Alabama’s first-round receiver pipeline from South Florida got a new member Thursday night.

From Amari Cooper to Calvin Ridley, now Jerry Jeudy joined the club as the 15th pick in the NFL Draft. The 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner is now a Denver Bronco as the fourth Alabama player selected in the first round of the 2020 draft.

Jeudy is the first Alabama player drafted by Denver since 2004 when Triandos Luke was a sixth-round pick.

A sure-fire first rounder from the moment he announced his early departure, Jeudy was the second receiver picked Thursday night after Henry Ruggs went 12th. It was a top-heavy class at his position with Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and fellow Alabama product Ruggs among the top prospects vying for first-round money.

Jeudy becomes the seventh Alabama receiver drafted in the Nick Saban era and the fifth first rounder. Julio Jones went No. 6 overall in 2011 followed by Cooper (No. 4 in 2015) and Ridley (No. 26 in 2018).

“Jerry has a great ability and knack for coming out of a break about as well as anybody I’ve seen at the position,” Nick Saban said on ESPN’s pre-draft coverage. “Some guys can do that aren’t real fast. Jerry is real fast too. He’s got great hands. He’s a very instinctive player.”

Jeudy enters the NFL after three big seasons in Tuscaloosa. His 2,742 receiving yards ranks fourth in school history behind only Cooper (3,463), D.J. Hall (2,923) and Ridley (2,781). His 26 touchdowns fell five short of Cooper’s school mark while averaging 17.2 yards per reception. The numbers took off when Tua Tagovailoa took over at quarterback in 2018.

The sophomore-year 1,315 yards, 14 touchdowns and 19.3-yard average were career highs. It was enough to win the Biletnikoff as the nation’s top receiver in a season that ended in a national championship defeat. Jeudy still had five catches for 139 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Clemson.

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.