The SEC has been the college-NFL pipeline for years as the conference in 2019 was the draft’s top talent provider for the 13th time and set a record with 64 selections.
While the league reaps the fruit of the SEC’s labor, head coach Nick Saban and Alabama football rule the jungle. Ten Crimson Tide players were selected in last week’s draft, the most of any school. They also became the first program to have the most players selected in three consecutive drafts.
The first of those 10 ‘Bama players that were selected was Jets DL Quinnen Williams at No. 3 overall. The 21-year-old Williams became the first Crimson Tide player since Trent Richardson in 2012 to be chosen in the top three. So, what separates Williams from past first-rounders?
“I think his initial quickness and his ability to use his hands, play with leverage, get off blocks quickly,” Saban told NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano. “He’s athletic, so he’s a really good pass rusher. He’s not a gigantic, huge, overpowering guy, but the rest of it is perfect for this day and age of football. I go back to the initial quickness and the use of his hands. This guy is a really smart, instinctive player. I think sometimes people overlook how that impacts someone’s production and his production here was fabulous.”
