Alabama Wide Receiver Jermaine Burton Selected in the NFL Draft

Alabama Wide Receiver Jermaine Burton becomes the sixth Crimson Tide product selected.

Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jermaine Burton (3) celebrates after winning the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Former University of Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton was selected with the 80th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Burton becomes the sixth Crimson Tide prospect to hear his name called in this year's draft, as he joins, offensive tackle JC Latham (Tennessee Titans, seventh overall), edge rusher Dallas Turner (Minnesota Vikings, 17th overall), cornerback Terrion Arnold (Detroit Lions, 24th overall), Kool-Aid McKinstry (New Orleans Saints, 41st overall) and edge rusher Chris Braswell (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 57th overall pick).

Burton becomes the second Crimson Tide product on the Bengals, joining safety Jordan Battle.

"Jermaine Burton is a tremendous competitor," former Alabama head coach Nick Saban said during the NFL Draft broadcast. "He's got great quickness. He's got really good speed. He can come in and out of a break. He can beat man-to-man. I really, really like this guy."

Although Burton was Alabama’s leading receiver last season, finished with a team-high 798 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 receptions, his numbers may have been skewed somewhat by the Crimson Tide’s quarterback competition that went well beyond fall camp.

Over his collegiate career, he made 132 receptions for 2,376 yards (18.0 average) and 23 touchdowns. As a senior Burton averaged 20.5 yards per reception which led the SEC and ranked sixth nationally. The year before, with Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young, he had 40 catches for 677 yards (16.9 average), and seven touchdowns.

Burton played in 10 games as a true freshman at Georgia in 2020, and over two seasons had 53 receptions for 901 yards and eight touchdowns before heading to Tuscaloosa as a transfer.

NFL Draft Bible had Burton rated as the No. 116 player overall, and 22nd  among wide receivers. However, in its final seven-round mock draft PFF had him at No. 83 overall going to the Los Angeles Rams: “Burton is an explosive athlete (11-foot-1 broad jump) whose 1,210 receiving yards on passes 20-plus yards downfield led all SEC wide receivers over the past four years.”

Wrote PFF’s Trevor Sikkema: "You watch this guy, he's not the biggest dude in the world, but his movement skills are fantastic. I'm a sucker for a good separator and this guy gets off the line of scrimmage, a wide variety of releases, how quickly he can get off press."