NFL Draft 2016: Breaking Down Alabama Prospects for the NFL Draft

NFL Draft 2016 is finally upon us and we take a look at where the Alabama Crimson Tide players may be selected over the three-day event.

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The NFL draft is finally here. Tonight we’re going to see even more craziness, maybe even more craziness than a kid hyped up on Mountain Dew and working the trade machine in Madden. To be fair, the top two picks in this year’s draft have already been traded. So let me change my thinking here. There will be more twists and reactions than the last 10 minutes of a Game of Thrones episode. Okay, I can live with that comparison.

If you’re not familiar with the draft, don’t worry. It’s pretty much nothing like that NFL ad, err I mean…that Kevin Costner movie called Draft Day. However, you should know the hot takes machine will be over capacity tonight when every bloggers’ mock draft goes up in flames and they decide to rant on how wrong your favorite team is. Ah, Christmas in April.

With that being said, I decided to give a quick breakdown of the main Alabama prospects in the draft. I’m not doing anyone projected below the 4th round because at that point it’s basically whether the player gets drafted or not. So here’s a list of the players and a little breakdown of their best and worst case scenarios.

Ryan Kelly

Well, the draft certainly is a crazy time. Kelly went from a 2nd round pick to now being the potential first Alabama player off the board. Kelly is most likely going to be selected in the late teens and won’t fall past the Colts at 18. If the fall does happen, the next logical spot would be with the Redskins at 21. Kelly is widely considered the best interior prospect and some scouts even like him at guard. His versatility is a major plus.

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Jarran Reed

He may not have been the most famous player along Alabama’s defensive line, but the scouts love him. The issue with projecting Reed and fellow teammate A’Shawn Robinson is they’re almost restricted by their scheme, especially Reed. So we have to look at teams that run a 3-4 and need a nose tackle. Now Reed could go higher than Kelly to the Bears at 11, but that’s a bit of a reach for Chicago. Like Kelly, there are a few options in the teens but I expect Reed to land in Buffalo at 19. I’ll also go ahead and say the Redskins at 21 is going to be a popular mention in this article. Their biggest needs are the interior on both sides of the line.

A’Shawn Robinson

A bit more scheme versatile than Reed, the Texas native is still looking at being drafted after Reed and may fall out of the 1st round. Personally, I don’t see that happening. Robinson may go earlier but his two best chances lie late in the 1st round. The Seahawks at 26, Packers at 27 and Broncos at 31 all make a lot of sense for his potential landing spot. Robinson clearly has the widest draft range among Alabama prospects.

Reggie Ragland

Turns out trying to mock draft these guys is a bit tougher than I thought. Today a report released noting Ragland has been flagged for an enlarged aorta, which has caused some teams to move him down the draft board. I’ve had the former Madison, Alabama standout pegged to the Falcons for a while but they may be shifting to Buckeye Darron Lee instead. Let’s assume Ragland slips a bit. Buffalo at 19, Packers at 27 and Chiefs at 28 looks like the most likely candidates. If he drops further, the Titans at 33 will be there to scoop him up. The obvious talent and intangibles are there but like I warned earlier, draft day is crazy. He should be a 1st round pick, let’s hope for the best on this one.

Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) and Michigan State Spartans defensive end Shilique Calhoun (89) during the game in the 2015 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Derrick Henry

We may be looking at the most tantalizing prospect to scout in a while. Scouts either love him or hate him. They love him because in a power run scheme he could potentially dominate. Some hate him because of Alabama’s past at the position, field vision and lateral agility. Blah. Henry is a guy that’s only going to go to a team that actually knows how to use him. The absolute best shot Henry has in the first round is with the Seahawks at 26 or Broncos at 31. That’s it. I don’t see Henry escaping the 2nd round. At this point, either a team like the Cowboys would trade up for him or he’ll be picked up in the middle of the round.

Cyrus Jones

He’s projected as a 3rd round pick but I could see him going in the 4th. The tricky situation you get into around this pick area is the depth of certain positions. Cornerbacks are considered a deep position this year so you could see Jones tumble a bit as teams wait to potentially draft him later on. His best case is actually going early in the 3rd round when you throw in his special teams ability. Worst case, 4th round. Good news for Jones is he can either play man-to-man or play as a cover corner, so shouldn’t be limited by scheme.

Kenyan Drake

For me personally, I always loved Kenyan Drake. He had a couple bad breaks (mainly a couple bones) but you could always see the talent and potential in him. It seems like for almost all of his career he was either playing injured, recovering from injury, or buried on the depth chart. So, of course, scouts don’t really know where to truly rank him. He can either be labeled an injury prone RB who hardly produced or a potential mid-round gem who just needs a chance. I see Drake going in the 4th round. His best shot at a pick is late 3rd. Entering the NFL he can be used mainly for just 3rd downs or a change of pace back.

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Let’s hope all these former Alabama players take the most of the chance and have a long and storied career in the league.

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