As the NFL draft gets closer, the experts appear to have narrowed down their list of prospects they predict the Pittsburgh Steelers will select in the first round. An increasing number of mocks draft have the team taking Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans, a player the coaching staff have already met with at the NFL Scouting Combine and at his pro day.

At first glance, the pick seems logical. A player at a position of need coming from one of the more illustrious programs in the country and one of the many prospects the Steelers have already dined with this offseason, a sure sign of interest to some observers.

However, if Evans is to be the choice, or indeed any of his former Crimson Tide teammates are selected by Pittsburgh at any point during the draft, it would be a first for the Steelers since before Mike Tomlin or Kevin Colbert arrived in the Steel City.

Heading into his 12th NFL Draft as a head coach, Tomlin has selected 91 players from 59 different colleges but he has never taken a prospect from Alabama in any round. Indeed, if Tomlin has a favorite college to pick from, it might be argued it is the Crimson Tide’s biggest rival in Ohio State, a team that has provided Pittsburgh six prospects via the draft over the past 11 seasons.

As a fourth-round pick of the 1998 draft, Deshea Townsend has the honor of being the last Alabama prospect to hear his name called by the Steelers on draft day and the only one Bill Cowher ever selected. Chuck Noll was no friend to the college either, having selected just two former Crimson Tide players during his 23 years in charge of the team. Linebacker Paul Harris in 1976 and defensive back Efrum Thomas in 1991.

Looking back through the entire history of Pittsburgh draft picks shows only 13 Alabama players have ever been drafted by the Steelers, with most of those coming before 1957. More a case of “No Tide”, rather than “Roll Tide” as far as Pittsburgh is concerned.

So if you are putting together a mock draft of your own, it may be best to avoid the Alabama players and throw in a few Ohio State prospects instead, perhaps with a dash of Tennessee and Florida for good measure.