As the last teams standing prepare to face off in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, it should come as no surprise that both Clemson and Alabama are stocked full of NFL[1]-caliber talent.
Both the Tigers and the Crimson Tide boast a wealth of attractive pro prospects, most of whom are likely to be available in the 2016 NFL draft.
These teams' rosters are particularly stacked on the defensive side of the ball, with as many as six prospects between them projected to receive first-round consideration this year. The offensive side holds its own promise, as well, in the form of Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry and a few under-the-radar sleepers.
Before you settle in to watch these two juggernauts clash for college football's ultimate prize, here's a look at some of their top NFL prospects who are eligible for this year's draft.
College Football Playoff National Championship
Date: Monday, January 11
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
TV: ESPN
I'm not the only one who thinks Mackensie Alexander belongs at the top of this list. Ask him yourself and he'll probably tell you he should be at the top of every list, and it's hard to argue with him.
Clemson's shutdown cover man has been as impressive as any corner in the country this season, making opposing quarterbacks either avoid him or pay the price when they don't.
Before the 2015 season began, Alexander crowned himself the nation's best corner[2], per Aaron Brenner of the Post and Courier:
In my opinion? It's not even close. I think every guy that talks about Mackensie knows I'm the best corner in college ball. It's not even close. It's not even close. Look at my body of work. The things I've done. It's not even close. My numbers, and you look at everybody else's numbers, I mean, I don't care who they are and what league they play in, that doesn't matter. If you can play, you can play, hands down.
Now that his Tigers are just one game away from closing out an undefeated season with a national title, he doesn't feel any differently about how good he is, according to Joe Schad of ESPN[3].
As a prospect, Alexander checks all the boxes from a physical standpoint and clearly has the competitive mindset that typically sets the NFL's best corners apart. He's only a redshirt sophomore, but if he declares for the draft after the title game, he should easily get top-15 consideration.
Alabama's quest for this year's title has been led by a dominant defensive unit, led by what many believe to be college football's most disruptive front line.
That unit's anchor is A'Shawn Robinson, who uses his ridiculous combination of power and athleticism to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. A consensus All-American, Robinson tallied 7.5 tackles for loss in his junior season, finishing as an Outland Trophy finalist.
Just as important as his on-field ability is his leadership, as fellow defensive star Reggie Ragland admits his teammate isn't afraid to call teammates out when needed, per Marq Burnett of the Anniston Star[4]:
Oh, yeah, A'Shawn Robinson, he'll do it in a heartbeat. A'Shawn will call you out on anything if he feels like it's not right. That's the type of guy he is. He helps run the team, and if he don't like something, he's going to let it be known. If a guy's not running to the ball, he's going to let it be known. That's the type of guy he is.
Alabama has NFL talent all over its defensive unit, but Robinson is the engine that drives the entire group. At 6'4", 312 pounds, he has the size and versatility to project well in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme at the next level, and he shouldn't fall out of the top 20 picks in this year's draft.
Some may be skeptical of Clemson pass-rushers after a run of disappointing NFL prospects—Da'Quan Bowers, the late Gaines Adams—but NFL fans would be unwise to assume Shaq Lawson won't have an immediate impact at the next level.
One of the most disruptive and productive edge players in the nation, Lawson was one of the driving forces behind the Tigers' impressive defensive performance this year. He led the team with 10.5 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss, including an impressive showing against another potential top pick in this year's draft—Notre Dame tackle Ronnie Stanley.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney certainly thinks his top pass-rusher is worthy of first-round consideration and for a variety of reasons[5], according to Chase Goodbread of NFL.com:
He can be as good as there is in that league. I think he's a first-round talent. When (NFL) people get a hold of Shaq and get to know him, they'll love him because he's such a low-maintenance guy. He loves to play, he loves to practice, he's very coachable. He loves to study film and he's a very smart football player. People look at him as a superstar player, but he's a very low-maintenance guy.
Lawson missed most of Clemson's Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma after suffering a knee injury early in the game, but Swinney says he expects him to play[6] Monday night, per the football program's official Twitter account.
His production is gaudy, but detractors will likely continue to point to other productive pass-rushers who have failed to deliver in the NFL after dominating in Death Valley. Time will tell, but on film Lawson certainly looks to be a balanced, complete player who should warrant a first-round pick and be a productive player early in his pro career.
A'Shawn Robinson may be the Alabama defense's anchor at the point of attack, but it's Reggie Ragland who swoops in from the second level to clean up the spoils.
A consensus first-team All-American, Ragland led the Crimson Tide with 97 tackles, adding 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on his way to being named a finalist for both the Bednarik Award and the Nagurski Trophy.
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller wrote last month[7] that Ragland compares favorably to another former Tide star— New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower:
Generally speaking, school-to-school comparisons are something I don't like, but this one fits. Hightower was a three-down nightmare for offenses at Alabama and showed he could impact the game from all over the field. Ragland does that too, and while he's a bit leaner and more athletic than Hightower, I see them having very similar pro careers.
Currently, Ragland projects as a top-25 player and the best true inside linebacker in this class.
Hightower and C.J. Mosley—a Baltimore Ravens first-round pick in 2014—have already established themselves as productive pros, but Ragland could easily have a higher ceiling than both. As Miller stated weeks ago, Ragland is the "best true inside linebacker" in this year's draft class and should be a surefire first-round pick.
Jonathan Allen said it all, even though he needed just two words.
After his Crimson Tide crushed Michigan State 38-0 in the Cotton Bowl Classic to advance to Monday night's title game, a reporter began a postgame question by saying teams don't score blowouts like this one in the College Football Playoff.
"Alabama does," Allen retorted[8] with a completely straight face, per Instagram (h/t Matt Zenitz of AL.com).
Alabama did indeed, led by a dominant defensive performance with Allen right in the think of the team's four-sack night against the Spartans' Connor Cook, arguably the country's top senior quarterback. Allen led the Tide with 14.5 tackles for loss on the season, while 11 of his 12 sacks on the year came against opponents who were ranked at the time.
Like his fellow Alabama defensive linemen, Allen's size—6'3", 283 pounds—and skill set should give him the versatility to project in any NFL scheme, allowing him to play inside or outside. His performance against Michigan State showed how dominant he can be in clutch moments, and he'll have a chance to deliver again on Monday night, with plenty of NFL scouts watching.
It seems like only Alabama's defensive line could have a player who is possibly the third-best in the group, but still a potential first-round pick.
That's the kind of pick-your-poison scenario Crimson Tide opponents are faced with: try to avoid A'Shawn Robinson or Jonathan Allen and you'll run smack into Jarran Reed.
Not only is Reed as equally capable of disrupting opposing offenses as his linemates, he's also one of the driving forces[9] behind the entire Alabama team, according to Allen (via Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com):
He's the backbone, not just of our defense, but of our whole team. He'll get the offense going, the special teams going. If you're not having the best practice or the best game, he'll let you know right there. He'll tell you straight to your face, but he's also somebody you can lean on during hard times.
Reed has had his own hard times while in Tuscaloosa, including a DUI arrest in July 2014[10] that will certainly draw questions from NFL decision-makers leading up to the draft. But Reed has stayed out of trouble since and established himself as a leader both on and off the field for the Alabama defense.
Listed at 6'4", 313 pounds, Reed also has the frame and skill set to play in just about any scheme at the next level. Versatility is king in the NFL, which should give Reed even more value in this year's draft and increase his chances of sneaking into the first round.
It may seem odd that this year's Heisman Trophy winner may not even be in the top five when it comes to the title game's best NFL prospects. But that says just as much about the defensive talent that will be on the field as it does about Henry's draft value.
The only back in SEC history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, Henry is a battering ram who seemed to only get stronger as the game wore on.
Opinions on projecting Henry's pro success are all over the place, as noted by Kalyn Kahler of MMQB[11]. Former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage—now a radio analyst for the Crimson Tide and executive director of the Senior Bowl—thinks Henry has unique qualities that will set him apart at the next level:
When you see him, you think 3-4 outside linebacker, and then you say, wait a minute, this is a skill player. He's an over-sized skill player. ...
With (Mark) Ingram, (Trent) Richardson, (T.J.) Yeldon, and even (Eddie) Lacy, you would see them get angled off and tackled from behind on a long run. With Henry, I can't remember a single time when, once he got into the clear, anybody caught him. He's faster than he appears because he is covering so much ground with those long strides.
Derrick has more ability than (Brandon) Jacobs, but he has that same sort of style.
At 6'3", 245 pounds, Henry has a rare frame for the position, which will present challenges at the next level in terms of running with low pad level and having quick-enough hips to shake quicker NFL defenders. But at his best, he resembles former Tennessee Titans star Eddie George, who proved taller backs can succeed in the NFL.
After being the Tide's workhorse this season with a ridiculous number of carries, Henry would be best served as part of a one-two punch that kept him fresh for the second half and countered his powerful style with a quicker, shiftier backfield running mate.
No matter what, don't be surprised to hear his name called in the first 40 picks come April.
Widely considered one of this class' top safety prospects, Jayron Kearse has NFL bloodlines that include his cousin—former first-round cornerback Phillip Buchanon—and his uncle—former first-round defensive end Jevon Kearse.
While speaking to reporters at the national title game's media day, Kearse said he received a "second-round grade[12]" from the NFL draft advisory board, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com.
Listed at 6'5", 220 pounds, the first thing that stands out about Kearse is his imposing frame and natural athleticism, which Rob Rang and Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com acknowledged back in November[13]:
Bigger than most wide receivers, but while tall, he is still filling out his lanky frame and adding bulk to his 6-foot-4 body type. Has shown freakish speed to go along with a knack for turnovers and explosive hitting ability throughout his collegiate career.
Kearse's athletic range, ball skills and physical nature are why scouts are excited about his potential.
Kearse doesn't always play up to his physical ability, looking stiff in coverage at times. But he excels in the box and does flash his rare athletic potential, which should allow him to test well through the predraft process and entice NFL defensive coordinators who will want to mold his talent.
The anchor of a unit that paved the way for Derrick Henry's dominant, Heisman-winning rushing campaign in 2015, Ryan Kelly is a three-year starter who is playing the best football of his career at the most important time.
Despite the presence of many different playmakers on offense, Henry himself says Kelly is the team's driving force[14] on that side of the ball, per Matt Zenitz of AL.com:
He's a great leader and the heart and soul of the offense.
He has to make sure everybody has the right calls [on the offensive line], everybody's doing the right thing. He does a great job at his job, but he has to make sure other guys are doing their jobs, so that's why I call him the heart of the offense.
Kelly's mental strength and leadership are his best qualities, but he also has the physical tools to make the successful transition to the NFL and make an impact early in his career. He should come off the board sometime on Day 2, and whichever team grabs him will be getting a player who can step in and start at one of the league's most important positions from Day 1.
Once dubbed "Lazy Leggett" for his lack of work ethic and questionable practice habits, the junior tight end has emerged as one of many dangerous playmakers on the Tigers offense.
Leggett believes he's got the skills[15] to create matchup problems for opposing defenses, per Dan Hope of the Independent Mail:
The red zone is pretty much where people like to play you man-to-man. So we just like to choose our best mismatch and sometimes, or most of the time, I'm that mismatch. I feel like I'm faster than most linebackers out there in college football. Safeties are smaller than I am, so I can just use my body and size to put them behind me and get the ball in front of me.
It's hard to argue with Leggett's self-assessment, as he possesses the size to frustrate smaller defensive backs—he's listed at 6'5", 255 pounds—as well as the athleticism to beat linebackers in coverage. So far this season, he's hauled in 35 passes for 447 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging a score every five catches.
It's possible Leggett may decide to return to Death Valley for his senior season, but this year's tight end class is relatively weak, which could entice him to take advantage and leave early for the pros this year.
Keep an eye on these prospects in the later rounds:
Alabama CB/RS Cyrus Jones
Few Crimson Tide players have made as significant an improvement over their four years in Tuscaloosa as Jones, who has become Alabama's best corner and a dynamic return man. He may never be more than a reserve on defense at the next level, but he could make an immediate impact on special teams.
Clemson DT D.J. Reader
Reader took a leave of absence[16] just prior to the start of his senior season, returning in October after taking time to deal with and overcome some personal issues, some of which related to the recent death of his father. He finished the season strong and could end up coming off the board sometime on Day 3.
Alabama RB Kenyan Drake
An explosive playmaker with incredible speed and quickness, Drake is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He's struggled with durability over the past two years, and his thin build could make it tough for him to survive the pounding of the NFL, but his athletic ability could make him an effective situational weapon.
Clemson G Eric Mac Lain
A former high school tight end, Mac Lain eventually made the switch to the offensive line and finally found his way into the starting lineup as a senior in 2015. At 6'5", 315 pounds, Mac Lain has the size of a tackle, which he puts to good use against bigger interior defenders.
Alabama QB Jake Coker
Coker's long and winding road has taken him from being Jameis Winston's backup at Florida State to getting beat out in training camp in each of the last two seasons. But he's playing the best football of his career at the most important time, and with another strong performance on Monday night, he could generate even more draft buzz for himself as he looks forward to the Senior Bowl.
Alabama OT Dominick Jackson
A junior-college transfer, Jackson spent the 2014 season as a valuable reserve before earning the starting right tackle spot as a senior this year. He allowed just two sacks this season, and while he's extremely raw as a prospect, he could end up earning a late-round flyer.
References
- ^ NFL (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ nation's best corner (www.postandcourier.com)
- ^ Joe Schad of ESPN (twitter.com)
- ^ Anniston Star (www.annistonstar.com)
- ^ variety of reasons (www.nfl.com)
- ^ expects him to play (twitter.com)
- ^ wrote last month (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Allen retorted (www.al.com)
- ^ driving forces (espn.go.com)
- ^ DUI arrest in July 2014 (espn.go.com)
- ^ Kalyn Kahler of MMQB (mmqb.si.com)
- ^ second-round grade (twitter.com)
- ^ back in November (www.cbssports.com)
- ^ driving force (www.al.com)
- ^ got the skills (www.independentmail.com)
- ^ leave of absence (espn.go.com)
