Building a 53-man NFL roster in 2024 using only former Alabama players (Defense)

Alright, it’s time for our annual all-Alabama NFL roster. If you’re not familiar with this exercise, we’re building an NFL team using exclusively former UA players. It’s important to note that you have to approach it like an NFL general manager though. This is a 53-man roster, so tough decisions will have to be made in order to build a complete team capable of competing for a Super Bowl.

So, who’s eligible for this roster? Well, any former Alabama player who is either 1) currently on an NFL roster or 2) spent at least a portion of last season on an active roster or practice squad. This doesn’t include the undrafted free agents last year who didn’t make an active roster or practice squad once the season got underway. An example of that would be players such as DJ Dale , Jaylen Moody or Emil Ekiyor Jr. On the other hand, a more established player such as O.J. Howard does qualify because he has proven it more on the NFL level.

Even though we’re building a fictitious roster, I tried to make this as realistic as possible. Age is taken into consideration, as is potential role (whether it be a specialized role or something that’s needed on special teams). This is not an all-time Alabama team. Once again, this is strictly current players in the NFL or guys who were in the league as recently as last season. And if a guy made a decision in real life such as retirement ( Damien Harris , for example), then decision that is taken into consideration despite them technically still being eligible.

Also keep in mind that there is an all-Alabama practice squad available too. It can be up to 16 players, but not just anyone can go on it. It has to be a guy who — at least to some degree — makes sense. I’ll give you an example. If a starting offensive tackle were to get cut in this exercise because there isn’t room for him, then I can’t just stick him on the practice squad. Why? Because another NFL team would almost certainly snag him up.

OK, let’s continue on with the defense.

Defensive Linemen (6)

53-man roster: Quinnen Williams , Jonathan Allen , Daron Payne , Christian Barmore , Dalvin Tomlinson , Justin Eboigbe

Practice squad: LaBryan Ray , Da’Shawn Hand

Cut: Raekwon Davis , Jarran Reed , A’Shawn Robinson , Byron Young , Phidarian Mathis , Isaiah Buggs

Thoughts: Some tough decisions had to be made here. Almost all of the cuts were hard. Davis just signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts and expects to be a starter. Reed and Robinson are both either over 30 or about to be 30, but they’re still quality starters for their respective teams. Young and Mathis are young, promising talents with plenty of upside, and Buggs has far exceeded his sixth-round draft status. Yet, none of these guys made this all-Alabama roster. That speaks volumes to the quality of depth at this position.

Some might argue that Davis, Reed or even Robinson should’ve made it over the fourth-round rookie Justin Eboigbe. I certainly get that argument, but as you’ll soon see, the edge depth is somewhat lacking. No, I don’t think Eboigbe is an every-down edge by any means, but he can at least handle some early-down work out there like he did at Alabama. Or at the very, very least, he can provide some depth out there in case of injuries. That’s why I have him making this 53-man roster over those guys. Plus, I believe he’s a strong 4i or 5-technique option in those odd fronts.

Here’s how I have the odd-man fronts as of right now:

DE: Jonathan Allen / Justin Eboigbe

NT: Daron Payne / Dalvin Tomlinson

DT: Quinnen Williams / Christian Barmore

Understand that you’re also going to see a lot of even fronts with two defensive linemen, two edge rushers and a nickel look on the backend with five defensive backs. In fact, I’d expect that to be the case more often than not in today’s game, which is why I wasn’t as worried about adding a seventh defensive lineman. Six players managing two interior spots makes this room three-deep instead of two. Here’s how I have the depth for those even fronts:

NT: Quinnen Williams / Daron Payne / Dalvin Tomlinson

DT: Jonathan Allen / Christian Barmore / Justin Eboigbe

So of the six guys to make the final cut, three are former first-round picks (Williams, Allen and Payne) with two of the other three (Barmore and Tomlinson) being second-round selections. Then you’ve got Eboigbe, who went early on Day 3, but that’s partly due to the neck injury he suffered in 2022. Wide receiver might be the most loaded position group on the offense, but there’s at least an argument to be made for the defensive line — or another group coming up on defense — to be the most loaded on the entire roster. Eboigbe isn’t a known commodity just yet, but the rest of these guys are already some of the best at their position.

Edge Players (4)

53-man roster: Will Anderson , Dallas Turner , Chris Braswell , Anfernee Jennings

Practice squad: Terrell Lewis

Cut: None

Thoughts: I originally had Lewis making the 53-man roster out of pure necessity (numbers shortage), but I needed his roster spot elsewhere. Between Eboigbe and one or two of the off-ball linebackers, I think we can make the four true edge rushers work, especially when there’s this much talent in that room. A couple of years ago, this position for an all-Alabama NFL team was a weakness, but seeing two top-17 selections (Anderson and Turner) and a second-rounder (Braswell) in the past two drafts really bolstered the overall talent and depth.

The combination of Anderson, Turner and Braswell was electric at Alabama, and we’re expecting that to continue on the next level. Anderson earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for his 45 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, seven sacks and 22 QB hits. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he was one of the top edges in the NFL in 2024. Turner and Braswell are only rookies, so they could take some time to develop into consistent terrors, but once they do, this unit is going to be hard to stop. Jennings isn’t considered a high-level pass rusher, but he’s a strong edge setter in the run game who can complement these other guys.

Lewis was a third-round pick (No. 84 overall) a few years ago, but he hasn’t been able to find his footing in the league. He spent the first 2.5 years with the team that drafted him, the Los Angeles Rams, before finishing out the 2022 season on the Bears practice squad and active roster. Then in 2023, he spent about a month (September to October) playing on the Saints’ practice squad before signing a reserve/future contract with the Eagles back in January. At just 25 years old, there’s still some untapped potential here, but he just hasn’t done enough to earn a spot on this all-Alabama 53-man roster. If he has a strong training camp, maybe that will change.

Yes, I’m somewhat worried about the depth and overall youth here, but the long-term upside is up there with the top teams in the NFL. If there were ever a shortage at off-ball linebacker, Turner has the versatility to play there, but that would probably affect the edge depth too much.

Off-Ball Linebackers (5)

53-man roster: C.J. Mosley , Christian Harris , Henry To’oTo’o , Mack Wilson , Rashaan Evans

Practice squad: None

Cut: None

Thoughts: At one point a few years ago, this might’ve been Alabama’s deepest position group. Not only did you have two Day 1 talents in Mosley and Evans, but you also had names like Dont’a Hightower , Reuben Foster and Reggie Ragland . Hightower is now 34 years old and retired, injury issues have kept Foster in the UFL and Ragland has fallen by the wayside. Plus, Evans has had a harder time finding work in recent years.

I still think this group is in pretty good shape though.

Yes, Mosley will turn 32 years old next month, but he’s still playing at a high level with 152 tackles in 2023. Harris is a young, ascending linebacker with the Texans, Wilson is a borderline starter and To’oTo’o posted a solid rookie campaign (61 tackles, forced fumble in 15 games) playing alongside Harris. I don’t think this position is as strong as it’s been in recent years, but it’s still pretty good. And if Harris can go from being good to great in his third season, then it can be really good. Plus, I think the combination of To’oTo’o, Wilson and Evans can be strong on special teams.

Evans hasn’t done much as an edge rusher since getting to the NFL back in 2018, but the 28-year-old still has juice left if this all-Alabama squad needs him to provide some spot snaps out there. Harris can probably do the same in emergency situations. So in other words, Eboigbe, Evans and possibly Harris can help with the numbers out on the edge if that becomes an issue. Hightower would’ve been perfect for that type of role, but he’s rode off into the sunset. Oh well.

Cornerbacks (5)

53-man roster: Patrick Surtain II , Marlon Humphrey , Trevon Diggs , Terrion Arnold , Kool-Aid McKinstry

Practice squad: Josh Jobe

Cut: Levi Wallace , Eli Ricks , Anthony Averett , Jalyn Armour-Davis , Tony Brown

Thoughts: Once again, there were tough decisions made here. Wallace and Ricks are both former undrafted free agents who have far exceeded that status on the next level. Averett has also been a reliable starter in the past. Any of those guys — plus Armour-Davis and Brown — would make for quality depth at cornerback, but just look at those names who made the team. Similar to other positions on the list, you’ve got three Day 1 picks and two Day 2 selections.

It’s not just about draft status either.

Surtain and Humphrey are both considered top-10 cornerbacks in the NFL, so this is easily the best tandem the league would have to offer. Not only that, but Diggs is a high-end starter too. Mix those three with the immense upside of Arnold and McKinstry, and this all-Alabama defense could withstand any possible injuries at cornerback. Surtain, Diggs and McKinstry are probably best served out on the perimeter, but Humphrey and Arnold are both capable of providing depth in the slot.

Should an injury happen to either one of this team’s starting safeties, you might see the starting slot kick back to safety. At that point, you’d probably see one of two things: 1) Arnold come off the bench to replace in the slot or 2) Humphrey slide inside with either Diggs, Arnold or McKinstry replacing him on the outside. I love the complete skill sets of this group, but my favorite aspect is the physicality that most of them play with. I’d argue that Humphrey and Arnold are two of the most physical corners we’ve seen at Alabama. McKinstry isn’t too far behind them either.

Good luck trying to throw the football against these guys. I don’t care how many weapons you have in your passing game. This all-Alabama squad has an answer for anyone and everyone.

Safeties (5)

53-man roster: Minkah Fitzpatrick , Xavier McKinney , Brian Branch , Jordan Battle , DeMarcco Hellams

Practice squad: Jaylen Key

Cut: Eddie Jackson , Kareem Jackson , Ronnie Harrison

Thoughts: No, safety isn’t quite as deep as cornerback, but there are some high-end, impact starters at the top with promising players rounding things out down at the bottom. I mean, the pay reflects the impact at the top. With McKinney signing a four-year, $67 million deal with the Packers this offseason, Alabama now has two of the top-5 highest-paid safeties in the NFL with Fitzpatrick checking in at No. 3 (four years, $73 million).

Last year, McKinney was one of just four players to total more than 100 tackles (116), three-plus interceptions (3), 10-plus pass deflections (11), a forced fumble (1) and a fumble recovery (2), according to the official website for the Packers . Over his first four seasons, he’s started 46 of the 49 regular season games he’s played in. Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, has started 84 games (playing in 89) through his first six years while totaling 19 interceptions. No, he didn’t have any in 2023, but he averaged 4.3 over the previous four years. Fitzpatrick is turning 28 years old later this year and McKinney will only turn 25 in August, so this tandem should be around a while.

Branch will man the nickel spot after coming off a spectacular rookie season in that role (63 tackles, three interceptions, seven tackles for loss, a sack, 13 pass deflections, a forced fumble, three QB hits and a defensive touchdown). In fact, his performance earned him a top-5 finish for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. His versatility to play in the slot or move back to safety raises the level of the entire secondary, as you can work more of those highly-impact corners into the lineup in the event of an injury. Here’s how I have the hypothetical depth chart projected right now:

LCB: Marlon Humphrey / Trevon Diggs / Terrion Arnold

RCB: Patrick Surtain II / Kool-Aid McKinstry

Slot: Brian Branch / Terrion Arnold

SS: Xavier McKinney / Brian Branch / Jordan Battle / DeMarcco Hellams

FS: Minkah Fitzpatrick / Xavier McKinney

I know fans might be upset that Hellams made the roster over Jackson, but keep in mind that Jackson is 30 years old and was recently released by the Bears after a rocky season in 2023. He still hasn’t signed with a new team either. When considering these bottom of the roster spots, you have to take special teams impact into account. Hellams has youth (23 years old), high-upside as a special teams ace and at 6-foot-1, 213 pounds with a physical skill set, the ability to play some dime linebacker if injuries were to hit the second level of this defense.

Harrison has some of these attributes as well, but I still think Hellams is growing as a player. He might never be as good of a safety as some of these other guys, but he’s a high-upside special teams contributor with a chance at becoming a quality sub-package player at some point. I’m confident in my decision to keep him over the other two. After being Mr. Irrelevant in the 2024 draft, Key is a perfect candidate to land on the practice squad. Who knows where he might go from there. Either way, this is a strong group.

Specialists (3)

53-man roster: Will Reichard , JK Scott , Carson Tinker

Practice squad: None

Cut: None

Thoughts: Well, this worked out pretty well. Not only did Alabama finally get its first kicker drafted into the NFL just a few weeks ago, but long snapper Carson Tinker was also on the Rams last season. So even though he’s currently a free agent, that counts toward making him eligible for this list. That means, for the first time, we have a complete three-man group for the specialists.

Scott’s 42.3 yards per punt in 2023 was slightly above average (tied for No. 14 in the NFL). Between that and Reichard being the first kicker off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, this all-Alabama team should field quality kicking games. UA fans understand the importance of those positions too. Why? Because they’ve seen the Crimson Tide with and without those two players.

Total Defense/Specialists: 28 players

This all-Alabama defense is particularly strong on the interior of the defensive line and in the secondary. At the top, the edge rushers have as much talent as anyone, but the number of capable bodies remains a slight issue. The development of Harris at linebacker is critical in my opinion. Overall, I love the combination of players. There are run-stoppers for early downs, and a pass rush-secondary that could create havoc for opposing offenses. Plus, you have to feel good about how the specialists fit into the equation.

So how good can this team be? Is it capable of winning a Super Bowl? Head on over to the Round Table message board and share your thoughts.

[MORE] Building a 53-man NFL roster using former Alabama players (Offense)

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