ESPN's Todd McShay Breaks Down Three Alabama Players Poised to Become Second-Round Picks
Alabama has produced a first-round pick in each of the last 13 NFL Drafts. That run is all but guaranteed to continue this year as offensive tackle Evan Neal is a sure-fire top-10 selection while most analysts project wide receiver Jameson Williams to hear his name called on Day 1 as well.
It gets a bit more interesting after that, as the Crimson Tide has eight other draft-worthy prospects in this year’s class. That includes a few who could come off the board in the second round.
Following the release of his three-round joint mock draft with Mel Kiper Jr. on Tuesday, ESPN analyst Todd McShay broke down three Alabama players who could be selected in the second round of next week’s NFL Draft.
According to McShay, the first name to watch is defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis. The 6-foot-4, 312-pound defender is coming off a redshirt senior season in which he recorded nine sacks and 12 tackles for a loss while also being voted as one of the Crimson Tide’s permanent team captains.
Mathis is currently projected to be selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 63 overall pick, according to Kiper and Mchsay’s three-round mock draft. However, McShay told reporters Wednesday that he could see the defensive tackle coming off the board sooner than that.
“You look at his measurables, he’s kind of solid across the board, nothing exceptional, but the way he plays – how strong he is at the point of attack, how disciplined he is,” McShay said during a Zoom call with reporters. “He knows how to work the edges as a pass rusher, and to me, he’s a guy that’s just kind of consistent and always around the football and has worked to get everything that he can get out of his body. So I’ve got him as the 46th overall prospect, and I think he’s gonna come off the board in the first half of the second round.”
Christian Harris is another popular second-round candidate. The inside linebacker is coming off a standout performance in the national championship game in which he recorded three sacks and a forced fumble. He also put together a solid junior season, totaling 79 stops, including 12.5 for a loss and 5.5 sacks, to go with two forced fumbles and three pass breakups. Harris is projected at No. 51 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles in Kiper and McShay's mock draft.
“He’s a tick slow in terms of diagnosing sometimes, but my goodness is he fast," McShay said. "He’s just all over the field. His last game in the loss in the national championship might have been his best tape – that I watched, at least.
“Just flying around. He’s a torpedo versus the run, and he’s got really good cover skills, and he can blitz and get pressure on the quarterback, as well. So I really like Christian Harris’ game, and he’s gonna probably be the, I don’t know, third, fourth, fifth off-the-ball linebacker drafted in this class.”
The final player McShay mentioned Wednesday was John Metchie III, who led Alabama with 96 receptions last season while finishing second on the team with 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns through the air. Metchie tore his ACL during the SEC Championship Game in December but is expected to be cleared to return to the field by June. Kiper and McShay have the receiver landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 52 overall.
“Then I would go to John Metchie as another guy I think belongs in the second round,” McShay said. “After Neal and Jameson Williams, who you mentioned as first-rounders, I think it’s Mathis, Harris and Metchie that are gonna be second-rounders for Alabama. Obviously, he had (96) catches this past year, and even though Jameson was such a huge part of the offense and was a big-play guy, Metchie does all the dirty work.
“Over the middle, third downs when you need to have to rely on a receiver, he finds a way to separate and get open. But a lot of tough catches, and I think he’s a lot better after the catch than people give him credit for.”
This year’s NFL Draft will take place inside Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. The first round will be on April 28 followed by second and third rounds on April 29 and rounds 4-7 on April 30.
Alabama players in ESPN's Kiper/McShay three-round mock draft
OT Evan Neal — No. 9 overall, Seattle Seahawks
Photo | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
WR Jameson Williams — No. 15 overall, Philadelphia Eagles
ILB Christian Harris — No. 51 overall, Philadelphia Eagles
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
WR John Metchie III — No. 52 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
Alabama Athletics
DT Phidarian Mathis — No. 63 overall, Cincinnati Bengals
Alabama Athletics
DB Josh Jobe — No. 95 overall, Cincinnati Bengals
Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
