Alabama's all-time best NFL draft class? There are two great choices - SECcountry.com

For the 10th consecutive year, the NFL draft featured at least one first-round pick from the Alabama Crimson Tide. Nick Saban has not only brought five new national championship trophies to the 'Bama facilities, but he's also generated NFL stars on an annual basis.

In order to set the bar for the class of 2018, we thought we would take a deep dive into Alabama's draft history, beginning in 1936.

It's no surprise that the past decade has produced the most pro players. But it's also no surprise that Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings and other championship coaches pumped out big names, too.

Which year was the best? Let's break it down.

Remarkable, but not the greatest

There were a few lone wolves who didn't have anyone else of note alongside them, including Pro Football Hall of Fame selections Bart Starr (1956), Joe Namath (1965 … though he began his career in the AFL), Kenny Stabler (1968 … ditto) and John Hannah (1973).

Strong classes without any superstars include:

1979. This was a rock-solid five-man class. None of them made the Pro Bowl — though Tony Nathan was an All-Pro kick returner one season — but the group of linebacker Barry Krauss, defensive tackle Marty Lyons, linebacker Rich Wingo, quarterback Jeff Rutledge and Nathan averaged 121.6 career games played. Krauss and Lyons were key players for the majority of their careers, starting 124 and 135 games, respectively.
2006. Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans and safety Roman Harper headlined this group. Both players earned a pair of Pro Bowl selections, while defensive back Charlie Peprah and defensive end Mark Anderson both had lengthy careers. Even quarterback Brodie Croyle started 10 games.
2014. This was a deep eight-player class, but only linebacker C.J. Mosley (three Pro Bowl selections) and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (one) have put together notable careers. One guy who might join them is quarterback AJ McCarron, who is entering his first offseason as a projected starter.
2015. Much like the previous class, '15 features two players carrying the torch. Wide receiver Amari Cooper (two Pro Bowl nods) and safety Landon Collins (ditto) have starred through three seasons. Running back T.J. Yeldon has also made 25 starts, though his once-prominent role with the Jacksonville Jaguars has been somewhat diminished by the arrival of Leonard Fournette.

There were also a couple classes featuring Hall of Fame players and some decent support:

1978. Ozzie Newsome started 191 games and recorded nearly 8,000 receiving yards to become the one of the first Hall of Fame tight ends in history. His three draft companions — guard Bob Cryder, running back Johnny Davis and nose tackle Terry Jones — all started at least 32 games each.
1989. Derrick Thomas was one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. The 1990s All-Decade selection was kept company by punter Chris Mohr (239 career games) and tight end Howard Cross, who played in 207 games and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants. Also notable was running back Bobby Humphrey, who earned a Pro Bowl invitation after he recorded 1,353 yards from scrimmage in his second season.

It should also be mentioned that the 2017 class featured 10 players, all of whom made regular-season rosters and eight of whom started at least one game. (Eddie Jackson, the last 'Bama pick, started all 16 games at safety for the Chicago Bears.)

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones has had a great NFL career. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

And then there were two …

Alabama's two best draft classes have both come on this side of the millennium. Here's our breakdown:

2000

Running back Shaun Alexander won the 2005 NFL MVP award after scoring a league-record 30 touchdowns. He led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl that year and recorded two other Pro Bowl seasons.
Tackle Chris Samuels started all 141 career games he appeared in. He earned six Pro Bowl invites and was considered one of the best offensive linemen of the 2000s.
Defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin played in 146 games, starting 130 of them. He played for the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV and recorded 29 career sacks.

2011

Wide receiver Julio Jones is currently one of the league's biggest stars. The five-time Pro Bowl selection put together an all-time great season in 2015 (136 receptions and 1,871 yards) before taking a more "mortal" role the past couple years.
Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus has put together a pair of Pro Bowl seasons and figures to be a key cog for the Jacksonville Jaguars defense in 2018. He was an All-Pro in 2015, when he recorded 10 sacks.
Running back Mark Ingram has been a bit of a late bloomer, recording his first two 1,000-yard rushing seasons over the past two years. His excellent 2017 campaign led to his second career Pro Bowl nod.
Tackle James Carpenter has started 48 consecutive games for the New York Jets and 87 games on his career.
Quarterback Greg McElroy only made two career appearances, though he found an excellent way to stay busy after the NFL.

The verdict

2011. A class with three Pro Bowl players is tough to beat, especially when most of them are still in or near their primes. Jones seems like a surefire Hall of Fame selection, while Dareus and Ingram are key starters on Super Bowl-contending teams. Carpenter has also been one of the most consistent and dependable linemen in the league over the past three seasons.

If you enjoyed this exercise, check out the version we did on DawgNation earlier this week with Georgia's draft classes.

Which NFL draft class is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.

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