What Alabama Fans Need to Know About the 2023 NFL Combine: All Things CW
The All Things CW notes column by Christopher Walsh appears in five parts each week, with the latest on the Alabama Crimson Tide. This is ...
Take 2
A total of 319 prospects were invited to attend this year's NFL combine, including 13 former Alabama Crimson Tide players who hope to hear their names called during the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
That would set a program record after Alabama had 12 selections in 2018.
The players who will be making the rounds in Indianapolis include:
QB: Bryce Young
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs
TE: Cameron Latu
OL: Emil Ekiyor Jr., Tyler Steen
DL: DJ Dale, Byron Young
LB: Will Anderson Jr., Henry To'oTo'o
DB: Jordan Battle, Brian Branch, DeMarcco Hellams, Eli Ricks
Most will opt not to fully participate, preferring to test during Alabama's scheduled Pro Day on March 23.
Hellams, Dale, Byron Young, Latu, Ekiyor and Steen are all coming off the Senior Bowl, so they've already gotten a taste of what's coming.
The first payers started arriving Sunday, but things start to pick up Wednesday. Here are five things Crimson Tide fans should be especially looking for this year:
1) Bryce Young measurements
He's not going to throw at the combine, nor should he. Young's biggest strengths are how he runs an offense, adjusts and makes plays. He has nothing to prove in that respect, and the combine is better for testing things like arm strength.
He'll be a popular interview among teams, but what they really want to know is his height and weight. Alabama generously listed him as 6-0, 194 pounds, and Young will probably show up weighing closer to 200.
Obviously there's nothing he can about his height, it is what it is, and if Young doesn't go first overall it'll be the reason why.
Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, an AFC executive summed it up with "The size is just a major deal.”
“If Bryce Young was 6'3", 220,” said Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network, “I would be talking about him like I talked about Burrow and Lawrence.”
“I love Bryce Young, I really do,” ESPN's Todd McShay said. “I know he’s 195 pounds; a really good friend of mine who’s a scout had him at 5'10½". But I met with him, I’ve talked to him. He’s special. He’s different. He has the poise, the presence in the pocket, the playmaking, everything else you want. I absolutely love Bryce Young. I would bet on him.”
In his next breath, McShay concedes, “If I’m a GM, I’m scared to death of drafting him.”
However, the biggest risk might be in not drafting him.
SEE ALSO: The Colts Can’t Let the Texans Get Bryce Young
2. The combine/Pro Day is crucial for Eli Ricks
Last season, the cornerback played in 10 games, with five starts, while dealing with some injuries. He was credited with 13 tackles, including one for loss, to go with four pass breakups.
He's an exceptional talent who doesn't have the tape or statistics to back up top-tier status at cornerback. Ricks is gambling that he can show teams enough to change their minds.
In its pre-combine cornerback primer, NFL Draft Bible as Ricks rated 11th among cornerbacks, which might be enough to make him a second- or third-round selection. He needs to be rated among the top five corners to have a chance at being a first-round pick.
3. Can Brian Branch lock down first-round status?
Most consider Branch a safety, which is not a position that a lot of teams want to use a first-round selection on, but his versatility helps set him a part like it did with Minkah Fitzpatrick (11th-overall selection, 2018).
Consequently, Branch is reportedly planning to work with the cornerbacks at the combine.
He was listed at 6-0, 194 pounds last season, and Crimson Tide fans saw firsthand how he was strong in coverage as a slot defender. The better he hangs with the corners, the more his draft stock could rise.
Branch is already being projected by many as being a mid first-round pick.
4. Is there a hidden gem among the Crimson Tide?
The short answer is probably not, as Alabama players are always among the most scrutinized in college football. Consequently, there are few surprises at this point.
Two players we expect to impress in Indianapolis are running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Henry To'oTo'o. However, it may not be enough for either to be a first-round selection.
5. Will Anderson Jr.'s media session
The national media will quickly find out why the Alabama reporters liked covering him so much. His turn behind the podium is must-see for the entertainment value alone.
How to watch the NFL Combine
For on-field drills on NFL Network, the schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, 2 pm CT: Defensive Linemen and Linebackers
- Friday, 2 pm: Defensive Backs
- Saturday, noon: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends.
- Sunday, noon: Running Backs, Offensive Linemen
The combine is actually a five- or six-day evaluation process, that begins the moment players arrive. The part that you see on television with the on-field drills is at the end of the gauntlet.
Here's look at the day-by-day order for the offensive players (the schedule for the defensive players is a little different):
- Day 1: Registration, orientation, team interviews
- Day 2: Pre-exam NFLPA meeting, team interviews
- Day 3: Medical exam, pre-ordered studies, broadcast interviews
- Day 4: Ortho exams, medical interviews, team interviews
- Day 5: Measurements, on-field workout
- Day 6: Bench press; depart
See Also:
Take 1: Alabama Basketball May Play Like a No. 1 Team, But Must Learn How to Act Like One
Playing the Bryce Young Weight Game While We Wait for Answers on Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr
