NFL Draft 2025: Alabama's dominance fades, Auburn's doldrums continue

For a few moments late Friday evening, the NFL Draft belonged to Alabama once again.

One of the greatest running backs in program history, Shaun Alexander, stepped to the podium. He announced that his former franchise, the Seattle Seahawks, had just selected the last Alabama starting quarterback, Jalen Milroe.

The night's TV host, Alabama graduate Rece Davis, asked the show's draft expert, former Alabama coach Nick Saban, to share his insight on Milroe, whom Saban recruited, signed and developed at Alabama before his retirement a year ago.

It was a memorable snapshot framed in crimson, but the bigger picture told a different story. This program is no longer the all-purpose juggernaut it used to be from Signing Day to the National Championship Game to Draft Day.

Milroe went in the third round as the 92nd pick overall, the lowest an Alabama starting quarterback has been selected since Jake Coker went undrafted after leading the Crimson Tide to the 2015 national championship.

Milroe was one of seven Alabama players drafted, which ties for the program's fewest overall selections since five heard their names called in 2011. Far worse, Alabama finished tied for fourth in the SEC, its lowest position since 2009, and tied for sixth nationally, its lowest spot there since 2011. ...

So Kalen DeBoer has his work cut out for him in terms of recruiting and development, but it could be worse. He could be staring at Hugh Freeze's much taller task at Auburn. ...

Read Kevin's full column in The Birmingham News.