USA TODAY International Edition
Tide set to earn draft kings mantle
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered to be the greatest collection of players in college football history, at least as measured by the NFL draft.
That roster included 38 players who went on to be drafted between 2002 and 2006. Fivethirtyeight. com measured rosters by a mathematical formula in 2014 and declared it “the single most talented college roster” ever.
That may be about to change. What happens Thursday through Saturday at the NFL draft in Cleveland could hand that mantle to Alabama’s 2017 team.
That Crimson Tide roster includes 32 players who have already been drafted, with more to come this week when Najee Harris, Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith and others are slated to be picked. BetMGM has the over/ under of total Alabama players to be drafted this year at 11.5, with an over/ under of 5.5 for the first round.
Alabama went 13- 1 in 2017, winning the national championship. That roster has sent such players as Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Jacobs, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Calvin Ridley to the NFL so far.
Among those 32 Alabama picks are 29 players who have started at least one NFL game, 19 of whom have started at least one full season. Those players have combined for three Pro Bowls in their budding careers, and Fitzpatrick has been named first- team All-Pro twice.
Counted in that total of 32 draftees from the 2017 roster is Jalen Hurts, who transferred to Oklahoma to finish his collegiate career before being selected in the second round last year by the Eagles.
Miami 2001 went 12- 0 and also won the national title. That roster had a backfield that included Frank Gore, Najeh Davenport, Clinton Portis and Willis McGahee. Wideout Andre Johnson, safety Ed Reed and tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow II were on that team.
Thirty players from 2001 Miami started at least one NFL game, with 22 starting a full season or more. Thirteen made at least one Pro Bowl, combining for 46 trips. Four were named first- team All- Pro, combining for nine such honors. Reed has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.