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8 former SEC standouts included among NFL.com’s latest top 25 rookie rankings
By Jake Rill
Published:
There were 6 former Alabama players taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, which set a record. So it isn’t a surprise that many of these former Crimson Tide standouts are now off to a strong start at the professional level.
The NFL regular season is at about the quarter mark, with all 32 teams having played 4 of their 17 games. And now that we’ve gotten to see the rookies in action for the past month, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah figured it was a good time to rank the top 25 first-year players on Wednesday.
Although Jeremiah’s list is filled with former Alabama players, the highest ranked SEC player is actually from LSU. That’s Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who came in at No. 3 on the list. Chase has 17 receptions for 297 yards and 4 touchdowns in 4 games.
The list features 6 former Alabama players, led by New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones at No. 6. However, these 6 aren’t the exact 6 who were taken in the first round of this year’s draft. New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore was a second-round selection and was ranked No. 20.
Here are all the former SEC standouts who are included in the rankings
3. Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase (LSU)
6. New England Patriots QB Mac Jones (Alabama)
7. Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith (Alabama)
8. Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II (Alabama)
12. Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris (Alabama)
13. Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts (Florida)
16. Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle (Alabama)
20. New England Patriots DT Christian Barmore (Alabama)
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
