Alabama Football: Grading NFL Draft landing spots for Tide players

Grading landing spots for Alabama football players

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles: B+

Smitty landing in Philly is great in terms of chemistry. He will be catching balls from Jalen Hurts, his former quarterback in Tuscaloosa. This boosts the grade for Philadelphia, but there were better options available.

Miami would’ve been great for Smith, but they had to choose their favorite Alabama football receiver. Carolina could’ve used Smith to help make Sam Darnold’s life easier, but they went with a corner instead. The pairing of falling down the board and landing with a rebuilding team isn’t ideal, but things could’ve been a lot worse for Smith. At the very least, he will have the support of Tide fans as he tries to elevate his career alongside Jalen Hurts.

Mac Jones, New England Patriots: A

The only reason this isn’t an A+ is because Jones had a chance to go third overall. Now that there is less pressure, the Patriots can bring him along over the course of his rookie contract.

Jones will thrive in the old system that New England ran with Tom Brady. He won’t have to use his legs outside of the pocket, and he can rely on his accuracy and touch to progress down the field.

This also pairs Jones with Damien Harris, his former teammate and one of his closest friends. I’m sure he won’t be complaining about going to play for the Patriots, even though this means less money in his bank account.