BCS Championship Game -- Players from Alabama to Watch in the 2012 NFL Draft

Seniors

Courtney Upshaw—OLB Top-20 Prospect

Upshaw is my second rated OLB in what is a below average group at that position.  He is a natural pass rusher that could play as a 3-4 OLB or DE in a 4-3.  He has an outstanding first step combined with a strong upper body.  He uses his hands well to get off the blocker and has a very good speed move.  He reads the run fairly well and tackles well.

Mark Barron—SS Early to Mid Second-Round Pick

Barron is a very productive safety that can cover receivers and TEs and step into the box to stuff the run.  He has the size and strength to battle the TE down the middle of the field for the ball.  He has above average ball skills and is instinctive.

Josh Chapman—DT Third-Round Prospect

Chapman is an under producer that soaks up blockers so that the linebackers can make the play.  I
have a test for defensive players.  I want the guys that are on the bottom of the pile not the ones standing next to it.  Chapman is a stander.

William Vlachos—C Mid to Late Fourth-Round Pick

Vlachos is my favorite C in the draft.  He has the quickness to pull and get outside on the run but the skills to drive block effectively.  His only area of concern is pass blocking but he is as good there as most of the others in the draft.

Marquis Maze—WR Mid to Late Fourth-Round Pick

Maze is a slot receiver at the next level.  He has good speed but is less than 5-8.  He is also very inconsistent.  In one game he will look like Wes Welker of the Pats.  In the next he looks like Lawrence Welk.

Juniors That May Come into the Draft

Trent Richardson—RB Top-10 Pick

He is the top RB on my board and a top-five player IF he runs under 4.5 in the 40 yard dash.  He looks
to me like he will.  He has exceptional vision with a jump step that allows him to get to any hole he sees.  He is a much better than average pass receiver and is big enough to be a three-down back. 
He has the speed to take the ball to the house.  Against LSU in the first game he was Bama’s
offense despite them keying on him.

Dre Kirkpatrick—CB Mid First-Round Pick

Dre is an outstanding cover guy with size, strength and speed to compete against the bigger WRs in the NFL.  He is so good that teams tend to throw the other way playing Bama.  He can cover at
all levels and is a better than average tackler that will support the run.

Dont'a Hightower—ILB Early Second-Round Pick

Hightower is an inside backer that can play outside as well.  He plays the run well and attacks
the line of scrimmage for tackles for loss.  He has the speed to drop in a Tampa two-zone D at the next level.  He will fall in the draft because ILBs tend to be second-round picks but he is a player that will solidify some teams’ defense.

Robert Lester—FS Third-Round Pick

Lester has the size and speed to be a real force in the league, but he doesn’t make enough
plays.  He plays the run fairly well but is a stander.  With a good senior year he can be a first-round pick in 2013.

That is what I think.  Tell us what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits http://fryingpansports.com and hosts the Internet radio version of News, Notes and Rumors M-Th at 6 PM EST on http://mooheadradio.com/2.0/.  He has also published several novels on http://www.eBooks-Library.com/Contemporary/ (select William E. Smith in the author list) and a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/.