Falcons receiver Julio Jones named 2nd-best draft pick from Alabama since 2000

Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is the second-best draft pick out of the University of Alabama since 2000, according to NFL.com's Chase Goodbread.

Jones was the Falcons’ top pick at No. 6 in the 2011 draft, and Goodbread notes they made a serious commitment to get him -- surrendering two first-round picks, a second rounder and two fourth rounders to move up -- and it was a decision that was criticized from many at the time. But it’s a move that netted them one of the league’s elite receivers, a four-time Pro Bowler who has averaged 108 catches and 1,624 yards over his first six seasons.

The only player who beat out Jones in Goodbread’s algorithm was Shaun Alexander, a 2000 draft pick by the Seahawks who posted five straight 1,000-yard seasons. That included an MVP performance with 1,880 yards and 27 TDs in 2005.