Alabama was well-represented at the NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend, as 10 of its former players traveled to Indianapolis for the annual draft showcase.
Dallas Turner was one of the event’s biggest winners, leading all edge rushers with a 4.46 time in the 40-yard dash as well as a 40.5-inch vertical. Those marks could make him some extra money as he improved his already soaring stock heading into next month’s NFL Draft.
This year’s draft will take place in Detroit from April 25-27. To get a feel for where Turner and the rest of Alabama’s biggest stars will be selected, Tide Illustrated has compiled a list of 10 recent mock drafts following the combine.
Who we used: Draftwire (Curt Popejoy), ESPN (Jordan Reid), NFL.com (Lance Zierlein), Pro Football Focus (Gordon McGuinness), Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer), The Athletic (Dane Brugler), The Draft Network (Keith Sanchez), The Ringer (Danny Kelly), USA TODAY (Nate Davis), The 33rd Team (Marcus Mosher)
Dallas Turner, edge rusherÂ
Draftwire: No. 12 overall (Round 1), Denver Broncos
ESPN: No. 8 overall (Round 1), Atlanta Falcons
NFL.com: No. 11 overall (Round 1), Minnesota Vikings
Pro Football Focus: No. 14 overall (Round 1) New Orleans Saints
Sporting News: No. 8 overall (Round 1), Atlanta Falcons
The Athletic: No. 14 overall (Round), New Orleans Saints
The Draft Network: No. 8 overall (Round 1), Atlanta Falcons
The Ringer: No. 9 overall (Round 1), Chicago Bears
USA TODAY: No. 11 overall (Round 1), Minnesota Vikings
The 33rd Team: No. 8 overall (Round 1), Atlanta Falcons
Combined average: 10.3
Outlook: Turner’s stellar performance solidified him as the draft’s top edge rusher and could see him become the first defensive player to come off the board. To put his 40-time in perspective, it was nearly a tenth of a second faster than the 4.54 mark running back Derrick Henry recorded in 2016.
Turner’s 40.5-inch vertical not only led all edge rushers but also tied for 10th overall. That’s an inch and a half higher than Washington star receiver Rome Odunze, who’s projected to be a top-10 pick.
Perhaps the only thing working against Turner at the moment is the fact that the teams higher up in the draft figure to be prioritizing quarterbacks and receivers. While that might cause the Alabama defender to slip out of the top five, he shouldn’t have to wait too long to hear his name called.
Terrion Arnold, defensive backÂ
Draftwire: No. 20 overall (Round 1), Pittsburgh Steelers
ESPN: No. 15 overall (Round 1), Indianapolis Colts
NFL.com: No. 17 overall (Round 1), Jacksonville Jaguars
Pro Football Focus: No. 11 overall (Round 1) Minnesota Vikings
Sporting News: No. 15 overall (Round 1), Indianapolis Colts
The Athletic: No. 17 overall (Round), Philadelphia Eagles (projected trade)
The Draft Network: No. 29 overall (Round 1), Detroit Lions
The Ringer: No. 12 overall (Round 1), Denver Broncos
USA TODAY: No. 20 overall (Round 1), Pittsburgh Steelers
The 33rd Team: No. 15 overall (Round 1), Indianapolis Colts
Combined average: 17.1
Outlook: Arnold stole hearts at the combine with his touching tribute to his mother. He also did his part to win over NFL scouts with his performance on the field. The 6-foot, 189-pound defensive back was fluid in his on-field drills and recorded a 4.5 time in the 40-yard dash. While that time doesn’t pop off the charts, it’s the same mark Chicago Bears All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson recorded in 2020.
Arnold is competing with Clemson’s Nate Wiggins, Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean to become the first defensive back off the board. The Alabama cornerback didn’t do anything to hurt those chances in Indianapolis.
J.C. Latham, offensive tackleÂ
Draftwire: No. 21 overall (Round 1), Miami Dolphins
ESPN: No. 18 overall (Round 1), Cincinnati Bengals
NFL.com: No. 6 overall (Round 1), New York Giants
Pro Football Focus: No. 28 overall (Round 1) Buffalo Bills
Sporting News: No. 20 overall (Round 1), Pittsburgh Steelers
The Athletic: No. 11 overall (Round), Tennessee Titans (projected trade)
The Draft Network: No. 21 overall (Round 1), Miami Dolphins
The Ringer: No. 20 overall (Round 1), Pittsburgh Steelers
USA TODAY: No. 17 overall (Round 1), Jacksonville Jaguars
The 33rd Team: No. 19 overall (Round 1), Los Angeles Rams
Combined average: 18.1
Outlook: While Latham did not take part in athletic testing, he registered some impressive measurements at the combine. The 6-foot-6 offensive tackle weighed in at 342 pounds and was measured with a 35â…› wingspan and 11-inch hands. Latham also looked smooth in his on-field drills, solidifying his first-round projection.
Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is widely considered the top tackle in this year’s draft. However, Latham is in competition with Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga and Georgia’s Amarius Mims for the No. 2 spot at the position. Latham's place in that list should determine whether he is selected in the top-10 range or slips to the middle of the first round.
Kool-Aid McKinstry, defensive backÂ
Draftwire: No. 29 overall (Round 1), Detroit Lions
ESPN: No. 27 overall (Round 1), Arizona Cardinals
NFL.com: No. 26 overall (Round 1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pro Football Focus: No. 22 overall (Round 1) Philadelphia Eagles
The Draft Network: No. 20 overall (Round 1), Pittsburgh Steelers
The 33rd Team: No. 40 overall (Round 2), Washington Commanders
Combined average: 27.33
Outlook: McKinstry did not practice in athletic testing or on-field drills due to a Jones fracture in his right foot. While he will reportedly take part in Alabama’s Pro Day on March 20, sitting out drills this past weekend saw him slip behind other cornerbacks over the weekend.
McKinstry measured in at 5-foot-11.5, 199 pounds with a 32-inch wingspan. Along with his decent size, he demonstrates plenty of poise and confidence on the field. That being said, there are some questions about the five-star cornerback’s full-field speed. A sub-4.5 time in the 40-yard dash during Alabama’s Pro Day would go a long way toward snuffing out those doubts and preserving his first-round stock.
Chris Braswell, edge rusherÂ
Draftwire: No. 59 overall (Round 2), Houston Texans
ESPN: No. 45 overall (Round 2), New Orleans Saints
The 33rd Team: No. 58 overall (Round 2), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Combined average: 54
Outlook: Braswell didn’t match Turner’s eye-popping testing results, but he did hold his own against other edge rushers at the combine. The 6-foot-3, 251-pound defender ranked fifth among players at his position with a 4.60 time in the 40-yard dash. He also posted a 33.5-inch vertical and a broad jump of 9 feet, seven inches.
A month ago, a few mock drafts had Braswell sneaking into the first round. While that doesn’t figure to be the case, the athletic edge defender has likely done enough to hear his name called in the second round.