Mudslinging About Crimson Tide Prospects Getting Thicker as 2021 NFL Draft Approaches

Just A Minute: There's a word to describe some of the last-minute negative talk about Alabama's players in the draft, and it's one of those you can't say on regular TV

The naysaying has almost been non-stop of late. You see a report about a former Alabama player in the 2021 NFL Draft and it's nearly never in a positive light. 

Mac Jones isn't athletic enough. 

DeVonta Smith is too thin. 

Jaylen Waddle is undersized. 

Running backs like Najee Harris aren't first-round values.

There's one report that quoted a scout as saying Landon Dickerson as being "Just a guy," and another saying that multiple teams are concerned with his medicals following pre-draft evaluation.

Christian Barmore is difficult to coach. 

Alex Leatherwood isn't a pure left tackle.

Patrick Surtain II is overrated. 

And so on. 

Wow. Alabama must have been the worst national champion in the history of college football. With all these red flags being waived, no wonder the school's colors are crimson and white.

Right. 

Now stop and ask yourself two things:

1) Why now? 

2) What would someone have to gain by badmouthing draft prospects?

Between agents and teams hoping certain players fall to them, the rhetoric is awful just before a draft, and what's being said about the Alabama players isn't exactly new. 

It's not like Smith wasn't just under 170 pounds when he won the Heisman Trophy. 

The questions about Barmore's attitude go back to last year and during fall camp. 

But did you see the way he played down the stretch? Did he look like a selfish player missing assignments?

Regrading Jones, consider what Albert Breer of MMQB wrote on Monday: 

"One GM told me that, while Bama was loaded around Jones, it was rare that one of his receivers really had to work for the ball. For the most part, he was on time and on target, all of the time. One head coach added to the point in saying, on Tide weaponry, “Those guys make plays but never in spite of Mac.” And here’s another GM on Jones: “We’ve discounted the pocket passer, and we’re discounting him, because there are so many unique athletes that play the position now. But this guy’s good. He’s deadly accurate. He doesn’t have a powerful arm, but it’s plenty good enough. He needs players around him, he needs really good players, and he was driving a Cadillac at Bama. But he can play.” 

So when you see some of the negative talk, take a deep breath and remember the following:

Jones was the NCAA passing champion last season.

Smith is drawing comparisons to Isaac Bruce and Marvin Harrison. 

Waddle is the most exciting player in the draft.

Even Mel Kiper Jr. is predicting that some running backs will be taken in the first round, including Harris.

Dickerson is 6-6, 333 pounds and plays with a mean streak a mile wide. 

If Barmore was difficult to coach do you really think Saban would have played him considering Alabama's defensive line depth? 

Leatherwood could end up being a Pro Bowl right tackle or guard. 

Surtain is the odds-on favorite to be the first defensive player selected in the draft. 

They're all reasons why Alabama has a chance to tie the all-time draft record for most first-round selections. 

Consequently, we'll leave you with this from Nick Saban about red flags and the draft:

When people get all upset over red flags being reported, show them this from Nick Saban. That stuff gets reported because for teams, it really does count.

And the reason why is as simple as Saban makes it sound here. pic.twitter.com/GajbnSZWqQ

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 26, 2021