Top 10 NFL players from Alabama in 2022
Alabama’s football program has been the benchmark of the modern era and has provided many stars to the NFL. This has translated into an amazing selection of players from the college who continue to impress in the league in 2022.
Nick Saban has been the architect of the school’s modern success, with the organization winning 18 national championships. Six of Crimson Tide’s national titles have come with Saban at the helm, with his NFL experience proving vital to developing league-ready players.
Alabama has four Heisman Trophy winners to their name, and there has been a star-studded cast of players coming through their program. This makes it hugely difficult to narrow down a list of the top 10 NFL players from Alabama in 2022.
At the start of the 2022 season, there were 75 Alabama alumni playing in the league. Below, we will rank the top 10 players from Alabama who are currently active.
#10 Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
This could be a selection based on reputation rather than current output. However, Amari Cooper just sneaks into this list of the top 10 NFL players from Alabama in 2022.
A prodigiously gifted wide receiver, Cooper has made a career out of getting open in the backfield. He’s fantastically quick but has been unable to truly find a home in the NFL.
His best football came with the Dallas Cowboys and made two Pro Bowls with them in 2018 and 2019. In five of his eight seasons, Cooper has received for over 1,000 yards.
In 2022 he has four receiving touchdowns and 422 yards after seven games and is showing signs of rediscovering his best form with the Cleveland Browns.
#9 Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Josh Jacobs is having a breakthrough season in 2022. Having emerged from Alabama as one of the premier running backs in the 2019 draft, Jacobs has lived up to his potential.
It’s clear that the rusher would be on any list involving top players from Alabama to make it into the NFL. In his first two seasons, he rushed for 1,150 and 1,065 yards respectively, scoring 19 touchdowns along the way.
A difficult third campaign in 2021 saw his production drop to 872 yards and nine touchdowns, but it was still a largely positive season.
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Jacobs has taken his game to another level in 2022. After just six games, he has rushed for 633 yards, ranked fourth in the NFL, and has scored six touchdowns. He’s on course for a career year and a second Pro Bowl appearance.
Between Week 3 and Week 7 of the 2022 season, Josh Jacobs broke a Las Vegas Raiders record for the most consecutive games with 140+ rushing yards.
#8 Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
After taking time to find a starting spot in Philly, Jalen Hurts is now one of the best performing quarterbacks in the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles have started the season with a 6-0 record and Hurts has been ever-present in their success, throwing for six touchdowns and 1,514 yards. It follows an impressive 2021 season where he threw 16 touchdowns for a total of 3,144 yards and led the league in QB rushing yards and rushing TDs.
Hurts registered 19 rushing touchdowns in his first 24 NFL starts, smashing the record previously set by Cam Newton. At just 24 years of age, he is only going to get better and the Eagles will hope he can continue his incredible development in Philadelphia.
#7 Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
After being drafted sixth to reunite with college teammate Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle has been a star for the Miami Dolphins.
As a rookie, he scored six touchdowns and caught for 1,015 yards, but has gone to another level in 2022.
Waddle is clearly one of the top 10 players from Alabama to ply his trade in the NFL. In seven games this season, he has scored three touchdowns and caught for 621 yards in a revamped Dolphins offense.
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The presence of Tyreek Hill as WR1 has left Waddle as a secondary option, which makes his numbers even more impressive. He is ranked fourth in terms of yards, but has the lowest number of targets out of any of the top eight receivers.
#6 Patrick Surtain II, CB, Denver Broncos
Patrick Surtain II was one of the archetypal Alabama football prospects and arrived into the league as a pro-ready player.
As a rookie, he was one of the best corners in the league, adding incredible quality to the Denver Broncos' secondary. He was a natural in his position, registering four interceptions and 45 solo tackles in 2021, at just 21 years of age.
Surtain is one of the best athletes in the NFL. He holds a speed record for a defensive player in the NFL, having reached a top speed of 22.07 mph on a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown. This was incidentally the quickest recorded speed since 2016.
#5 Jonathan Allen, DT, Washington Commanders
As we hit the midway point in this list, Jonathan Allen may feel somewhat slighted to not have been positioned higher.
He has been the Swiss army knife of a defender since being drafted by the Washington Commanders in 2017. Allen has played all across the defensive line. He got to the quarterback as a defensive end and has been able to do so as a defensive tackle as well.
In 76 NFL starts he has recorded 29.5 sacks and 167 solo tackles. This includes 3.5 sacks and an interception in seven games played in 2022.
He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 and will look to add to that this year.
#4 Marlon Humphrey, CB, Baltimore Ravens
In 62 NFL starts, Marlon Humphrey has made 11 interceptions and has been a consistent presence on the Baltimore Ravens’ secondary.
Perhaps more of a physical cornerback than the athlete that Pat Surtain II is, Humphrey has recorded 248 solo tackles in his career. It's this style that has given him a place high on this list.
He fits the bill perfectly in Baltimore, a team that has been renowned for it’s ‘punch-on-the-nose’ defensive style. Humphrey is a monster. He disrupts plays and led the NFL in forced fumbles in 2020 with eight. A two-time Pro Bowler, Humphreys has also made the All-Pro first-team once.
The 2022 season has seen Humphrey focus more on attacking the ball in the air. After seven games, he has two picks, just one behind his career-best.
#3 Quinnen Williams, DT, New York Jets
Quinnen Williams could become one of the best players in the NFL in the near future.
Having been drafted as a physical playmaker out of Alabama, Williams has driven the New York Jets' defensive line to a level not seen for years. Making the third selection in this list may seem like a reach, but he seems to be a generational talent.
Few 6’3", 303 lb defensive tackles can move like Quinnen Williams. He can shed blocks with brute force and quick spin moves and is a constant threat to the O-Line.
In 44 NFL starts, Williams has 20.5 sacks. His 2022 season is shaping up to be a Pro Bowl level campaign as he already has five sacks after seven games and 13 QB hits.
His physicality at his size is amazing. Big money is coming for Williams in New York, and all he has to do is stay healthy and avoid injuries.
#2 Minkah Fitzpatrick, FS, Pittsburgh Steelers
Free Safeties rarely get the kind of plaudits that cornerbacks do. They tend not to make plays on the ball as often. Minkah Fitzpatrick, though, has been one of the rare cases where a free safety runs an entire defense.
His struggles in the NFL ended when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and he has been a star performer ever since. Fitzpatrick has been voted to the Pro Bowl three times in four seasons and has also made the All-Pro first-team on three occasions.
He is seen as the best safety in the NFL and one of the greatest players to come out of Alabama. His $73.6 million contract in Pittsburgh was a record for a safety in the league despite a dip in performance in 2021.
The 2022 season has seen Fitzpatrick regain his magic. Scoring one defensive touchdown sees him lead the league. Meanwhile, three interceptions after six games have him on course to break his own record of five in a single season.
#1 Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
Leading the selection of the top 10 NFL players from Alabama in 2022 is none other than Derrick Henry. This is not a surprising pick as he has been arguably the most dominant running back in the NFL for years.
His style isn’t attractive and doesn’t involve spin moves and highlight-reel jukes, but it is extremely effective. Henry’s pure brute force is enough to bully any defense. Very few running backs in modern times have put up the numbers he has with the Tennessee Titans.
In 2020, he led the league in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns for the second straight season. Henry managed to hit the milestone 2,000-yard mark that year, becoming just the eighth player in NFL history to do so.
It's worth noting that his production has dipped as injuries have caught up with his body, but 2022 could be his comeback year. He already has five touchdowns and 536 yards in six starts, putting him on course for a third Pro Bowl appearance.