The 2024 NFL Draft begins on April 25 in Detroit, with 32 first-round picks. In the 88 NFL drafts, clubs selected 128 candidates from Alabama high schools and universities in the first round, as well as 29 who were not first-round picks but were in the top 32. AL.com is counting down to the draft by spotlighting players with Alabama football origins who were selected in the first 32 choices.
In the 2020 and 2021 drafts, NFL teams selected Alabama All-Americans with the 15th overall pick.
Jeudy and Jones are the most recent of the five prospects who played at Alabama high schools and colleges to enter the NFL as the 15th draft pick:
· Defensive back Ed Salem (Ramsay, Alabama): 1951 by the Washington Redskins. After a do-it-all career at Alabama, Salem joined Washington as the first pick in the second round in 1951. He intercepted five passes in 12 games as a rookie, then signed to play with the Montreal Alouettes and set a league record by kicking a 53-yard field goal in 1952. After one season in Canada, Salem returned home to Birmingham and opened Ed Salem’s Drive-In to start his business career.
· Offensive tackle Wayne Gandy (Auburn): 1994 by the Los Angeles Rams. Gandy played in 219 games in 15 NFL seasons and was a starter in all but the last of those campaigns. He and Takeo Spikes are the only former Auburn players with at least 200 NFL starts.
· Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (Alabama): 2020 by the Denver Broncos. Jeudy recorded 211 receptions for 3,053 yards and 11 touchdowns in four seasons with the Broncos.
· Quarterback Mac Jones (Alabama): 2021 by the New England Patriots. Jones started every game for New England and played in the Pro Bowl to cap his rookie season. But in 2023, he lost the starting job and watched the final six games from the sidelines.
