The 2021 NFL draft is just over a month away and the Falcons have been linked to a number of players from Alabama, the country’s premier college football program and elite producer of pro talent.
Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones were both first-round picks because of what they accomplished while playing at Alabama. Previously, I highlighted five players from the University of Georgia the Falcons should consider in this year’s draft. On my next stop, I examine five players from the University of Alabama that would make sense for Atlanta.
DeVonta Smith – WR
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Projection: Top-10 pick While not an immediate need, if the Falcons want to pick the best player available at No. 4 and don’t value a quarterback, DeVonta Smith may be the guy the they choose. The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner is a natural play-maker and would complete the Alabama trifecta for the Falcons at the receiver position. Both Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley played their collegiate careers at Alabama, ant they’ve worked out just fine for Atlanta. The only knock to Smith’s game is his small frame, but his big-play speed, quality blocking skills and ability to high-point the football make him an elite prospect.
Mac Jones – QB
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Projection: Top 15 Alabama doesn’t have a good history at producing quarterbacks at the NFL level. Currently, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa are starters for their respective teams but each faced their share of struggles last season. Jones’ numbers are good but many are concerned that he could be just another Alabama quarterback to flop in the league. He’s intelligent, accurate with the football and makes good decisions. Having just one year as a starter in college may cause some general managers to hesitate when it comes to pulling the trigger on Jones.
Patrick Surtain II – CB
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Projection: Top 15 Surtain has been the most mocked Alabama player to be selected by the Falcons. However, this selection would likely come from a trade as No. 4 overall could be too high of pick to use on the Crimson Tide cornerback. Surtain, who’s the second-rated CB by most scouts, is very good at attacking the ball in the air but struggles to get his head turned around at times. He also struggles with changing direction, which limits where he can play on the field. Surtain is best fitted to line up on the perimeter to face off against bigger, more physical receivers, as opposed to speedy slot receivers. In the right situation, he has All-Pro potential.
Najee Harris – RB
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Projection: Rounds 1-2 Arguably the most coveted Crimson Tide among Falcons fans, Harris is an excellent three-down back who runs hard every play. He possesses the natural instincts and vision to be successful at the next one. His obvious NFL comparison comes from another former Alabama running back — Titans RB Derrick Henry. With the Falcons signing Mike Davis, though, the team could opt to avoid taking Harris or any other top-ranked back and instead address the position later in the draft.
Alex Leatherwood – OL
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Projection: Round 2 With the Falcons restructuring Jake Matthews to make way for cap space, they seemingly committed to the left tackle through the 2022 season at least. However, there is a still a void at left guard that has to be filled. Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood could be a viable option at pick No. 35 overall. The tackle has tremendous upside and is fast at getting to the second level of the defense. The amount of athleticism Leatherwood could make him an ideal candidate to move inside to left guard. He is great at the point of contact and is big enough to move people. However, Leatherwood needs to develop more of a punch to knock defenders backward. This is something that could be developed by Falcons head coach Arthur Smith.
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