Alabama Football: Ranking Alabama’s top 2021 NFL Draft prospects

6. Alex Leatherwood, OT, Senior

Alex Leatherwood being at No. 6 on this list just shows how deep this class could be for the Crimson Tide next season. Leatherwood has shown versatility over his time with the Crimson Tide. His first valuable reps were late in the National Championship vs. Georgia when Jonah Williams got injured. After that season, he played as a right guard as a sophomore. He then made the switch to left tackle as a junior, where he will stay in his final year of eligibility.

Leatherwood probably could have declared this year and been a first-round talent, but it would have been a risk. His tape isn’t perfect, and many scouts need to see more improvement after his struggles against K’Lavon Chaisson in November. We’ll never know for sure, but I believe he would be a member of the Miami Dolphins right now if he had declared. He can still help his stock, though. Offensive tackle is a position where it can pay to come back for an extra season. His clock isn’t running out as fast as a running back’s is.

Where does he stack up in 2021? It’s a bit early to say. However, I believe his ceiling is at OT2. With Penei Sewell in this class, it will be unlikely for him to be the first offensive lineman off the board. That doesn’t mean he won’t have a big payday. Just ask Jedrick Wills, the second offensive tackle taken in 2020.