much bigger blockers and turning his way to the quarterback (pun coincidental), and he can also occasionally deflect passes and stop runs.

His high school potential did not abate, as he immediately shone as a freshman with 30 tackles (16 solo), 8.5 sacks, and 25 pressures. He would only improve as the years went by, and he is poised to be the top defensive prospect in the draft.

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2) OT JC Latham

Alabama v Arkansas

The 2024 NFL draft is expected to be pass-heavy, with quarterbacks and wide receivers aplenty. But, of course, none of that can occur without the big, burly men in the trenches keeping pass rushers at bay.

JC Latham is among those men. Playing with Bryce Young for two years, he was a backup during the future first overall pick's 2021 Heisman-winning campaign, but finally broke out in 2022. In 2023, he contributed to Jalen Milroe's monstrous breakout, blocking for the newly-minted quarterback as he passed for over 2,000 yards and rushed to the endzone a dozen times.

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3) CB Terrion Arnold

Alabama v Auburn

There are two standout members of the Alabama secondary who will be available in the upcoming draft.

One of them is Terrion Arnold. At 6-foot and 189 lbs, he is a light and mobile defender who can nevertheless be effective in man-to-man and zone coverage, with his 2023 stats proving it (63 tackles, including 40 solo; five interceptions, and a sack).

Together with the next entry on this list, the Crimson Tide were among the better teams at defending against deep passes.

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4) CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

2023 SEC Championship - Georgia v Alabama

Here is the other half of the cornerback tandem that terrorized wide receivers everywhere whenever they were on the field.

Kool-Aid McKinstry was a beast as a sophomore, making 35 tackles (29 solo), 15 pass breakups, and a 26-yard interception. He also allowed a quarteback rating of only 59.0 - one of the best in college that season.

He is just one member of a surprisingly deep cornerback pool that also includes his friend Terrion Arnold, Quinyon Mitchell, and Nate Wiggins.

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5) LB/DE Chris Braswell

Alabama v Auburn

Back on the subject of edge rushers, Chris Braswell may not be as highly touted as Dallas Turner; but he still possesses much potential.

As Braswell progressed through college, he only seemed to improve. In his junior campaign alone, he managed to force a monstrous three fumbles and return a 28-yard interception to go with his eight sacks, cementing himself as a very versatile all-around defender.