Could Alabama Beat an NFL Team?

We all know that the SEC is the best conference in college football, but could an SEC team actually beat an NFL team? Let’s take a look at the evidence.

Introduction

In recent years, the question of whether a college football team could beat an NFL team has come up more and more. And it’s not just a question that fans are asking – it’s one that oddsmakers are starting to take seriously. In 2015, oddsmakers released odds on whether or not the Crimson Tide could beat the Detroit Lions, and they weren’t exactly optimistic.

given that Alabama is consistently ranked as one of the top college football teams in the country, while the Lions have been one of the NFL’s worst teams in recent years, it’s not surprising that oddsmakers thought the Tide would have a chance.

Interestingly, oddsmakers aren’t the only ones who think Alabama could give an NFL team a run for their money. NFL players have also weighed in on the matter, and some believe that the Crimson Tide could actually pull off the upset.

So, could Alabama beat an NFL team? It’s certainly possible – but it would be far from easy.

Theoretical Matchups

It’s a common question among football fans: could Alabama beat an NFL team? The answer, of course, is theoretical. Alabama has some of the best college football players in the country, but they would be up against professionals who have been playing at the highest level for years. Nevertheless, it’s fun to imagine how such a matchup would play out.

Quarterbacks

In the NFL, the average quarterback is about 6’2” and 221 pounds. The average NFL quarterback also has a wingspan of about 77 inches. The average NFL quarterback can run a 40-yard dash in about 4.8 seconds.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the quarterbacks in the SEC:

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama – 6’1”, 218 pounds, 74-inch wingspan, 4.63 40-yard dash

Joe Burrow, LSU – 6’4”, 216 pounds, 78.5-inch wingspan, 4.86 40-yard dash

Jake Fromm, Georgia – 6’2”, 220 pounds, 76-inch wingspan, 4.81 40-yard dash

As you can see, the SEC quarterbacks are all pretty similar in size to the average NFL quarterback. And while Burrow and Fromm might be a little thicker than the average NFL quarterback, they both have longer arms which should help them make throws into tighter windows at the next level. Tagovailoa is a little shorter than the others but he makes up for it with his exceptional mobility; his 4.63 40 time is very impressive for a quarterback his size.

Running Backs

In order for Alabama to have a chance against an NFL team, they would need to have a few key players. Their starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, would need to be in the game. He is a left-handed quarterback, which could give the opposing team’s defense some trouble. Another player who would need to be on the field is running back, Najee Harris. Harris is 6’2″ and 232 pounds. He ran a 4.64 second 40-yard dash at the 2021 NFL Combine. He also recorded a vertical jump of 34 inches and a broad jump of 120 inches. His combination of size and speed makes him a difficult player to tackle.

Wide Receivers

In the National Football League (NFL), the average yards per reception (YPR) for a wide receiver was 11.1 in 2019. In the same year, the leading wide receiver in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) — college football’s premier conference — was Jerry Jeudy of Alabama, who averaged 19.3 YPR. Thus, it is reasonable to think that Jeudy, if he were in the NFL, would be one of its leading wide receivers. But could he play at an All-Pro level?

To answer this question, let’s compare Jeudy’s production to that of two recent NFL All-Pro wide receivers: Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons and Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints. In 2019, Jones averaged 16.9 YPR and Thomas 17.0 YPR. SoJeudy was better than both of them in terms of YPR. But yards per reception is not the only stat that matters for wide receivers; catches and touchdowns are also important. In 2019, Jones had 99 catches and six touchdowns, while Thomas had 149 catches and nine touchdowns. Jeudy’s 2019 numbers were lower: 77 catches and 10 touchdowns.

Thus, while Jeudy was better than Jones and Thomas in terms of YPR, he was worse than them in terms of catches and touchdowns. This suggests that Jeudy would not be an All-Pro wide receiver if he were in the NFL; he would be a good receiver, but not one of the best in the league.

Offensive Line

In order for any football team to be successful, they must first have a good offensive line. The offensive line is responsible for protecting the quarterback and opening up holes for the running backs. Alabama has one of the best offensive lines in all of college football. They have been able to protect their quarterback and open up holes for their running backs all season long.

The NFL is a different animal altogether. The defensive lines in the NFL are much bigger, stronger, and faster than those in college football. Alabama would not be able to protect their quarterback or open up holes for their running backs against an NFL defensive line.

Defensive Line

The defensive line is one of the most important units on any football team. A good defensive line can pressure the quarterback, stuff the run, and force turnovers. A bad defensive line can get pushed around, give up big plays, and put too much pressure on the rest of the defense.

Alabama has a very good defensive line. In fact, some people think they have the best defensive line in college football. But could they compete with an NFL team?

The short answer is no. The average NFL offensive lineman is bigger, stronger, and more experienced than the average college defensive lineman. NFL teams also have more time to prepare for specific opponents than college teams do. So while Alabama might be able to hang with an NFL team for a while, they would eventually get overpowered.

Linebackers

TheoreticalMatchups.com is a website dedicated to exploring unlikely sporting scenarios. One of the most popular matchup questions is whether or not a college team could beat an NFL team. Alabama has one of the best line backing corps in recent memory. Let’s take a look at how they match up against some of the NFL’s best.

The NFL’s best linebackers according to PFF’s 2019 rankings are:

1. Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers – 90.4
2. Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks – 89.7
3. Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs – 89.4
4. Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons – 87.8
5. Telvin Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars – 87.7
6. C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens – 86.9
7. Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills – 86
8. Benardrick McKinney, Houston Texans – 85.9
9. Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh Steelers- 85

Defensive Backs

The conventional wisdom is that an NFL team would manhandle a college team. After all, the NFL is the highest level of competitive football in the world, while college football is, well, just college football. Right?

Not so fast. While it’s true that the NFL is filled with players who are bigger, faster and stronger than their counterparts in college, there’s one position where the average college player might actually have an advantage: defensive back.

That’s because NFL teams increasingly are using larger and more physical receivers, which has created a need for bigger and more physical defensive backs to match up against them. The average NFL receiver is now 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, while the average defensive back is just 5-foot-10 and 193 pounds.

In other words, the average college defensive back would actually have a size advantage over the average NFL receiver. Of course, that doesn’t mean that a college team could beat an NFL team – there are far too many other factors to consider for that to be a realistic possibility. But if we’re just talking about defensive backs vs. receivers, it’s not as clear-cut as you might think.

Special Teams

In the NFL, the average winner scores about 24 points and the average losing team scores about 14. So, if Alabama only scored 14 points, they would lose to an NFL team. If they scored 24 points, they would have a chance to win, but it would be a close game. If they score more than 24 points, then they would probably win.

But, there is one area where Alabama could really hold their own against an NFL team: special teams. The Crimson Tide have an excellent kicking game and their punters are among the best in the country. They also have good returners who could make a big difference in a close game.

So, while it is unlikely that Alabama could beat an NFL team outright, they could certainly give them a run for their money on special teams.

Conclusion

The answer to this question is a resounding no. There is no way that Alabama could beat an NFL team. The gap between the level of play in college football and the NFL is simply too large. The NFL is filled with players who are bigger, faster, and stronger than anything that Alabama could put on the field.

Moreover, the level of coaching in the NFL is far superior to anything that Nick Saban or any other college football coach could provide. NFL coaches have years of experience and access to world-class facilities and resources. They know how to make adjustments on the fly and exploit weaknesses in their opponents. Saban and his staff simply couldn’t compete with that.

In short, Alabama would be absolutely crushed if they ever had the misfortune of playing an NFL team.