2022 NFL Draft Preview: Alabama Crimson Tide Wide Receiver John Metchie III
Ask a typical Alabama fan what he or she will remember the most about John Metchie III and the 2021 Iron Bowl will probably be mentioned.
He had 13 passes for 150 yards, and caught the game-winning, two-point conversion in the fourth overtime to help seal the victory for the Crimson Tide.
But there were two other things that stood out just as much, if not more.
1) Metchie's demeanor.
Not only did he constantly demonstrate a tremendous amount of poise, but brought an international flavor to Tuscaloosa.
Metchie was born in Taiwan before moving to Ghana and eventually to Canada from the age of six until high school. He attended St. James School in Hagerstown, Maryland, before transferring to The Peddie School for his final prep season, where he solidified his status as a consensus four-star recruit and one of the top overall prospects.
It helped him bring a sense of maturity into a locker room that didn't always have a lot of veterans.
“The leadership that he showed me when I was younger, he really helped me understand what the culture was once I got there," quarterback Bryce Young said. "He works extremely hard, carries himself and conducts himself professionally.
"Ever since I met him on my official visit as a senior in high school, he always conducted himself as a pro. Someone who is going to work day in and day out, someone who is very dynamic and a huge playmaker. I was blessed to have two special guys outside, he is going to be special.”
2) The hit.
You know, the 2020 SEC Championship Game when he drilled Florida safety Trey Dean II on an interception return in the first quarter.
Alabama went on to win 52-46, but Metchie had also been playing on an ankle injury suffered during week two, but never missed a game.
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Projection
Draft Day 1
- What: Round 1
- When: Thursday, April 28
- Time: 7 p.m. CT
- TV: NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes (es)
- Mobile and CTV: NFL, ESPN
- Web: NFL.com, ABC.go.com, ESPN.com
Draft Day 2
- What: Rounds 2-3
- When: Friday, April 29
- Time: 6 p.m.
- TV: NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes (es)
- Mobile and CTV: NFL, ESPN
- Web: NFL.com, ABC.go.com, ESPN.com
Draft Day 3
- What: Rounds 4-7
- When: Saturday, April 30
- Time: 11 a.m.
- TV: NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes (es)
- Mobile and CTV: NFL, ESPN
- Web: NFL.com, ABC.go.com, ESPN.com
BamaCentral will profile each of the former Crimson Tide players expected to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. This is the seventh story in the series:
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