2016 NFL Draft: Curious Case of Alabama LB Reggie Ragland

This is a weird time of the year. Depending on where you live Spring is starting to hit, or you may still have snow….or maybe you never got any in the first place (like me in Ft. Lauderdale). We’ve seen the end of the football season, the Super Bowl, the NFL Combine, and a good amount of the Pro Days.

We’ve seen the stupid mistakes by players getting arrested, and we’ve seen the main rush of the NFL Free Agency period. We’ve seen the tape on most of these NFL Prospects, and the staff here at NFL Mocks has been breaking down scouting reports on every prospect we can get our hands on.

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It seems we’ve come to the point that I can reflect back on past impressions. Last summer I took a good look at a few players in particular, and while some have had their stock slip and rise a little bit, there is one player in particular that is a very interesting case. He has both risen and fallen at the same time, for the same reasons.

I am talking about arguably the hardest hitter in college football: Reggie Ragland.

If you somehow have not figured out who he is by now, he is the mammoth middle linebacker at the University of Alabama. He is 6’2” and roughly 250 pounds. He is not this new school of linebacker that plays inside and outside, and covers receivers and tight ends.

No, this guy is an old school linebacker that hits first, hits later, hits some more than asks a question or two after he’s laid waste to everyone on the field.

You’d think with a reputation like that we wouldn’t have to guess where he gets drafted, but it’s the exact opposite actually. It’s because of that reputation that his draft stock is all over the board. Last summer my impression of him was that he was a very smart and instinctual linebacker, with very good recovery speed, great leadership, and like I mentioned before…..the dude can HIT!

This year simply confirmed most of those things for me, but also brought up questions as well. In this day and age, a linebacker needs to be able to drop into coverage and cover a zone or play man on a running back out of the backfield or sometimes a tight end as well. It’s a different type of athleticism from what was asked of the position even five years ago.

I have one question: WHY?!

Why are we taking away from the fact that he is everything we wanted in a linebacker all of five years ago? Is it because it’s a “passing league” now? Look, maybe I’m just crazy, but the league tends to follow trends.

Ten years ago it was a running league, and the linebackers got bigger and faster to stop the running backs, and it became a passing league. The receivers got bigger and faster, and thus the corners did as well.

The slot guys got quicker and shiftier, and so did the slot corners. The tight ends got more receiving abilities, and now the linebackers have to cover them.

What about the new running backs? We are seeing a rise in running backs. Don’t let the numbers from this year fool you. I know my readers aren’t that dumb. I’ve taught you too well this past year.

With runners like Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, and the emergence of young guys like Thomas Rawls, Jeremy Langford, and CJ Anderson coming into their own, it’s only a matter of time before they all start going for 1,000 yard seasons and we will be asking where all the tough linebackers are, just like ten years ago.

Okay, we’ve seen the cute stuff, so now let’s take a closer look at his game. This set of plays are from the National Championship against Clemson. Everything I’ve said and more is supported in this one film alone. Scouts have been worried about his coverage abilities so that he can be a 3-down linebacker. If we look at this game, the BIGGEST game of the year against one of the country’s top offenses, you see a 3-down linebacker. This is one time you can forget what you saw at the combine or the pro day. When this guy suits up, it’s game on.

You rarely see him out of position on any down. He knows where to be. He studies and you can see that he sniffs out most of these plays before they happen. THAT is what you want from the leader of your defense. That is what made Ray Lewis so special, his brilliant mind for the game (along side his enormous hitting ability). What Ray did that was so special was not how great in coverage he was, but how he knew what to read and how to read it.

Watch Ragland’s film, and you see a linebacker who uses his mind to make up for what some call a lack of athleticism.

I’ll tell you what, I’m sold. In my opinion, he is the best middle linebacker in this class. I did not say overall linebacker. I’m not going to compare his athleticism with Myles Jack or Jaylon Smith. He’s not their type of linebacker. They are athletic freaks that can play a number of positions.

Reggie Ragland has done his work to be the best at HIS position. For those concerned over his coverage ability, I agree he isn’t perfect. That is something he will continue to get coached up on at the next level. Remember that these players are not masters. They are the best at what they do in their respective draft year, but that does not make them perfect. They all still have lot’s to learn.

Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reggie Ragland (19) against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

So I took it upon myself to ask around to see what others think, and the results are unlike anything I have ever seen of any draft prospect. I asked fellow writers here at NFL Mocks, along with friends outside as well what they thought of Reggie Ragland. I’ll share a few from the Mocks crew and also summarize a few that have been told to me from outside as well.

"George: I think he’s a mid first round pick. Wraps up well, but does he have the upper body strength to complete the tackle? I see him struggling to complete them when he’s swinging players around. Miami and Kansas City might be good fits."

"Eric Robinson: The closer we get to the draft, the more we realize he is a two-down LB. Even though that may diminish his value, that still won’t take away that in the right scheme (more than likely 3-4) Ragland can be an upper echelon defender."

The rest of the reviews are so scattered I don’t know where to begin. I have seen everything from him being called a top ten pick with no question to a second round pick or even later. He has been seen as an every down linebacker and a two down linebacker. I can’t recall the last time a player has had this much difference in opinion.

2016 NFL Draft: The Curious Case of Alabama Linebacker Reggie Ragland

By Matthew Holowiak | Mar 24, 2016

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