Alabama Athletics
Draft Notes: Raekwon Davis Pulls Out of Senior Bowl
Former University of Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis has pulled out of the Senior Bowl, and will start turning his attention to the NFL Combine.
Davis was sidelined by an ankle injury.
AL.com’s Creg Stephenson first reported his withdrawing, citing Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy.
Davis is one of five former Crimson Tide players on the South Team roster, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, who transferred to Oklahoma for his senior year.
The others are safety Jared Mayden and linebackers Anfernee Jennings and Terrell Lewis.
Lewis is already passing the eye test in Mobile. During his press conference Monday night Nagy described him as "Long, stringy body and Mike Tyson's hands."
His measurables were 6-5 3/8, 258 pounds, 34 1/8 arms, 10" hands.
Tua Tagovailoa to attend NFL Draft
Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovaoiloa told KITV4 in Hawaii, where he was enjoying the Polynesian Bowl and Polynesian Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony last week, that he will be attending the 2020 NFL Draft.
"I'm feeling good," he said.
Last week, Tagvailoa’s agent Leigh Steinberg told AL.com’s Mike Rodak that Tagovailoa is expected to be healthy by April and able to take part in a 40-minute workout for teams.
"The reason that there’s optimism is people around him say you wouldn’t know he had surgery six or eight weeks ago, whatever it was,” NFL Network analyst Mike Garafolo said on the air Saturday. "The way he’s moving around. He’s training twice a day with the first workout starting at 4:30 in the morning. I've never understood why it was has to be at 4:30 in the morning by the way, why not 6:30? He's getting a lot done.
"Apparently, these workouts are going extremely well. That's why his agent Leigh Steinberg is saying he's going to throw separately for teams in April.”
Garafolo is projecting Tagovailoa to be an "Easy, Top 10” pick.
Mock Drafts beginning to pick up steam
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his "NFL mock draft 1.0," which was heavy with former Alabama players.
Like so many others he's projecting Tagovailoa to go fifth overall to the Miami Dolphins.
After him he has:
• Jedrick Wills Jr. going sixth to the Chargers to fill a "desperate" need the team has on the offensive line.
• Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy 15th to the Denver Broncos
• Safety Xavier McKinney 17th to the Dallas Cowboys, again filling a huge need.
• Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III 21st to Philadelphia as the Eagles are looking to get faster.
The Sports Illustrated's Monday Morning Quarterback also posted its latest mock draft and had:
• Wills at No. 4 to the New York Giants
• Tagovailoa 5th to the Dolphins
• Jeudy 12th to the Las Vegas Raiders
• Cornerback Trevon Diggs 20th by the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Ruggs 11th to the Eagles.
• Lewis 28th by the Baltimore Ravens
• McKinney 32nd by the San Francisco 49ers
The record for most first-round draft selections is six (Miami, 2004).
Early departures slightly down
The NFL announced that 99 players have been granted special eligibility for the 2020 NFL Draft, which is slightly down from the previous two years.
The group includes former Alabama players Jeudy, McKinney, Ruggs, Tagovailoa and Wills.
However, the figure does not include linebacker Terrell Lewis, who is one of 16 players players who already has his degree with a year of eligibility remaining.
2020 99
2019 103
2018 106
2017 95
2016 96
2015 74
2014 98
2013 73
2012 65
Last year 30 underclassmen who declared early went unselected in the draft.
The 2020 NFL Draft will be April 23–25 in Las Vegas.
