A Crimson Tide has reached the NFL.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban has long been known to develop first-round, NFL-ready talent, but it wasn't until recent years that those who have been taken in the first round included quarterbacks.
While Saban has built dynasty on hard-nosed defenses, the Crimson Tide offense has evolved to include plenty of talented receivers, runners and passers. The last part is especially important. Since 2020, three Alabama quarterbacks have been taken in the first round, while one was taken in the second round.
That marks a bit of a departure from Alabama's tried-and-true pipeline of elite defenders and maulers along the offensive line, and signals that maybe 'Bama is becoming QBU.
MORE: Why did Arch Manning pick Texas over Alabama?
Here's what to know about the boom of 'Bama passers in the NFL:
Alabama QBs in the NFL in 2023
Entering the 2023 season, there are four starting quarterbacks in the NFL who have started for Alabama: Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins), Mac Jones (Patriots), Jalen Hurts (Eagles) and Bryce Young (Panthers).
Tagovailoa and Hurts are in Year 4, Jones in Year 3, while Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, made his pro debut in Week 1. Currently, there are no backups in the NFL who have made their way from Tuscaloosa to a 53-man roster.
In addition to those four, since 2000, three other Alabama products have started an NFL game: Brodie Croyle (Chiefs), Greg McElroy (Jets) and A.J. McCarron (Bengals). Croyle, McElroy and McCarron were all mid-to-late NFL Draft picks with little expectations.
Of the current starters, Jalen Hurts has something of a shared custody: While he began his collegiate career at Alabama, he finished out at Oklahoma and was drafted out of Oklahoma in 2020.
MORE: Jalen Hurts' college debate — Who has best claim to passer?
Alabama quarterbacks in the NFL
There have been 20 Alabama quarterbacks selected in the NFL Draft since 1936, with 12 passers selected post-merger (1970). There have been four first-round picks in that span:
- Richard Todd (1976, Round 1, Pick 6, Jets)
- Tua Tagovailoa (2020, Round 1, Pick 5, Dolphins)
- Mac Jones (2021, Round 1, Pick 15, Patriots)
- Bryce Young (2023, Round 1, Pick 1, Panthers)
Only Joe Namath and Bryce Young have been selected with the top overall selection in the draft, nearly 60 years apart. Namath would win a Super Bowl with the Jets.
Somewhat surprisingly, only two Alabama quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl as a starter: Joe Namath (Super Bowl 3) and Ken Stabler (Super Bowl 11).
| Year | Name | Round (Pick) | Record | Career passing stats |
| 1936 | Riley Smith | 1 (2) | — | — |
| 1945 | Jim McWhorter | 18 (181) | — | — |
| 1948 | Harry Gilmer | 1 (1) | 0-10 | 3,786 yards, 23 TDs, 45 INTs |
| 1956 | Bart Starr | 17 (200) | 94-57-6 | 24,718 yards, 152 TDs, 138 INTs |
| 1962 | Pat Trammell | 24 (187)* | — | — |
| 1965 | Joe Namath | 1 (1)* | 62-63-4 | 27,663 yards, 173 TDs, 220 INTs |
| 1966 | Steve Sloan | 11 (156) | 0-1 | 134 yards, 0 TDs, 4 INTs |
| 1968 | Ken Stabler | 2 (52) | 96-49-1 | 27,938 yards, 194 TDs, 222 INTs |
| 1971 | Scott Hunter | 6 (140) | 21-18-3 | 4,756 yards, 23 TDs, 38 INTs |
| 1976 | Richard Todd | 1 (6) | 48-59-1 | 20,610 yards, 124 TDs, 161 INTs |
| 1979 | Jeff Rutledge | 9 (246) | 2-7-1 | 3,628 yards, 16 TDs, 29 INTs |
| 1987 | Mike Shula | 12 (313) | 0-0 | — |
| 1995 | Jay Barker | 5 (160) | 0-0 | — |
| 2006 | Brodie Croyle | 3 (85) | 0-10 | 1,669 yards, 8 TDs, 9 INTs |
| 2011 | Greg McElroy | 7 (208) | 0-1 | 214 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| 2014 | AJ McCarron | 5 (164) | 2-2 | 1,173 yards, 6 TDS, 3 INTs |
| 2020 | Tua Tagovailoa | 1 (5) | 22-13 | 8,481 yards, 55 TDs, 24 INTs |
| 2020 | Jalen Hurts | 2 (53) | 24-11 | 8,076 yards, 45 TDs, 19 INTs |
| 2021 | Mac Jones | 1 (15) | 16-16 | 7,114 yards, 39 TDs, 25 INTs |
| 2023 | Bryce Young | 1 (1) | 0-1 | 146 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
* indicates AFL Draft
