NFL Draft Profile: Alan Ali, Interior Offensive Linemen, TCU Horned Frogs
Alan Ali TCU
Horned Frogs
#56
Pos: iOL
Ht: 6042
Wt: 301
Hand: 0948
Arm: 3278
Wing: 7758
40: 5.30
DOB: 9/11/1998
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
High School: Timber Creek
Eligibility: 2023
One-Liners
An experienced offensive lineman, Ali doesn’t have the traits or consistent tape to be valued as a draft pick.
Evaluation:
A big center, Ali is very well put together. He has a wide frame and a strong lower half. Ali’s best trait is his ability to handle power. He isn’t susceptible to bull rushes and power moves in general. There were very few instances where defenders playing nose tackle blew Ali off the ball or drove him backward. His football IQ is good enough, as Ali doesn’t make many mental mistakes. He is a waist bender, who doesn’t have NFL caliber athleticism. Quicker defenders were able to easily win, as Ali’s physical limitations made it hard for him to recover. In space, Ali’s lack of athleticism and bend really show up. Linebackers were able to avoid his blocks on most reps. Ali’s lack of speed prevented him from reaching his landmarks and he had a hard time redirecting his body to seal off linebackers at the second level. When working in space, there is noticeable strain with Ali. His lack of athleticism will make it difficult for a zone heavy scheme to draft him. In the run game, Ali doesn’t have the play strength to displace defenders. He creates very little movement and struggles to sustain blocks. Ali plays very high, allowing defenders to win the leverage battle. His core strength allowed him not to get driven back but he was never able to move defenders to create holes for ball carriers. Overall, Ali projects best as a power gap scheme center. He doesn’t have enough play strength to make up for his lack of athleticism, though. Against the better opponents, his concerns showed up far too often. Based on his experience and the size to also play guard, Ali should get a chance in an NFL training camp.
Grade:
UDFA
Background:
Alan Ali is a transfer from SMU. At SMU in 2021, Ali started at three different positions over the opening eight games of the season, starting at center the first five contests with the next two at left tackle and then one start at right tackle. He played in 10 games overall at SMU in 2021. His career honors include the 2021 Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference, 2020 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team, 2019 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team, and 2018 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. In high school, he was a three-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals.
