Half the players drafted Thursday were on defense, but not one came from Tuscaloosa. How?
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A look at the defenders drafted reveals the answer: They either play skill positions or can rush the quarterback. Not exactly news for the pass-happy NFL.
It’s not shocking, then, to see none of Alabama’s three projected first-rounders — linebacker Reggie Ragland and defensive tackles Jarran Reed and A’Shawn Robinson — taken in the first round. Teams’ needs notwithstanding, Alabama’s defenders don’t fit the role of athletic pass rusher or dynamic pass defenders.
Does that mean they were overrated? Not at all.
Ragland, Reed and Robinson — all excellent defenders — have skill sets suited to stopping the run. It’s a skill set that, like it or not, has seen decreased value with the advent of quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson.
Reed and Robinson both project as inside-technique linemen at the next level, plug-and-play defenders who can immediately bolster a team’s rush defense. But that’s not how teams want to use their first-round pick, especially when teams are more likely to air it out than ram the ball down defenses’ throats.
Both were big reasons Alabama gave up only 74 rushing yards per game in 2015; conversely, they only accounted for 4.5 of the Tide’s 52 sacks last season. In the NFL, it pays to have a player who can make the quarterback’s life miserable. That’s why 13 defenders chosen Thursday specialize in coverage and pass-rushing.
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Ragland’s case is a little more complicated: He was recently revealed to have an enlarged aorta, which may very well have affected his draft stock among NFL teams. Beyond that, however, he has been characterized as an “old-school” linebacker in that he is more apt at run-stuffing and making sure tackles. He’s involved in just about every play, but you won’t often see him chasing quarterbacks or swatting passes.
In 2015, Ragland’s lone weakness was his tendency to lose receivers in coverage. Since he doesn’t offer as much upside rushing the quarterback (2.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries in 2015), it’s easy to see how an agile linebacker like Ohio State’s Darron Lee or a pass-rushing specialist like Georgia’s Leonard Floyd would be taken ahead of him.
Rest assured, Alabama’s players will find homes in the NFL. Still, it’s no surprise the Tide’s throwback standouts have to wait a day before hearing their names called.
Just don’t assume it’s because they lack talent.
