A little weight gain may have bothered former Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, yet it did not offset any opinions professional scouts had of him during Senior Bowl practice.
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayok had the highest praise for Ragland this week, referring to the two-time national champion as a “top 20 pick all day long.”
Ragland blamed over eating as his excuse for his 259-pound weigh in, nevertheless he showed an impressive skill set in reading gap assignments, possessing lateral quickness and generating speed on the edge. He captained a Crimson Tide defensive front that was amongst the best, allowing 75.7 rushing yards and 15.1 points per game. Ragland spent the last two seasons navigating the troops at inside linebacker, but he proved this week that he can rush the quarterback.
The Madison, Alabama native earned top linebacker honors from the Senior Bowl committee for his performance at practice. He dominated former Georgia offensive tackle John Theus and even made his Alabama teammate Kenyan Drake think twice about blocking him during blitz pickup drills.
He was awarded Defensive Player of the Year, courtesy of the Southeastern Conference and was a finalist for Butkus, Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski national honors.
Stephen M. Smith is a senior analyst and columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @ESPN_Future.
