How many Alabama players will be drafted in Round 1?
There are only three guarantees in life: Death, taxes, and Alabama head coach Nick Saban sending a hoard of prospects to the NFL every year.
The reigning national champs will wave goodbye to another group in 2021. But the precise number is important, particularly in the first round, as oddsmakers have set an over/under on how many Alabama players will go off the board.
Let's dive into the prices and draft outlooks.
Alabama players selected in Round 1Over 5.5: -200
Under 5.5: +155
Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones, wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, and cornerback Patrick Surtain II are first-round locks barring something unforeseen. They all could realistically be selected within the first 10 picks, too.
Running back Najee Harris and center Landon Dickerson will be the players who decide the outcome of this prop.
The market is expecting Harris to be a Day 1 pick. His draft spot over/under is currently 25.5, with the over a chalky -200. However, over bettors should be sweating because of how the league has approached running backs early in recent drafts. Only five have been selected in the first round over the last three years.
Dickerson, meanwhile, possesses Day 1 upside, but a torn ACL suffered in December makes his draft status uncertain. theScore's Mike Alessandrini ranked him as the No. 8 offensive-line prospect in the class, and his demonstrated versatility after playing all five O-line spots could lure a team toward the end of Round 1.
Another wild card who might sneak up draft boards over the next week is defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
He racked up six sacks in as many games to conclude his redshirt sophomore campaign, standing out with dominant efforts against Notre Dame and Ohio State during the College Football Playoff. Although he's a low-floor, high-ceiling prospect, Barmore is only 21 with a solid resume built while playing for the country's top program. That'll certainly make him coveted.
Best bet: Under 5.5 (+155)Roughly the first 15 picks will suck for under bettors here, but I think you'll be just fine in the end.
No Alabama program has ever produced more than four first-rounders, let alone six. Harris isn't necessarily a lock, Dickerson comes with injury concerns, and a team really needs to fall in love with Barmore's skill set to nab him, likely over the last few picks during the opening round.
If last year's LSU squad - which was given a whopping over/under of 14 first-rounders - couldn't get this home (five Tigers were selected in Round 1), Alabama won't do it this year either.
Make the plus-money play on the under.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.
Copyright (C) 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.