NFL Combine Wrapup: How Crimson Tide Players Fared

The NFL Combine has come and gone. Alabama had nine players invited, but some were limited by injuries and could not compete in the workout portion of the event. They were still, however, able to go through interview sessions with various NFL franchises.

NFL.com broke down each player at the Combine with a 1-100 grading scale, and four players earned first round grades. Trent Richardson was absent from the grading process due to recovering from surgery, and had a first round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board before the Combine, so five former Tide players currently enjoy first round grades.

Dre Kirkpatrick has the highest grade of any Alabama player right now at a 92.0. Dre had a strong Combine, particularly in the 40-yard dash and vertical and broad jumps. Kirkpatrick’s 4.51 40-yard dash was 11th fastest among cornerbacks, his 35″ vertical was good for 13th, and a 10′ broad jump came in 15th. The combination of a strong workout, and excellent measureables have placed Dre Kirkpatrick at the top of his position, slightly ahead of first round talents Morris Claiborne and Janoris Jenkins.

Mark Barron is next on NFL.com at 91.7. He did not work out due to rehabbing an injury, but he should be good to go when Alabama has their pro day. He is rated as the No. 1 safety in the 2012 draft and has a first round grade. Many mock drafts currently project Barron to go No. 15 overall to the New York Jets.

Alabama only had two players with 90+ grades, but Courtney Upshaw came close at 88.0. Upshaw is rated as the No. 3 linebacker on the board, thanks to the bench press at the Combine. Upshaw recorded 22 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press. There are some questions surrounding his refusal to run the 40 at the Combine, but that has not stopped him from receiving a 1st round grade for the draft.

Dont’a Hightower checks in with an 85 grade. The grade puts him at No. 5 among linebackers, but is only surpassed by Boston College’s Luke Kuechly among middle linebackers. Unlike Courtney Upshaw, Hightower decided to run the 40-yard dash and placed 8th among linebackers with a 4.68. Dont’a is on the cusp between the first and second round of the draft. A strong showing at Alabama’s pro day will cement him in the first round.

Josh Chapman, like Mark Barron and Trent Richardson, could not actually workout at the Combine due to rehabbing an injury. He went through interviews and has a grade of 83.7. That grade puts the former Tide nose guard in the 2nd/3rd round range. He is ranked as the No. 11 DL in the 2012 draft. There are questions surrounding his ability to work out at Alabama’s pro day due to continued rehab on the ACL he injured during the 2011 football season.

Marquis Maze and DeQuan Menzie both earned a 3rd round grade thanks to the NFL Combine. Maze graded out at a 76.5 which puts him at No. 14 among wide receivers, while Menzie earned No. 14 among cornerbacks.

Darius Hanks rounded out Alabama’s representatives at the NFL Combine. Unfortunately, he graded poorly at a 54.2. While that is a 4th to 7th round grade, it ranked him No. 38 out of 47 receivers that attended the combine. He is most likely destined for the free agent pool. Pro day is Hanks’ last shot to impress scouts and work his way into a draft selection.

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