Before he suffered a knee injury versus Florida in the Southeastern Conference title game, Landon Dickerson was projected to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.
He shared the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy with Alex Leatherwood and won the Rimington Trophy. In becoming the nation’s top center in college football, Dickerson earned Unanimous All-American honors and was voted a permanent team captain by his peers. He made first-team All-SEC and anchored the most explosive offense of the Nick Saban era in 2020. A native of Hickory, N.C., Dickerson positioned Mac Jones, Najee Harris, and DeVonta Smith to be Heisman finalists. The protection he gave Jones allowed for the redshirt junior at quarterback to target Smith for huge production. Smith became the first wide receiver since Desmond Howard (Michigan, 1991) to win the Heisman Memorial Trophy. Dickerson pushed himself and returned to the team against Ohio State for the College Football Playoff National Championship.
He played on two snaps and was a major pillar behind the Crimson Tide winning the national title. Some draft experts dropped him to the second round; however, Dickerson is set to prove he is a first-round lineman.
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According to Dr. Matt Rhea, Alabama’s Director of Performance Science, Dickerson showed impressive athleticism working split squats while moving his knee. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder displayed explosiveness in his movements, and he has strongly attacked every process of his rehab. He will have an opportunity on March 23 to turn in a marquee performance at his pro day at Alabama.
Seeing @Landon_2012 split squat today reminded me of videos like this that prove he is not normal. Not only is he extremely athletic, he attacks every day and every challenge like no one I’ve seen. pic.twitter.com/0DjnhR9ogj
— Matt Rhea, PhD (@MattRheaPhD) February 23, 2021
Should he do well, Dickerson will return to first-round value on draft boards.
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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
