It’s NFL draft week, which in recent years has meant that Alabama players have often been prominently involved.
The Crimson Tide has had at least one first-round pick for 16 consecutive years, and is likely to have a couple more when the 2025 draft begins on Thursday. One of those Alabama first-round picks from years past was running back Mark Ingram, who was drafted No. 28 overall by the New Orleans Saints in 2011.
Ingram now co-hosts the Triple Option podcast with former college and NFL coach Urban Meyer and Fox Sports broadcaster Rob Stone. They had as their guest on Tuesday Todd McShay, longtime NFL draft analyst for ESPN who now works at The Ringer.
When the subject of mock drafts came up, Ingram asked McShay if he was surprised that the Alabama Heisman Trophy winner slipped to No. 28. Yes, McShay replied, noting he had slotted Ingram somewhere in the Top 15.
It was those mock drafts — which most analysts constantly update throughout the draft process — that have caused some trouble for McShay over the years. At least one coach who used to work in Tuscaloosa would often take issue with McShay’s mock drafts, with Nick Saban feeling that including too many Crimson Tide players in the first round might encourage them to leave for the NFL before they were read.
“Five or six times in the decades that he was there, I’d get that call from (Saban’s secretary) Mrs. Linda’s phone, setting up a call for Nick to get after me, ‘you’re too high on this guy,’” McShay said. “And he was right once or twice. I was right once or twice. … When (players) were making decisions (whether or not to enter the draft), they saw a mock draft with my name on top of it and (Saban) was pissed off. He’s not the only coach. I’ve had plenty.”
But, as Ingram noted, there was one notable case where the draft analysts knew better than Saban. The coach had tried to convince cornerback Kareem Jackson to stay in school following his 2009 junior season, only to see him get selected No. 20 overall by the Houston Texans.
Jackson is still playing in the NFL, having spent the 2024 season with the Buffalo Bills.
So did McShay project Jackson to go in the first round, Ingram asked?
“No,” he replied.
“Nobody did,” Ingram said, before adding, “Kareem wanted to leave; Coach Saban wanted him to come back. Kareem was like ‘I’m leaving.’ Kareem went No. 20. I think he just finished his 15th year, too. So, kudos to him.”
