Alabama Football: Grading NFL Draft landing spots for Tide players
By Dakota Cox
Grading landing spots for Alabama football players
Alex Leatherwood, Las Vegas Raiders: B
Going this early in the draft is great for Alex Leatherwood, but many are surprised that he was in the top 20 picks. Many graded him as a second-round prospect, so this may have been a slight reach for the Raiders.
The good news is that Leatherwood will have plenty of Tide players to work with in Vegas. The Raiders have drafted an Alabama football player in the first round of each of the past three drafts.
The only reason this grade isn’t higher is that Leatherwood won’t be playing left tackle in Vegas. That is one of the few positions that they don’t have to upgrade. Instead, he will play right tackle. That’s more valuable than guard, but things could have been better for him.
Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers: A-
Going in the first round as a running back is always an accomplishment. Also, Harris will be the focal point of Pittsburgh’s offense this year. With an aging quarterback and a weak offensive line, Harris will have his work cut out for him.
He could’ve gone to a place with a better offensive line, but there is no doubt that the Steelers will properly use Najee Harris as a featured back in his rookie season. He’ll compete for Rookie of the Year in 2021, so this is a solid landing spot.