March is officially over, and that means it’s draft month for the NFL. This year’s draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin from April 25-27 and should feature a handful of former Alabama stars.
Jihaad Campbell and Tyler Booker are the Crimson Tide’s two first-round hopefuls, while Jalen Milroe figures to come off the board sometime during Day 2. To help track where Tide players might land, Tide Illustrated has compiled 10 recent mock drafts.
Who we used: CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson, one round), Draftwire (Curt Popejoy, three rounds), ESPN (Matt Miller, seven rounds), Fox Sports (Geoff Schwartz, one round), For The Win (Christian D'Andrea, one round), NFL.com (Chad Reuter, four rounds), Pro Football Focus (Dalton Wasserman, one round), SB Nation (James Dator, one round), The Athletic (Ben Standig, one round), Yahoo! Sports (Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, one round).
Jihaad Campbell, ILB
CBS Sport — No. 19 overall (first round), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Draftwire — No. 10 overall (first round), Chicago Bears
ESPN — No. 15 overall (first round), Atlanta Falcons
For The Win — No. 18 overall (first round), Seattle Seahawks
NFL.com — No. 15 overall (first round), Atlanta Falcons
Pro Football Focus — No. 12 overall (first round), Dallas Cowboys
SB Nation — No. 19 overall (first round), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Athletic — No. 16 overall (first round), Arizona Cardinals
Yahoo! Sports — No. 19 overall (first round), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Combined average: 15.9
Outlook: Fox Sports was the only one of the 10 mock drafts used that didn’t project Campbell to be selected in the first round. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound defender has the versatility to play as either an off-ball linebacker or a rush linebacker which makes him a fit for most schemes.
Last month, Campbell had surgery on a torn labrum in his left shoulder. That could cause his draft stock to slide a bit. However, the athleticism and production he displayed at Alabama the past two years will make him hard for teams to pass up.
Tyler Booker, IOL
CBS Sport — No. 13 overall (first round), Miami Dolphins
Draftwire — No. 45 overall (second round), Indianapolis Colts
ESPN — No. 35 overall (second round), Tennessee Titans
Fox Sports — No. 18 overall (first round), Seattle Seahawks
For The Win — No. 28 overall (first round), Detroit Lions
NFL.com — No. 27 overall (first round), Kansas City Chiefs (projected trade)
Pro Football Focus — No. 27 overall (first round), Baltimore Ravens
SB Nation — No. 26 overall (first round), Los Angeles Rams
The Athletic — No. 34 overall (second round), Minnesota Vikings (projected trade)
Yahoo! Sports — No. 17 overall (first round), Cincinnati Bengals
Combined average: 27.0
Outlook: It’s easy to fall in love with Booker. The 6-foot-5, 321-pound lineman brings the nastiness NFL scouts want on the field as well as the leadership teams need in the locker room.
Booker was Alabama’s most consistent lineman last year. While he’s known for his downhill run-blocking ability, he allowed just 10 pressures and no sacks over 395 pass-blocking snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
While Booker figures to be a plug-and-play starter at the next level, his positional value as an interior lineman is limited. As some mock drafts indicate, it wouldn’t be too shocking if a team reached and selected him in the top 20 picks. However, it’s more likely that he lands at the end of the first round or possibly early in the second.
Jalen Milroe, QB
Draftwire — No. 42 overall (second round), New York Jets
ESPN — No. 83 overall (third round), Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL.com — No. 68 overall (third round), Las Vegas Raiders
Combined average: 64.3
Outlook: Milroe’s high ceiling as a dual-threat playmaker in a weak quarterback class opens the door for a team to reach and select him late in the first round. However, his lack of accuracy and decision-making in the pocket are hard to ignore. Ultimately, that will likely see him fall closer to the third round later this month.
Pittsburgh is an intriguing fit. The Steelers are viewed as the favorite to sign Aaron Rodgers. Doing so would allow Milroe to develop behind the future Hall of Famer for a year or two.
Malachi Moore, S
ESPN — No. 144 overall (fifth round), New England Patriots
Outlook: New England is an interesting possible destination for Malachi Moore, as his versatility and knowledge of the game pair well with Mike Vrabel’s defensive scheme. While Moore might never develop into a starter at the next level, his flexibility and leadership make him an intriguing piece for plenty of defenses. His nose for the football could also see him carve out a role on special teams.
Que Robinson, EDGE
ESPN — No. 195 overall (fifth round), Los Angeles Rams
Outlook: Standing in at 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, Que Robinson is a little too light to play on the edge but a little too raw to serve as an off-ball linebacker. At the moment, he projects as a backup at the next level, but he still offers plenty of untapped potential to whatever team drafts him.
Before stepping into a starting role at Alabama last season, Robinson served as a special-teams star for the Tide. That experience should come in handy, as he’ll likely take on similar duties during his professional career.
Robbie Ouzts, TE
ESPN — No. 235 overall (seventh round), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Outlook: Robbie Ouzts’ old-school tendencies might be worth taking a flyer on late in the draft. The 6-foot-3, 274-pound tight end best projects as either a fullback or H-back at the next level. While Ouzts isn’t going to blow anyone away with his playmaking ability, he offers a nice amount of athleticism when running routes. That being said, he hangs his hat on his ability to lead block and clear the lane for ball carriers in the running game.