Why Nearly Every Mock NFL Draft is About to be Torn Up

All Things CW looks at Alabama players to watch in NFL free agency, how player movement could change everything in the draft, and the story of how a phone call changed hall of famer E.J. Junior's life

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Feb 25, 2021 3:00 PM EST

As we head into March, a lot of people are getting comfortable in believing they have a good grasp of what might happen during the NFL Draft, April 29-May 1.

This football equivalent to fool's gold, especially this year.

There's no combine, so no chance to compare prospects side by side except for the Senior Bowl. Even that was limited as the majority of top prospects didn't participate.

The NFL has seven new coaches for the 2021 season, none of whom have been an NFL head coach before (although Urban Meyer has obviously had a lot of success at the collegiate level). There are also seven new general managers, and no one has a good bead on what any of them might do.

Many like "their" kinds of players, those who have played for them before or have at least been in similar systems. The turnover on those teams could eye-popping.

The real wrench in the works is about to get thrown in, which is of course free agency.

The NFL's franchise tag period opened Tuesday, and won't close until March 9. Subsequently, free agency begins at the official outset of the new league year on March 17.

There's going to be a lot of movement, and all of it will directly impact the draft.

In some cases, the decisions will be headline worthy. Do the Dallas Cowboys finally get a long-term deal done with quarterback Dak Prescott? What happens in Houston with Deshaun Watson, or in Seattle with Russell Wilson? Where does defensive lineman J.J. Watt sign?

The wide receiver turnover could really be something this year. For example, Chris Godwin is a premier player out of the slot, but the Buccaneers also have Tyler Johnson and Antonio Brown. So where's Godwin on the priority list?

There's also Allen Robinson, Kenny Golladay, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Will Fuller and Corey Davis, who could all suddenly be available.

Teams that make a big splash in free agency are less likely to draft someone at the same position, even if may be someone like DeVaonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle. Meanwhile, Mac Jones has to watch the quarterback carrousel spin.

The bottom line is no one really knows what might happen in the draft until after all of the top-end free agents sign. We might be on the verge of an offseason unlike anything the league's seen before.

Alabama players to watch in free agency

Running back Mark Ingram II may be the biggest name among Crimson Tide players in free agency, as the program's first Heisman Trophy winner has already been released by the Baltimore Ravens. However, he's not the former Alabama player to watch.

It's Dalvin Tomlinson.

The defensive lineman is one of the best run-stoppers in the league and he can play nearly anywhere on the line. He was also the Giants' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

There would be interest in the open market, but the guess here is that Tomlinson will end up staying in New York and landing a contract north of $50 million over four years. With 2019 first-round selection Dexter Lawrence also on the roster, the Giants wouldn't have to worry about the interior defensive for quite some time.

As for who will be the top former Alabama player on the move in free agency, it'll likely be running back Kenyan Drake.

"Right now, I feel like anything is up in the air," Drake told NFL Network's Good Morning Football on Tuesday. "I would just appreciate a team coming in and allowing me to continue playing my game, help the team win games, be a versatile playmaker out the backfield."

A phone call changed E.J. Junior's life

With Black History Month about to wrap up it's interesting to note some of E.J. Junior's recent comments to the National Football Foundation about his upcoming enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.

Junior, who had a 3.98 GPA at Maplewood High School in Tennessee, and was considered an ideal prospect, didn't consider attending Alabama initially.

“Alabama probably would have been voted out early because of its history of racism,” Junior said. “I remember as a little kid watching George Wallace, on the steps of Alabama saying that a Black man will never walk on this campus. So, I kind of dismissed Alabama.”

What changed things was Junior's mother, who was a high school principal. She insisted that he took one of Paul W. "Bear" Bryant's phone calls out of respect. It changed his life because the coach didn't make any promises or guarantees.

“He just said that I would get a quality education and he was going to work my tail off,” Junior said. “So that opened the door for Alabama. I just said to myself, wow, that sounds like my work ethic.”

The Crimson Tide went an incredible 44-4 during Junior’s tenure (1977-80), only losing one SEC game to Mississippi State in 1980. After just missing in 1977, Alabama won national titles in 1978 and 1979.

The Crimson Tide defense allowed just 67 points in 1979, and 98 during his senior year when junior was a unanimous All-American. He tallied 190 tackles, 21 sacks and 10 forced fumbles (tied for the school record) while under the direction of defensive coordinator Ken Donahue.

“Coach Donahue was the greatest defensive coordinator to ever coach,” Junior said. “There was not a scheme or a game plan that we were not prepared to defend. We were a defensive power. And that's because of his mastermind. We had as much respect for him as Coach Bryant.”

Junior's position coach was pretty good as well, Sylvester Croom, who went on be the first Black head coach in SEC football history.

“E.J. had football intelligence, and there was really nothing E.J. couldn't do, he was probably one if not the most complete player that I've ever coached,” said his Crimson Tide position coach Sylvester Croom. “He understood the game. Some guys play strictly on talent, but he was a very good technician, his footwork, his hands…

"When I think of a guy who could just do everything. He could rush the passer, play man coverage, zone coverage, play inside the box at linebacker or off the ball. He could do it all and very well and rarely ever missed an assignment.”