2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: OT Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
OT ALEX LEATHERWOOD
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 312 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Alabama
He is a former five-star recruit out of Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola, Florida. Leatherwood was the fourth-ranked national recruit in the 2017 cycle, according to 247 Sports.
He played high school football for Heisman Trophy winner and former New York Knicks great, Charlie Ward. He could have left for the NFL draft last season but elected to stay--he was rewarded with a national championship.
Played 922 snaps at right guard in 2018, showing positional versatility. Playing inside will help with some of his deficiencies with surrendering his outside shoulder to edge rushers. He gave up five sacks and 33 pressures in 1,400 pass-blocking snaps.
Traits
He has long arms, wide base/shoulders, and an NFL frame. Leatherwood possesses solid movement skills and foot quickness to mirror, although this ability is more pronounced while moving forward or horizontally. He has solid overall athletic ability for a tackle--his wide hinders his agility.
He knows how to use his length and uses it well. He can keep defenders at bay and mirror their movements excellently when all things are clicking for him. Leatherwood has the flexibility in his lower half to play tackle at the next level--it’s not elite, but it’s good enough. He has shown foot quickness on tape, but his range still leaves something to be desired on a consistent level.
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A big pet peeve I had with Leatherwood’s tape was how easy he allowed EDGE rushers to get to his outside shoulder and corner. He has a bad tendency to reach with his outside arm and attempt to establish position--he doesn’t always bring his feet with him in these scenarios up the arc, which leads to him not getting the necessary depth in his vertical sets.
His use of hands lacks desired pop--he more so places his hands instead of jolting. Grip strength isn’t anything to write home about, and his hip discipline with pass rushers is adequate at best. He has to stop reaching and kick himself back to put himself into a better position to not give up the corner. He can also struggle against counters.
He frames his blocks well as a run blocker, keeps his elbows tight, and explodes from low to high. Can dip low and explode against shaded defenders and on head up defensive lineman. Can lunge at times while moving laterally and while trying to block in space.
He uses good short-area quickness to set his blocks up and attack right at the snap. He is a good overall run blocker that can play in both zone and gap/power. His athletic ability allows him to track down and locate second-level defenders while using his reach to make contact.
Overall, Leatherwood has his technical faults, and he may not be that great on an island at the next level. Although I feel he can be an adequate early starter who can develop into a solid starting tackle, I think playing guard at the next level is a stronger possibility. He has good functional strength, is very long, and he’s a solid athlete. He’s not a first-round type of player, but he could be a nice addition on Day 2.
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