Daniel Jeremiah is widely considered one of the best draft analyst in the business. Earlier today, he released his current top 50 heading into the offseason. Check out which Alabama players ended up on the list, and see what he had to say about them.
Jonathan Allen (#5 overall – #1 DT)
Allen has been one of the most disruptive defensive players in all of college football the last couple of seasons. Over the last two years, he has put up 30.5 tackles for loss with 22.5 sacks. He is the type of player that forces defenses to get out of their comfort zone, and it’ll be interesting to see how his skill-set translates to the NFL. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, First-team All-SEC, a unanimous All-American and the Chuck Bednarik Award winner.
This is what Daniel Jeremiah had to say about him.
Overall, he is a dominating run defender with the versatility to play inside and out. I don’t think he will be a dominate pass rusher on the next level but he can be disruptive and play on all three downs.
Reuben Foster (#7 overall – #1 LB)
There are very few players — even in the NFL — who have Reuben Foster’s closing-speed. He is the most complete linebacker prospect than I’ve seen since Patrick Willis. Injuries have been a concern for Foster over the course of his career, but if he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for him. He was the Butkus Award winner along with being named First-team All-SEC and a unanimous All-American
Daniel Jeremiah had this to say about him.
He is a difference-making linebacker capable of earning Pro Bowl recognition very early in his career.
O.J. Howard (#18 overall – #2 TE)
Outside of national championship games, Howard was criminally underutilized at Alabama. He only finished with seven touchdowns in his career — three of those coming in the two national championships against Clemson. Still, that doesn’t mean that he won’t the focal point for an NFL offense. Howard has been underrated as a blocker, but it’s his ability as a pass-catching threat that will put him among the NFL’s elites at the position.
Check out what Daniel Jeremiah had to say about him.
Howard is a complete player and he should be an integral part of an NFL offense very early in his career.
Tim Williams (#38 overall – #7 EDGE)
Williams wasn’t ever known as a “complete” player during his time at Alabama. He was an exceptional pass-rusher with an elite first-step, but his run defense was questionable at times. Despite being a situational player for a significant portion of his reps, Williams still managed to put up 27.5 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks over the course of the last two years.
Daniel Jeremiah isn’t as high on Williams as others — probably as a result of the questions surrounding Williams off the field.
Williams has double-digit sack potential, but there are some concerns off the field and his run defense needs to improve.
Cam Robinson (#40 overall – #3 OT)
Robinson has been an impact player for the Alabama offense ever since he stepped on campus back in 2014. Overall, Robinson could remain on the left side in the NFL, but the switch to right tackle could prove to be beneficial for him. He was named First-team All-SEC while also winning the Outland Trophy and Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 2016. Robinson needs to work on his mental errors — mostly resulting in false starts — if he wants to make an impact for an NFL team come next season. There will also be some questions from scouts and other NFL personnel regarding Robinson’s arrest in Louisiana back before the season.
This is what Daniel Jeremiah had to say about Robinson.
Robinson could be a dominate run blocker early in his career but he needs to clean up some technique in the passing game.
Marlon Humphrey (#45 overall – #8 CB)
Humphrey does just about everything well, but he has really struggled contesting passes down field during his time at Alabama. He usually seems to be in good position, but he just can’t create problems for opposing receivers at the catch-point. That is something he is going to need to fix if he wants to become a consistent shutdown corner in the NFL. Humphrey could have really improved his draft stock — much like Jonathan Allen did — by returning for his senior year.
These are Daniel Jeremiah’s thoughts on Humphrey.
Humphrey has starting ability, but his ball awareness down the field is a major concern.
Ryan Anderson (#47 overall – #9 EDGE)
Anderson has consistently been one of the most underrated players on Alabama’s roster for the last couple of seasons. His last two years as a consistent contributor, Anderson managed to put up 30.0 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks. He can set the edge in the run game, and he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in the trenches. NFL scouts and analyst are taking notice to Anderson’s impressive game tape, and he is already climbing draft boards heading into Senior Bowl week.
This is what Daniel Jeremiah said about Anderson.
Anderson will bring toughness to his drafting team and become a very reliable player early in his career.
Clint Lamb is a columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on Twitter @ClintRLamb.
