Two of Alabama's Best From 2018 Season Named Top 40 NFL Players of 2024

Monday's No. 40-31 selections in the annual "Top 100 NFL Players" list included two former Alabama teammates who made perhaps the largest impacts on their respective sides of the ball during the 2018 college football season.

Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (92) celebrates an Alabama sack during first half action of the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday December 1, 2018. Sec35 / Mickey Welsh

The NFL consistently includes several former Alabama Crimson Tide standouts in the annual "Top 100 NFL Players" list and seven players made the cut coming into Monday.

• No. 90: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith
• No. 79: Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick
• No. 70: Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper
• No. 63: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle
• No. 54: Washington Commanders defensive lineman Jonathan Allen
• No. 52: Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II
• No. 49: Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry

On Monday's No. 40-31 installment, two more Crimson Tide products joined the prestigious list, as New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams landed at the No. 37 spot and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was placed right in front of him at No. 36.

What's unique about Williams and Tagovailoa is that they were teammates while at Alabama and made perhaps the largest impacts on their respective sides of the ball during the 2018 college football season.

Tagovailoa became the Crimson Tide's Week 1 starter for the 2018 season after subbing in for then-starter Jalen Hurts in the CFP National Championship and winning the game in heroic overtime fashion that past January. He dominated throughout his first season as Alabama's starting quarterback as he won the Maxwell Award and was named the SEC Player of the Year, a Consensus All-American and a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Similar to Tagovailoa, Williams also became the Crimson Tide's starter entering the 2018 season. He went on to win the Outland Trophy and the Bill Willis trophy while also being named a Unanimous All-American and an All-SEC First Team member. Williams' eight sacks were the sixth-most in the SEC and his 20 tackles for loss were the 10th-most in all of college football.

These two led Alabama to an undefeated regular season that started in Week 1 with the Tide as the No. 1 team in the AP poll and ended around a dozen weeks later in that same position at the top of the mountain. However, Clemson would destroy Alabama's hopes of winning back-to-back titles with a crushing 44-16 victory over the Tide in the CFP National Championship.

Nevertheless, they've continued to impact their respective teams since they arrived in the NFL, especially this past season.

Tagovailoa threw an NFL-best 4,624 yards in 2023-24, while also tallying 29 passing touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance. After much anticipation and disputes, he signed a 4-year, $212.4 million contract extension with his team on July 26, making his $53.1 million annual salary the third-highest in the league. This is Tagovailoa's second time on an NFL Top 100 list as he was ranked No. 82 by his fellow players in 2023.

Williams earned his second-straight Pro Bowl appearance this past season after recording a career-high 62 tackles, with 11 for loss, including a safety, 20 quarterback hits and 5.5 sacks. The third overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft has truly emerged as one of the league's best defensive tackles. In 2022-23, he was named the No. 40 player in the NFL Top 100 after recording what remains career highs in sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits while being named a First Team All-Pro and receiving the seventh-most votes for Defensive Player of the Year.

More Crimson Tide products could be featured on the "Top 100 NFL Players" list:

• Tuesday, July 30: No. 30-21
• Wednesday, July 31: No. 20-11
• Friday, August 2: No. 10-1