Jermaine Burton, a wide receiver for Alabama, is the sixth Crimson Tide selection.
The Cincinnati Bengals selected former University of Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton with the 80th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
After 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), Burton becomes the sixth Crimson Tide prospect to hear his name called in this year’s draft.
After safety Jordan Battle, Burton joins him as a Crimson Tide product on the Bengals.
During the NFL Draft broadcast, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban said, “Jermaine Burton is a tremendous competitor.” “He moves very quickly. He moves very quickly. He is able to enter and exit breaks. He is got man-to-man skills. I adore this guy so much.”
While Burton finished the 2017 season as Alabama’s top receiver with a team-high 798 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 receptions, his stats might have been slightly inflated by the Crimson Tide’s intense quarterback competition, which extended well beyond fall camp.
He caught 132 passes for 2,376 yards (18.0 average) and 23 touchdowns during his time in college. Burton led the SEC and was sixth in the nation in receiving yards per reception as a senior, averaging 20.5 yards. He had 40 catches for 677 yards (16.9 average) and seven touchdowns with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young the previous season.
As a true freshman in 2020, Burton participated in ten games for Georgia. In two seasons, he had 53 receptions for 901 yards and eight touchdowns before transferring to Tuscaloosa.
Burton was ranked No. 116 overall and 22nd among wide receivers by the NFL Draft Bible. Nevertheless, PFF had him selected by the Los Angeles Rams at No. 83 overall in its final seven-round mock draft, saying, “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.”
“You watch this guy; he is not the biggest dude in the world, but his movement skills are fantastic,” wrote Trevor Sikkema of PFF. How fast can he get off press? I love a good separator, and this one gets off the line of scrimmage with a variety of releases.”
