Alabama Football: Three Straight From Tide Roll Into The NFL Draft

Apr 25, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Alabama football cornerback Dee Milliner is introduced as the ninth overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft by the New York Jets at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama football head coach Nick Saban has an eye for talent. His top ranked recruiting classes year after year prove that. Saban and his staff also know a thing or two about developing players to meet their potential. That’s abundant clear in the NFL draft.

Three Saban pupils went No. 9, 10 and 11 in the 2013 installment: cornerback Dee Milliner (New York Jets); guard Chance Warmack (Tennessee Titans); and tackle D.J. Fluker (San Diego Chargers).

Saban’s professional pedigree has turned the Alabama Crimson Tide into a proving ground for the NFL, and those who play on Sunday have taken notice. Just look at Titans running back Chris Johnson’s reaction via Twitter to his team’s selection of Warmack:

Warmack and Fluker, along with center Barrett Jones, formed perhaps the best offensive line in college football. All three were All-America honorees. Their protection paved the way for running backs Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon to exceeded a combined 2400 yards rushing. Quarterback A.J. McCarron passed for 30 touchdowns and just three interceptions, standing strong in the pocket with the Tide line holding off the many talented defenses of the SEC.

Milliner was perhaps the best professional prospect of the three, at one point generating No. 1 overall pick buzz. The ball-hawking corner deflected 22 passes last season en route to All-America recognition.

Both Fluker and Milliner were five-star recruits out of high school. Their adding to the ongoing pipeline Saban’s established between Tuscaloosa and the NBA only makes the Tide coaching staff’s pitch to future five-star recruits easier.

Conversely, Warmack was a three-star prospect. Warmack is a testament to the coaching recruits brought into the Alabama football system