Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Draft Prospect Preview | OT Jedrick Wills Jr, Alabama
Height: 6-foot 5
Weight: 320 lbs
Grade: Junior
School: Alabama
Where there’s a Wills, there’s a way.
Well, except if you're a defensive lineman trying to get the better of Alabama tackle Jedrick Wills, a man-mountain with an impressive anchor, incredible power, and fluid movement.
Wills, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, initially made his mark along the Lafayette High School offensive line as part of an offense that finished fourth in the nation with 454.8 yards and 41.8 points per game en route to the state championship.
As a top prospect in the state of Kentucky, several major college programs came calling, including Kentucky and Notre Dame. Wills, however, was drawn by the opportunity to hone his craft under the NFL-style program run by Nick Saban at the Univerity of Alabama.
Playing alongside first round-round talents in tackle Alex Leatherwood and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Wills quickly developed into a reliable blocker. He was a significant part of the team's success, as the Crimson Tide averaged 45.6 points, fourth in all of college football, and 510 yards per game, sixth in the entire nation.
Wills has an exceptional combination of technique, mobility, power, and body control; he knows how to keep the quarterback comfortable in the pocket.
As a run blocker, Wills has tremendous functional strength and a mauler mentality to open up gaping holes for the running backs behind him. If you put him one-on-one, he should be able to handle his assignments easily.
Against one of the best defensive tackles in the country, Derrick Brown, Wills had no problems whatsoever. He’s got so much power to his game that scouts are salivating over the likelihood of that translating to the NFL gridiron.
Why He’s a Fit
As we have noted in our prospect profiles, the Giants desperately need to start thinking about adding some young offensive tackle help to get ready for the future.
Both veteran tackles Mike Remmers, and Nate Solder underwhelmed last year. With Remmers set to hit free agency, getting a long-term answer at right tackle who can eventually flip over to left tackle when the Giants move on from Solder should be high atop of the Giants' to-do list.
General manager Dave Gettleman repeatedly talks about being able to run the ball. Well, the Giants had their issues last year doing that, averaging a mere 105.3 rushing yards as a team (19th in the NFL). To be ranked that low when you have a talent like Saquon Barkley is inexcusable.
Wills, who per Pro Football Focus earned a 90.6 run-block grade and who, as previously mentioned, is a mauler, has seen his stock rise in this year's class. Ranked as the Draft Network's eighth-best prospect overall, it will not only be interesting to see where Wills ends up drafted, but also if he draws serious consideration from a Giants team that needs offensive tackle help in the worst possible way.
