Alabama Football: Grading NFL Draft landing spots for Tide players

Grading landing spots for Alabama football players

Deonte Brown, Carolina Panthers: C+

Deonte Brown was a great Alabama football player, but his draft stock fell due to his size. He’s massive, but the NFL is looking for linemen who are more agile than Brown.

The fall made this tough to grade because it’s hard to know what role Brown will have. If he can keep his weight low, he may work his way into a starting role. However, the Panthers don’t value a strength-based offense. They rely on athleticism and speed.

This doesn’t mean that Brown is destined to fail in Carolina, but you would’ve liked to see him land somewhere better fit for his style of play. He’d do better in Pittsburgh or Tennessee than with the Panthers.

Thomas Fletcher, Carolina Panthers: C-

Fletcher didn’t expect to be drafted, and it might have been better if he had gone undrafted. As the best long snapper in the class, there is no doubt that he would make a team. The only issue here is that the Panthers have a long snapper, and he has the second-most starts in Panthers history. He even has a Pro Bowl to his name.

This is likely a move to save money in the long run, but will Fletcher start this season? If so, the Panthers will have to get rid of Jansen. The fit simply doesn’t make sense with the current information, so this will be something fans will have to watch over time.

At the end of the day, where you’re drafted is only a small piece of the puzzle for these players. They have a chance to become legends, and their entire future is ahead of them. We’ll see what they do.