Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was left on the sidelines following round one of the NFL draft. CBS Sports sponsored seven mock drafts to forecast what might happen during the first round. Only one of those predictions had Milroe going Thursday night, and that turned out to be generous. Things went better for two former offensive linemen for the Crimson Tide.
If Alabama's Tyler Booker ends up as the replacement for retiring perennial All-Pro Zack Martin at right guard with the Dallas Cowboys, he understands the magnitude.
"I watched Zack Martin a lot growing up. He's a Hall of Famer," Booker said Thursday night after the Cowboys made him the 12th overall pick in the NFL draft. "But I think I would be doing me and the organization a disservice by going there and trying to be Zack Martin. I'm going to be Tyler Booker."
It was a somewhat surprising choice for a club without an overwhelming need, but with priorities seemingly higher than another blocker, despite the recent retirement of Martin, a seven-time All-Pro. The Cowboys got Martin with the 16th overall pick 11 years ago, and there was a sense that Dallas might trade down because of the draft's depth at running back and receiver, two positions of need.
Dallas stayed put, and took an offensive lineman in the first round for the third time in the past four drafts. The Cowboys also did that from 2011-14, first with tackle Tyron Smith, followed by center Travis Frederick in 2013 and Martin a year later. That trio finished their careers with a combined 22 Pro Bowls and 10 All-Pro nods.
The Philadelphia Eagles moved up one spot in the NFL draft to select Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell of Alabama with the thirty first overall pick on Thursday night. Campbell is a native of nearby Erial, New Jersey, and he spent his first three years of high school at Timber Creek — about 17 miles from Philadelphia's home stadium, Lincoln Financial Field. The 6-foot-3, 244-pound Campbell had 54 solo tackles, five sacks and one interception last season in 13 games while hampered by injury.
Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman said the Eagles had Campbell among the best 10 players on their draft board.
"For us, this was an easy pick," Roseman said. "Real explosive player. He can play inside, be an edge rusher. Just really feel fortunate to bring him home back to Philly."
Roseman dismissed any concerns over Campbell's injury history.
"We have a lot of confidence this guy is going to be here and play at a really high level for a long time," he said.
The reigning champion Eagles held the thirty first pick but swapped with their Super Bowl foe, Kansas City, to select Campbell. He spent his final season of high school at IMG Academy in Florida before choosing Alabama over Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M. In three seasons for the Crimson Tide, he had 184 total tackles in 35 games.
"We think he's a versatile player who can do a lot of different things," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "The main thing you see is the speed that he plays with, the relentless effort, and that plays on defense."
Roseman said he tried to move up higher in the draft to select Campbell and was finally able to make a deal with Kansas City to ensure the Eagles got the player they wanted.
"We're very excited about what he's going to bring to the team," Roseman said. "This wasn't a need pick. There were other players we liked at the spot we were picking, but this stood out to us. Very excited to get him, and we didn't want to lose him."
We’ll see how former quarterback Jalen Milroe does in round two.
