NFL Network analyst Mike Mayok has Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith as his best linebacker in this year’s draft, but Alabama’s prospect Reggie Ragland did not disappoint in workouts.
Top 5 LBs, according to @MikeMayock:
1. Jaylon Smith
2. Myles Jack
3. Reggie Ragland
4. Darron Lee
5. Deion Jones#NFLCombine— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 28, 2016
The former Crimson Tide standout and SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year recorded unofficial times of 4.72 and 4.74 seconds in the 40-yard dash, tying him for 11th among linebackers.
A projected 1st-rounder according to @MikeMayock.
Reggie Ragland from @AlabamaFTBL runs a 4.72u#NFLCombinehttps://t.co/Wz4NAcF4To
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 28, 2016
He posted a 31.5-inch vertical and a 116-inch broad jump. Ragland displayed more of his speed in the 20-yard shuttle, finishing at 4.28 seconds (7th-best among linebackers).
All of this comes from a player who dropped 12 pounds, going from 259 to 247 after the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Ragland is a traditional thumper against the run, yet losing weight could make him more of an asset in pass coverage and pressuring quarterbacks. The Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants are four team that are in dire need of a presence at linebacker.
San Francisco has the earliest pick of the four—7th overall—but it will be interesting to see how everything falls.
Ragland led Alabama in total tackles with 102 in 2015.
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.
