Fanspeak: Alabama

Remember Kory Woodruff, the big guard from Pittsburg State in Kansas who’s hoping to get a shot at playing in the NFL? Since we last heard from him, Woodruff was hoping to put up good numbers at his school’s Pro Day, as he did not receive a Combine invitation. Sure enough, Woodruff put himself on … More »

His accuracy, vision and processing skills are considered “genius level,” and yet he also had more than 3 seconds in the pocket last season. He’s a natural passer but has average to slightly above-average arm strength. And he’s a winner who excelled at one of the top programs in the nation, but Alabama’s Bryce Young … More »

Bijan Robinson-to-Dallas is all but a foregone conclusion, both nationally and locally. The talk goes something like this: “You shouldn’t take a running back in the first round. Zeke just showed us why.” That’s soon followed by … “… unless Bijan Robinson is still there. I mean, how can you not? He’s, like, the top-rated … More »

Remember when Seattle had a Super Bowl-winning quarterback despite paying very little attention to improving its offensive line? Now that Russell Wilson is gone, Seattle has curiously reversed course. The Seahawks drafted, then started, a pair of rookie OTs last year, including Charles Cross in the first round. Abraham Lucas was their pick in the … More »

How fast is TCU receiver Quentin Johnston? Better yet – how good are his hands? He answered the speed question during the school’s pro day on Thursday. Johnston ran an unofficial 4.49 and 4.50. Combined with his 40.5-inch vertical jump and 11-feet, 2-inch broad jump at the Combine, and Johnston would appear to be the … More »

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson showed off his impressive arm strength during the school’s Pro Day earlier this week, although there were a few blips. The Sporting News’ Jacob Camenker was on hand for the event and said Richardson’s workout was different when compared to the other top signal callers in that C.J. Stroud of Ohio … More »

Let’s do a “this just makes sense” mock draft. What does that entail? Maybe a pick is made because it’s an obvious team need. Or maybe it’s because a player has extensive meetings with a respective team. Some picks will be made due to the team’s past tendencies. History and even family ties will play … More »

Is Lukas Van Ness a lock to go in the first round? Not necessarily. The Iowa pass rusher, ranked No. 9 in the latest Fanspeak-Jake Rigdon big board, is widely regarded as a Day 1 prospect despite never starting a game for the Hawkeyes. A full-time hockey player until high school, Van Ness has 13 … More »

Is the 2023 tight end class as good as it’s being portrayed? That depends on how you look at it. From a pure number’s standpoint, there aren’t as many players listed in the first- through seventh-rounds as was drafted last year. There are 16 tight ends ranked among the top 259 players in the soon-to-be-updated … More »

We know Carolina isn’t going to trade out of the first overall pick, and Houston seems destined to snag the next-best quarterback. But what would motivate Arizona from moving out of the third-spot? If the Cardinals did, then they’d miss out on perhaps the best defensive player in the draft, Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson, … More »

Will Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson drop to the third round? Is star Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee a second-round talent? And is Bresee’s teammate Trenton Simpson the fourth-best linebacker and destined for the late second-round? The always-plugged-in Trevor Sikkema certainly thinks so. The Pro Football Focus draft analyst released his three-round mock draft on … More »

Things have gone from bad to worse for Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter, once ranked as the No. 1 prospect by many draft evaluators. Media reports say the 6-foot-3 Carter weighed 323 pounds at Georgia’s Pro Day on Wednesday, which is nine pounds heavier than his weight at the Combine two weeks ago. Carter also … More »