After a solid round one of the NFL Draft having the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 12 overall picks, Alabama followed up with five more players taken on day two of the draft.
Alabama has now had eight players selected so far in the 2023 NFL Draft and is just five players shy of the 13 players that it would take to set a new program record for players taken in a single draft thanks to a big run of Alabama players selected in the third round.
Brian Branch finally heard his name called Friday night when the Detroit Lions selected the defensive back with the No. 45 overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft. Branch was projected to be a first rounder but slipped into the second round to the Lions joining his former Alabama teammate Jahmyr Gibbs. With Branch being selected, it makes 12 straight years that Alabama has had a defensive back taken in the NFL Draft.
Alabama kept its streak alive of four consecutive years with an offensive lineman taken in the NFL Draft when offensive lineman Tyler Steen heard his name called Friday night. Steen was selected with the 65th overall pick in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, joining former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts and former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
Just a few picks after Steen was selected, Alabama had its first defensive lineman selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the 70th overall pick in the third round, the Las Vegas Raiders selected Byron Young. Young’s selection extended Alabama’s streak of consecutive years with a defensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft to seven years.
The next Alabama player to be drafted was safety Jordan Battle. Battle’s name was called by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round with the 95th pick overall. Over four years with Alabama, Battle played in 54 games and logged 251 tackles and six interceptions, three of which he took back for touchdowns.
Finishing up the second day of the NFL Draft, Alabama had their fifth player selected of the day and eight overall. Tight end Cameron Latu was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 101st pick of the NFL Draft. Latu is a raw talent with tons of athleticism at the position that could develop into a solid number two tight end.
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