Aside from quarterback, wide receiver and a few defensive positions, this year’s offensive line class is very strong heading into the NFL Draft.
One of the best players in the group is Jedrick Wills of the University of Alabama. The former four-star and Kentucky native was a two-year starter at right tackle (2018-19) and won both a conference title and a national championship.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds, Wills had an excellent performance at the NFL Scouting Combine – placing in the top-10 for linemen in the 40-yard dash (5.05 seconds), vertical jump (34.5”) and broad jump (9’5”). He was smooth and displayed exceptional power in the on-field workouts. Wills assisted both Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa into becoming legendary quarterbacks and on Monday, he spoke about both guys via the Rich Eisen Show.
He and Tagovailoa both competed in Nike’s “The Opening” and arrived at Alabama in the 2017 recruiting cycle. The native Hawaiian worked tirelessly to earn a five-star rating; however, Wills knew how special Tagovailoa was out of high school.
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Asked @AlabamaFTBL @JWills73 about the extremely talented quarterbacks he blocked for in his career – @JalenHurts and @Tuaamann:#NFLDraft #RollTide pic.twitter.com/R5xPtfzc1p
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) April 6, 2020
“The first time I saw Tua in person was at the Opening,” Wills said. “It was our senior year at high school. At the time, I don’t recall him being the top quarterback in the class but I knew he was the No. 1 dual threat. He was not at the very top of the charts, but they had this 7-on-7 and he was lighting everybody up.”
Even with him being left-handed, Wills referred to Tagovailoa as ‘fascinating.’
“The big-time level has always been there for him,” Wills said. “Nobody really noticed it until he came to Alabama in 2017 and won us the national championship against Georgia.”
Throughout his tenure, Tagovailoa was the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year, a consensus All-American, a Heisman finalist and a permanent team captain among other awards. Wills protected him as he threw for 7,442 passing yards, while totaling 87 touchdown passes and 96 total scores.
He encountered no issues with keeping Tagovailoa and Hurts upright, though Hurts was Alabama’s day one leader in his mind.
“I feel like he was always the guy,” Wills said. “He was the main guy when I got there. Even when Tua went in and did what he did and got the starting job, Jalen was still the leader. He was still there improving his game.”
As tough as it was to watch Tagovailoa take the starting job from Hurts in 2018, Wills said the most remarkable thing about the native Texan was his personality never changed.
“He was always that leader. That situation just made him better,” Wills said.
Hurts would go on to spend his final season at Oklahoma, where he led the program to a Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff.
He was a Heisman finalist and after posting success at two different schools, some draft analysts have him as a potential late first-rounder.
For Wills, he projects as a top-10 to top-15 selection.
Some experts have him going as high as No. 4 (New York Giants) to as low as No. 20 (Jacksonville Jaguars). The perfect spot from him may be at No. 8 to the Arizona Cardinals, especially with the strong additions it made in free agency.
Wills could help the duo Kyler Murray and Kenyan Drake have a lot of production.
Tide fans will be cheering him on.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
