A Few Thoughts About The Alabama Draft Class.....

[Bill from NYC]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Smith - good all-around receiver. First round talent. Will go earlier than he should because of the class. I'd put him behind Jeudy, Ruggs and Waddle (if I conclude Waddle can play outside..... if I conclude he is a slot guy in the NFL then that puts Smith ahead on positional value). 

 

Davonta has better hands than Jeudy and gets open more than Ruggs. Jeudy is a bit faster than Davonta, Ruggs is faster than almost anybody.

 

Fwiw, The Tide is said to have an incoming freshman wr who runs a 4.15 40. I didn't even know that was possible.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Bill from NYC

[Bill from NYC]

1 hour ago, Purplebulldog said:

I live down here and have numerous contacts inside . Barmore is bad news, could be another lazy Dareaus, trust me on this. 

Barmore is a street kid from North Philly. He would walk into the league as a pure badass. I'm told that he was a bit late buying into the system and staying in his lanes. He REALLY came around as a player this season, and I did indicate that there is some risk.

 

One thing I can say for sure, this kid seems to be much meaner than Dareus. I always thought of Marcel as a nice guy and a lost soul.  Barmore comes on the field to dominate and doesn't let up. For some players it is hard to do this with a couple of million dollars in your pocket and no Coach Saban to control their lives. If I was a young millionaire at his age, I suspect I might have been partying a bit too much.

 

I hope this kid makes it. He is a sensational talent imo. 

[TUBSTER]

3 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

For some reason Beane hasn’t touched the Bama well in his previous 3 drafts, he has steered clear of OSU and Clemson players too. I’m trying to think who we have drafted since Beane has been here and what big time schools he has picked a player from. Who am I forgetting?

 

Ray-Ray McCloud in the 6th round from Clemson and Levi Wallace as an UFA from Alabama.  Other than that, not really any players from the three powerhouses (Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State).

[The Jokeman]

3 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Bama has a ton of talent. I wonder if they get dinged a little because they are playing next to studs? Like, are you that good or is he that good? 
For some reason Beane hasn’t touched the Bama well in his previous 3 drafts, he has steered clear of OSU and Clemson players too. I’m trying to think who we have drafted since Beane has been here and what big time schools he has picked a player from. Who am I forgetting?

 

Ray Ray Mcloud came from Clemson and he was drafted by McDermott. We've also seen Levi and Foster added as udfas. I'm hoping were in position to get Wyatt Davis from OSU with our top pick.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Should the NFL just award Tuscaloosa a franchise, with the understanding that only those who are U of A grads and 'early outs' play on it?  This includes previous retirees, cast off, etc. 😁

Edited February 11, 2021 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[Rubes]

46 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

If Waddle recovers from his 100% ankle injury, there is not a doubt in my mind that he will be a flat out star in the NFL. Again, he looks impossible to cover. He fakes people out of their shoes, is super fast, and has some of the best moves I have ever seen in my life. I'm not exagerating.

 

What's a 100% ankle injury? Was it completely disintegrated or something?

 

[Solomon Grundy]

4 minutes ago, TUBSTER said:

Ray-Ray McCloud in the 6th round from Clemson and Levi Wallace as an UFA from Alabama.  Other than that, not really any players from the three powerhouses (Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State).

Maybe because the Bills been burnt in the past from players from these schools a la Reggie Ragland, Cyrus Kouandjio, Dareus???, Bo Wright, Watkins, etc

33 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

Barmore is a street kid from North Philly. He would walk into the league as a pure badass. I'm told that he was a bit late buying into the system and staying in his lanes. He REALLY came around as a player this season, and I did indicate that there is some risk.

 

One thing I can say for sure, this kid seems to be much meaner than Dareus. I always thought of Marcel as a nice guy and a lost soul.  Barmore comes on the field to dominate and doesn't let up. For some players it is hard to do this with a couple of million dollars in your pocket and no Coach Saban to control their lives. If I was a young millionaire at his age, I suspect I might have been partying a bit too much.

 

I hope this kid makes it. He is a sensational talent imo. 

I’d rather take Tedarrell Slaton in the later rounds to be honest. His motor went every play

[Blokestradamus]

35 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

He REALLY came around as a player this season.

 

The second half of the Ohio State game, he was the best player on the field. He really came up big in the biggest games.

 

I made some notes about him needing to play with more eye discipline and relying on his technique more than his athleticism but I think he's got everything you'd want for an aggressive three-tech.

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Agreed. Saban is a master at evolving as times change. Look at the skill players he recruits now. He would always have one stud WR like Julio, now he has 3-4. 

Saban's eclectic selection of coaches that have had no prior association with him is another demonstration of his evolving with the time. This old school coach who stressed defense, the running game and special teams has evolved his program into an offensive juggernaut. The paradox is that older this previously defensively oriented coach got the more multifaceted and bolder his offense became. 

[K-9]

I note the glaring absence of any CBs listed in your analysis. 
 

Hmm.

[Bill from NYC]

37 minutes ago, Rubes said:

 

What's a 100% ankle injury? Was it completely disintegrated or something?

 

I mistyped and edited that.

[dave mcbride]

1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:

Davonta has better hands than Jeudy and gets open more than Ruggs. Jeudy is a bit faster than Davonta, Ruggs is faster than almost anybody.

 

Fwiw, The Tide is said to have an incoming freshman wr who runs a 4.15 40. I didn't even know that was possible.

It has been said consistently that Darrell Green recorded a time of 4.09 at the Washington Redskins’ training camp in 1986. Bo Jackson claimed to have run a 40-yard dash with a time of 4.13 s,[5][6] and there were also reports of Jackson running a 4.12 at the 1986 combine.[7][8] Texas Tech's Jakeem Grant was hand-timed by a New Orleans Saints scout as running a 4.10 in 2016, potentially beating Jackson's record.[9] In the early 1980s, Baylor's Gerald McNeil ran a 4.19-second 40-yard dash before being signed to the United States Football League (USFL).[10] Deion Sanders ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash in 1989.[11]

 

In 2013, Carlin Isles recorded a time of 4.22 at a Detroit Lions facility during a workout.[12]

 

In 2017, Olympic sprinter Christian Coleman ran a time of 4.12 seconds on turf in response to claims that NFL players are as fast as Usain Bolt.[13]

A year and a half after he retired from active competition, Usain Bolt ran a 4.22 in running shoes and a tracksuit at a promotional event for the Superbowl in Atlanta, Georgia on February 2, 2019.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40-yard_dash

[Bill from NYC]

1 hour ago, RyanC883 said:

 

Thanks.  Dickerson seems the most interesting to me.  Can  he play guard?  Brown is also intriguing.   

 

Wouldn't mind Harris, but I think he's gone by 30, same with Waddle.  Barmore seems like he will get picked too high for me relative to the risk and the other DT's available in the draft.  

I have never seen him play Guard but he is a very big kid. He is listed at 6'5"/325.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:

If Waddle recovers 100% from his ankle injury, there is not a doubt in my mind that he will be a flat out star in the NFL. Again, he looks impossible to cover. He fakes people out of their shoes, is super fast, and has some of the best moves I have ever seen in my life. I'm not exagerating.

If you had the choice of selecting either Waddle or Davonte Smith which receiver would you take? 

[dorquemada]

2 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

You know far more than I do about Bama, but in the bits I've seen of Harris, he looks a little ... slow. Am I wrong about that? 

 

He's not a track meet guy but has good game speed plus is as good as anyone in the last few years at breaking tackles or just running through people.  His running style is somewhere between Derrick Henry and Thurman Thomas.  I'm not saying he'll ever be as good as them, but he combines some of Thomas' vision and shiftiness with DH's brute strength and ability to carry 3x his own weight 10 yards downfield

[Bill from NYC]

18 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If you had the choice of selecting either Waddle or Davonte Smith which receiver would you take? 

Again, assuming 100% health I would lean towards Waddle for the Bills because of Allen's arm strength. For most teams I would want Davonta.

17 minutes ago, dorquemada said:

 

He's not a track meet guy but has good game speed plus is as good as anyone in the last few years at breaking tackles or just running through people.  His running style is somewhere between Derrick Henry and Thurman Thomas.  I'm not saying he'll ever be as good as them, but he combines some of Thomas' vision and shiftiness with DH's brute strength and ability to carry 3x his own weight 10 yards downfield

Great description! 

Najee is great around the goal line too. He knows how to leave his feet and let the 230 pounds of momentum carry him 

[dave mcbride]

26 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

Again, assuming 100% health I would lean towards Waddle for the Bills because of Allen's arm strength. For most teams I would want Davonta.

Great description! 

Najee is great around the goal line too. He knows how to leave his feet and let the 230 pounds of momentum carry him 

Who is the better route runner and better at getting open so that there's a clear window for the QB? That's who I want. Davonta looks more like Diggs than Waddle does, and he seems plenty fast enough. Of course, he'll be long gone by the time the Bills pick.

 

This is helpful on Smith: https://www.nfl.com/news/scouting-devonta-smith-alabama-wr-reminiscent-of-marvin-harrison

[Virgil]

5 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

9) Najee Harris (RB)

    Great vision, perfectly coordinated, strong as a bull! The kid is in fantastic condition, and is another very smart player. Developed into an exceptional receiver and he's a great blocker. Breakaway speed? No but he is everything else and would be an asset to any team, including the Bills. 

   

 

 

Bill, I always forget about your love for Bama.

 

I've seen a few people talk up Harris for the Bills.  I did my super professional youtube highlights research and honestly wasn't impressed.  Not only did he look slow, but he didn't look evasive at all. 

 

I personally agree that we need a Kamara type who has speed and hands.  Harris looks like his skills wouldn't translate to the NFL

 

However, I trust you above all else

[GunnerBill]

31 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

Again, assuming 100% health I would lean towards Waddle for the Bills because of Allen's arm strength. For most teams I would want Davonta.

 

 

I mean either would be a pipe dream for the Bills. I think it is scheme specific. I think Waddle is a tad more versatile so I lean that way but some of those Shanahan offenses would be real nice fits for Davonta. 

[atlbillsfan1975]

2 hours ago, TUBSTER said:

Ray-Ray McCloud in the 6th round from Clemson and Levi Wallace as an UFA from Alabama.  Other than that, not really any players from the three powerhouses (Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State).

Ah ole Ray-Ray! No wonder Beane hasn't been over anxious to draft from Clemson! Kidding.