Alabama had the first of their two media pro days today, and All About the Birds had the opportunity of being in attendance.
Six players were available for questions on the day with the actual Alabama pro day occurring tomorrow. Here is a breakdown of what happened with each player.
DeVonta Smith, Wide Receiver
Smith was the main attraction of the media at the pro day. The biggest question surrounding Smith was regarding his weight and size. Smith believed in himself and was confident that his size would not be an issue coming into the NFL. He then admitted that his weight was the same as last season, with it being 170lb. He also confirmed he would not be doing a pro day on Tuesday.
The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner has also recently reached out to his former teammate in Jalen Hurts. He said that he and Hurts had discussed the potential of him playing in Philadelphia. Despite being a man that did not say much in his press conference, Smith showed the confidence he possessed. Something you would expect from a man that had 23 receiving touchdowns last year.
I also had the chance to ask Smith whether he had contacted his former teammates in Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy. Two receivers who were also first-round prospects and whether he had asked them for advice in the draft process. He confirmed that he had and that they had given him a good idea of what to expect.
Deonte Brown, Guard
Brown was one of Alabama's most consistent performers last season. When asked what sort of player and person a franchise would get, he gave the perfect response. He said: "A hard worker, a grinder, and a very good people person. I'm a person that's going to come in every day with a hard hat on that's ready to work, and all in on the field." That's a great insight into the sort of player that Brown is. Someone that will give his all for a team for every single second that he's there. Someone you would want protecting your quarterback.
Brown said that the NFL offenses were easy to pick up, and with his high IQ, he was comfortable with it. As someone that feels he will deal with the transition into an NFL offense, it makes Brown a possible candidate to be a day one starter in the NFL. I was lucky enough to ask Brown about that, and he believes that it is a blessing to be in that position.
Alex Leatherwood, Offensive Tackle
Leatherwood was a man that showed flexibility during his time at Alabama, playing across the offensive line during his time there. He confirmed that in meetings with teams, some had asked him about playing tackle. Whilst the others inquired about him being a guard. He admitted that he was comfortable playing anywhere on the offensive line.
Leatherwood went on to admit that his most preferred position is as a Left Tackle. However, he showed his confidence in his abilities and followed that by reiterating that he had the tools to play all over the offensive line. He then alluded to the Crimson Tide's pro offensive scheme indicating that he will be comfortable slotting into any NFL offense. The quote that stood out was, "I'm built to do anything."
Landon Dickerson, Center
Dickerson won the Rimington Trophy for being the best Center in College Football last season, so that was a great indication of how good he is. The Center moved to Alabama from Florida State in 2019, and when asked about where he would preferably play, he just said on the field and wherever a team wanted him to be.
Dickerson is not sure about how much he will be doing at the pro day tomorrow, mainly due to a knee ligament injury that he suffered during the back end of last season. I asked him about his recovery from that and whether he had spoken to the Eagles.
Miller Forristall, Tight End
Forristall is a player that has been with Alabama for the last five seasons. The tight end is lower down in the draft prospects at the position, and he alluded to the quality at tight end this year. Forristall showed confidence in his abilities by stating he could do everything and that his experiences at Alabama helped him. Due to this, he also believes he could fit into any college system.
Having played for one of College Football's greatest dynasty's, Forristall is a man that has played with incredible wide receivers and running backs throughout his time at Alabama. That means that his name will have been buried underneath what has been an all-star cast. Due to this, I asked him to tell people who he is as a player for the fans who may not know much about him.
Thomas Fletcher, Long Snapper
Fletcher joined the Crimson Tide in 2017, and during his senior year, he was selected to go to the Senior Bowl. He alluded to how different the process is for a long snapper entering the draft due to there only being a need for one in every franchise. Fletcher knows that he has to show teams that he can snap, block and recognise the protection.
With playing at long snapper being such a unique position, I asked Fletcher what his perspective of being in the middle of the chaos was like and having to quickly adjust his motions and focus.
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