Five Alabama Questions Heading into the NFL Combine

BamaCentral sat down with Pro Football Network draft analyst Oliver Hodgkinson to discuss key Crimson Tide storylines heading into this week.

Two months ago, Lucas Oil Stadium marked Alabama’s cessation, serving as the final resting place for a Crimson Tide team that finished one win shy of its ultimate goal. This week, the stadium will offer new life to a few former Alabama players looking to take the next step in their careers.

The Crimson Tide will be represented by 11 players during this week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis as linebacker Christopher Allen, defensive back Jalyn Armour-Davis, wide receiver Slade Bolden, linebacker Christian Harris, defensive back Josh Jobe, defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis, wide receiver John Metchie III, offensive lineman Evan Neal, defensive lineman LaBryan Ray, running back Brian Robinson Jr. and wide receiver Jameson Williams are all set to return to the site of last season’s national championship defeat to Georgia.

Not all of Alabama’s representatives will take part in the action. Monday, it was reported that Neal will opt to skip on-field activities at the event, choosing instead to wait until Alabama’s Pro Day on March 30 to work out in front of NFL scouts. Metchie and Williams will also withhold from workouts after suffering ACL injuries during the College Football Playoff in January. Meanwhile, the statuses of Allen (foot), Armour Davis (hip) and Jobe (foot) are unclear after they all sat out the national championship game with injuries of their own.

Still, this week’s combine offers plenty of intrigue from an Alabama standpoint. Heading into the event, BamaCentral spoke with Pro Football Network draft analyst Oliver Hodgkinson to answer five questions surrounding the Crimson Tide.

Can Robinson run his way up draft boards?

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After spending four years in the shadows, Robinson finally stepped into the spotlight as he returned for a fifth season to take on the leading role in Alabama’s backfield. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native made the most of the opportunity, leading the team with 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns on 271 carries over 14 games.

Despite his production, Robinson still hasn’t seen his name mentioned in many mock drafts as most analysts view him as a Day 3 pick in this year’s draft. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound back has shown he has the ability to pick up tough yards. How much can he improve his stock with a good time in the 40-yard dash this week?

Hodgkinson says: “What I can say with Brian, no he wasn’t in my four-round mock draft, but we’ve got him on the Pro Football Network consensus big board as the 108th overall prospect. So, just outside of that Day-2 range, early Day 3 as the eighth running back in the class.

“In terms of the combine, it’s a lot of the speed stuff. The 40-yard dash is obviously something that Brian Robinson will be up against. It’s also the 10-yard split within that 40-yard dash. That initial acceleration is probably the biggest knock on his stock at the moment. He’s not a guy who, compared to a Breece Hall or Kenneth Walker or even some of the guys like Rachaad White,  is initially explosive. He grinds out tough yardage, but he’s not a guy who immediately jumps off the tape as an explosive player with initial burst.

“He’s an incredible, physical back as seen in the national championship game, some of the clashes he had with Lewis Cine, Nakobe Dean. He can grind out yardage and embrace contact as a running back, but he lacks that little bit of burst. Once he’s in the open field, he’s got decent long speed. … So something like the 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash — if he has a good time there, that’s something that could skyrocket him up the board." 

Is Williams a first-round lock?

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After tearing his ACL in the national championship game in January, Williams won’t be able to flash his elite speed this week. That being said, the Biletnikoff Award finalist displayed his game-changing ability several times last season, recording 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns while also averaging 35.2 yards per kickoff return, including two touchdowns on special teams.

Prior to his injury, Williams was projected as a top-15 pick. While the latest setback figures to see his draft stock slip, will he still hear his name called on Day 1?

Hodgkinson says: “It’s not just his speed. That’s the great thing about Jameson Williams. When you’re evaluating him as an NFL prospect, his speed is apparent, his explosiveness is apparent, but he does a lot of stuff at the catch point as well. He’s very impressive as a route runner. We’ve seen what he can do after the catch as well. He’s almost the full package. I know people who view Jameson Williams as the best receiver in a deeply talented class that features the two Ohio State guys in Cris Olave and Garrett Wilson as well as Treylon Burks, Drake London, Jahan Dotson.

“Lock is a difficult word to use for multiple reasons. Because of the depth of the class, you look at positional needs in the NFL Draft as well. A lot of teams go for the best player available, but if you look at the strength in the edge class, you can see a lot of edge defenders are going to go in the first round. A lot of cornerbacks are going to go in the first round. Quite a lot of offensive linemen are going to go, and regardless of what you think of this draft class, quarterbacks are going to go too.

"From a supply-and-demand perspective, it could be that a wide receiver falls out of the first round, but he’s a lock in terms of he’s got first-round potential and first-round talent.” 

Can anyone pass Neal as the top tackle?

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Neal is one of the most talented offensive linemen Alabama has ever produced. The 6-foot-7, 350-pound left tackle is widely projected as the No. 1 overall pick as the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for more protection for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

While most mock drafts have Neal as the first tackle off the board, a few have tabbed N.C. State’s Ikem Ekonwu as the best player at the position. Is there any chance Neal could be passed up moving forward?

Hodgkinson says: “For me, no. Personally, I love Evan Neal. I don’t think he loses anything by not going to the combine. We know who Evan Neal is. We know he’s an exceptional athlete for the size that he is.

“The next two months are a job interview. You’re going to put yourself in a position to put your best self forward. Evan Neal is coming off a long season at Alabama where you get knocked up and dinged up. Why not give yourself that extra three weeks until the Alabama Pro Day to get ready?

“... Can anyone overcome Evan Neal? Not for my liking. I really do like Ikem Ekonwu out of N.C. State. He’s a big, bad nasty dude, really athletic as well like Evan Neal. But I don’t think he’s better than Evan Neal. Neal’s the best prospect in the class. If you’re the Jacksonville Jaguars, I don’t see what other direction you take other than protect Trevor Lawrence.” 

Whose draft stock could rise the most?

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Last year, Alabama tied an NFL Draft record with six players selected in the first round. Outside of Neal and Williams, this year’s Crimson Tide draft class features more mid-round talent. That being said, which Alabama player could see his stock rise the most with a strong performance this week?

Hodgkinson says: “For me Jalyn Armour-Davis. Both myself and Ian Cummings here at Pro Football Network are really high on Armour-Davis. He’s a kid who came into the season not viewed as the Alabama cornerback in the 2022 draft class. Everyone was talking about Josh Jobe coming in. But for me, I think Jalyn Armour-Davis is the Alabama cornerback.

“He’s no Patrick Surtain or Trevon Diggs, but Jalyn Armour-Davis is a player who I don’t think gets anywhere near as much respect in this class as he deserves. The kid’s a former 100-meter state champion, and you see that on tape. I did his scouting report a month ago just before the national championship, and you can see the track speed on tape. He’s got the opportunity to show that and put a number on it. I think the big thing for Jalyn as well is going to be showing his fluidity through some of the on-field drills as long as he’s fully recovered from his hip injury.

“As long as he’s at full health, I see Jalyn Armour-Davis as a guy who’s going to run a super-fast 40, perform well in on-field drills and elevate his stock. … He’s an early Day 3 guy who has the potential to move to Day 2 by the time everything shakes out.” 

Could Christian Harris sneak into the first round?

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Harris ended his season on a high note, recording seven tackles, including three sacks, with a forced fumble during the national championship game against Georgia. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound linebacker tallied 79 tackles, including 12.5 for a loss with 5.5 sacks, to go with three pass breakups and two forced fumbles over 15 games. Will that production make up for his lack of consistency and allow him to sneak into the first round with a solid showing this week?

Hodgkinson says: “He’s mysterious, that’s a good way to put it. He’s a kid who started the season as probably the top linebacker prospect during summer scouting, but he hasn’t been consistent. Statistically, he’s had the best season of his Alabama career, but for large swings in the season it was like, ‘Where is Christian Harris?’

“Guys like Nakobe Dean, Devin Lloyd have really overtaken him in the process. Guys like Wyoming’s Chad Muma, who’s an ascending prospect as well. Brian Asamoah at Oklahoma as well. They’ve all kind of entered the conversation, and Christian Harris has kind of been so-so.

“He had a great game in the national championship, and you think ‘Can he build some momentum?’ Let’s not beat around the bush, the kid is a superb athlete, and the NFL combine is set up for superb athletes to shine. So I think he could come into Indianapolis, put on a show at the combine and maybe reassert his stock a little bit.

“There are enough teams who need a linebacker to warrant more than two linebackers going in the first round potentially. But I think Nakobe Dean and Devin Lloyd are probably your two first-round linebackers. Then you’re looking at Harris against Chad Muma and Asamoah and a few other guys who are knocking around that early Day-2 range.”