Three Crimson Tide Products Poised for Breakout NFL Season: Just A Minute

Many former Alabama standouts are on the cusp of their NFL primes.

Jan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of the NFC Championship football game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring BamaCentral's Alabama beat writers. Multiple times a week, the writers will group up to provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral staff writer Hunter De Siver discusses Alabama football products dominating the NFL.

Just one day before the NFL regular season kicks off with the Baltimore Ravens going head-to-head with the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, former Alabama and current Denver Broncos standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II signed a 4-year extension.

Surtain's extension, which makes him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, helped Crimson Tide products in the NFL reach a combined $1 billion in signings from this offseason. Yes, you read that correctly. The NFL has been kind to former Alabama standouts this offseason, as many of them signed with new teams or were heavily extended by their current clubs.

Many of these players plus dozens of others who are on the same team as last year have high expectations coming into the 2024-25 season. Here are three former Alabama players who are poised for a breakout season:

Jameson Williams

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams was labeled by head coach Dan Campbell as the most improved player on the team by stating "he's a man on a mission." Ahead of his first career Week 1 game, as he tore his ACL while with Alabama prior to the 2022-23 NFL season and was suspended for a few games from a gambling violation before last season, Williams' elite speed and deep-threat ability should really carry him on a Lions team with Super Bowl expectations.

Xavier McKinney

After spending his first four seasons with the New York Giants, safety Xavier McKinney signed with the Green Bay Packers earlier this offseason. Throughout his tenure in New York, McKinney was above average at the position among the rest of the league. A fresh start on a team loaded with youth talent like the 26-year-old himself could be extremely beneficial to his development.

Will Anderson Jr.

Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. had a stellar first season as he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Texans made a ton of additions this offseason on both sides of the ball and are emerging as a threat in the AFC. One of those additions was edge rusher Danielle Hunter. As Anderson only continues to grow his game, learning from a 4-time Pro Bowler should provide a massive boost.