The NFL Draft is upon us and gets kicked off tomorrow night at 7PM Central time. The NFL Network’s Mike Mayock just did his Mock Draft 1.0 on the eve of the festivities kicking off in New York City. According to his projections, Mayock has 3 players from the Crimson Tide being selected in the first round. In the mock draft that can be seen it its entirety here, Mayock has C.J. Mosley going at number 17 to the Baltimore Ravens, Cyrus Kouandjio at number 19 to the Miami Dolphins and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix being selected at number 22 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Below are the results for each of these players from the NFL Combine along with analysis from NFL.com.
C.J. Mosley:
"STRENGTHSExceptional instincts — triggers fast downhill. Outstanding urgency. Plays with very good knee bend, balance and base. Secure, drive-through tackler. Hits with explosion and jars ball carriers on impact. Excellent lateral agility — flows fast and ranges to the sideline. Exceptional weight-room worker with good functional play strength — plays bigger than his size. Outstanding eyes and anticipation vs. the run. Very good coverage awareness with the ball in front of him — clings to tight ends passing through zones and blankets speed backs in man coverage. Respected leadership presence — lines up his teammates and directs traffic. Film junkie. Excellent attitude, effort, field intensity and overall energy. Exceptional football and personal character. Highly competitive. Humble, selfless team player. Outstanding football IQ. Scheme-diverse and versatile. Strong special-teams coverage performer."
"WEAKNESSESHas a narrow build. Has been slowed by elbow, hip and shoulder injuries throughout his career and long-term durability will require thorough inspection by medical examiners. Gets hung up on the blitz (shoulder stiffness) and must learn how to use more finesse picking a side instead of relying on bull power and striking blockers down the middle. Can learn to do a better job shooting his hands to shock defenders and disengage from blocks. Could be challenged matching up down the field with his back to the ball vs. flex TEs in the slot (man coverage). Could stand to become a more vocal leader.BOTTOM LINE Smart, instinctive, fast-flowing, every-down linebacker capable of manning any position in a “40” front or steering a defense from the weak side in a “30” front, where he starred for a national-championship defense as a junior and carried the Tide as a senior. Has the football temperament, desire and work habits to emerge as a tackling machine in the pros. Has Pro Bowl potential."
"STRENGTHSExcellent body mass with extremely long arms. Uses his length to push rushers wide — day trip to run the arc on. Has the ability to drop anchor and stymie the bull rush. Can latch onto, control and maul his man. Can hook and seal or widen the hole in the running game. Flashes the ability to bury defenders. Will be a 21-year-old rookie and has clear potential — is physically gifted with raw, moldable tools."
"WEAKNESSESHas heavy legs and lacks ideal foot quickness for blind-side protection. Footwork and hand use have to be coached up — looks clumsy at times. Carries his hands low. Struggles to subdue counters and gets beat across his face — limited lateral quickness and needs to strengthen power step and inside punch. Average contact balance — too often bends at the waist and slides off blocks. Inconsistent clearing his feet through traffic and spends too much time on the ground. Labors to cut off fast-flowing linebackers and sustain on the second level. Could stand to develop more of a mean streak. Tied for the slowest 40 time (5.63 seconds) of any participant at the combine.BOTTOM LINE Massive, long-limbed, inconsistent, overhyped college left tackle whose sheer dimensions, raw tools and high ceiling are far more appealing than his snap-to-snap performance at this stage of his development. Has enough length and anchor strength to survive on the left side, though he will never be a dancing bear, and he projects more ideally as a bulldozing right tackle in a power scheme."
"STRENGTHSGood size and wingspan. Quick to read and react. Enough speed and fluidity to keep pace with slot receivers or tight ends. Ranges off the hash. Good hands to intercept. Takes direct angles to the ball. Drops downhill urgently, runs the alley and does not shy from contact — wipes out ball carriers. Secure tackler. Can break down and tackle in space. Has special-teams experience. Well-coached in a pro-style defense."
"WEAKNESSESHas a narrow build and lacks ideal bulk. Could stand to get stronger. Not an elite athlete — ordinary speed and leaping ability. Occasionally gets stuck on blocks. Could stand to iron out his pedal. Does not always play with abandon — plays conservatively at times and can be late fitting in the run game or getting off the hash. Average ball production and playmaking ability. Not as natural in the box. Was not an exceptional ballhawk or an intimidating eraser.BOTTOM LINEHype exceeded his performance in Tuscaloosa, but Clinton-Dix offers starter-caliber instincts, range, coverage skills and tackling ability as a free safety. Should be a Day 1 starter."