Alabama’s Reuben Foster is on the fast track to becoming the next major linebacker prospect to come out of the university since Nick Saban took over the program back in 2007.
The inside linebacker position in Saban’s defense has produced talents such as Rolando McClain (first-round), Dont’a Hightower (first-round), C.J. Mosley (first-round) and Reggie Ragland (second-round) over the last several years. The talent has been seemingly endless, but Foster might be the most complete, talented player of the bunch.
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Auburn, AL
Height: 6’1
Weight: 225
Projected 40-time: 4.6
Projected Round: 1st Round (Top 10)
Strengths:
Foster seems to have it all when it comes to playing the position. He’s physical, aggressive and passionate which are all highly sought-after characteristics for a linebacker.
Foster might have the most impressive closing speed of any player that I have ever watched. Here is an example of Foster diagnosing the play, and then quickly closing to bring down the ball-carrier behind the line of scrimmage.
When he sees it, Foster attacks will force. He is a sure tackler that is able to deliver high quality, bone-crushing hits while maintaining proper tackling technique. That isn’t very common to see, and it makes Foster a rare presence in the middle of any defense.
He displays a higher level of instinct when it comes to stopping the run compared to covering the pass, but that isn’t a knock on his ability in coverage at all. In fact, Foster does an excellent job of understanding route concepts which allows him to anticipate where the ball should be going in certain situations. His ability to read, react and quickly break on the football gives him the opportunity to make plays in coverage on a consistent basis.
Foster’s natural ability as a leader both on and off the field will make him a valuable asset to any NFL defense.
Weaknesses:
The first thing that people are going to talk about when seeing Foster up close will be his size. At only 6’1 225-pounds, Foster currently lacks what most NFL scouts view as the ideal size to hold up in the middle of an NFL defense. Still, he actually dropped from 240-pounds his junior season to his current weight, and he has excelled as a result. He also still has a well-built frame, and that lack of bulk hasn’t prevented him from physically dominating at the point of attack.
Another question mark about Foster’s game is the medical history. Due to his physical nature, Foster has caused a lot of damage to his own body. That could cause some concern for the medical staff of certain NFL teams. He has shown toughness by playing through several of those injuries, but it shouldn’t be completely ignored or discounted at this point.
Lastly, the argument could be made that Foster is a little too aggressive at times. However, that aggressiveness has resulted in a lot more positive results than negative, so I wouldn’t expect that to be too big of an issue with most NFL teams.
Conclusion
Honestly, Reuben Foster is the best linebacker I’ve seen on tape since Patrick Willis came out of Ole Miss back in 2007. Like with Willis, it is entirely possible for Foster to fall out of the top 10, but I believe there will be a team that will like him enough to use a premium pick to grab him in the top 10.
Look for a team such as the 49ers (No. 2 overall), the Titans (No. 7) or the Bengals (No. 9) to take a long look at adding a player with Foster’s abilities. He isn’t a “perfect” prospect, but he is as close as it gets in my opinion.
Clint Lamb is a columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on Twitter @ClintRLamb.
