| NEWS Projecting Alabama's Depth Chart, Post-Draft Decisions: Defense- SI's Bama Central

[Bama News]

Projecting Alabama's Depth Chart, Post-Draft Decisions: Defense

Crimson Tide has pieces in place to make major strides on both defense, special teams in 2020

www.si.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s the other side of the coin: A football team that has a lot of injuries suddenly finds itself with numerous players with valuable experience.

Alabama had to make do at a lot of positions during the 2019 season, especially in the defensive front seven where numerous freshmen were pressed into service.

A year later it’ll reap some rewards from those setbacks with a more veteran defense.

Consequently, there’s going to be some serious competition at a lot of spots including weakside linebacker, outside linebacker and defensive end.

Alabama won’t release its first official depth chart until the first Monday of the 2020 regular season, when the Crimson Tide returns to Arlington, Texas, for another high-profile meeting with Southern California on Sept. 5.

That doesn’t mean we can’t take an early shot at what it might look like.

This is more geared toward the spring, and how the Crimson Tide offense will look when it opens practice in mid-March — so it’s heavily influenced by where players were lined up for Citrus Bowl workouts.

A couple of early enrollees made the three-deep as Drew Sanders Chris Braswell will both have an opportunity to earn immediate playing time at outside linebacker (and special teams). It wouldn’t be surprising to see an inside linebacker taking reps on the outside, either.



We’re only going two deep at the safety spots as incoming freshmen Brian Branch and Malachi Moore won’t arrive until summer. The guess here is that versatile Kristian Story will begin his collegiate career at safety as well.

Something to keep an eye on this spring is the star position, the extra defensive back who lines up over the slot in obvious passing/spread situations. If Patrick Surtain II slides over it could allow incoming junior-college transfer Ronald Williams to play corner in the nickel package. Overall, there’s a bit of guesswork and position battles will continue throughout the spring and fall, but non-early enrollees are not considered because they’re still months away from arriving on campus.

Alabama Early Projected Depth Chart
DEFENSE

DE Byron Young (47)/Christian Barmore (58), Phidarian Mathis (48)

DT DJ Dale (94), Phidarian Mathis (48), Stephon Wynn Jr. (90)

DE LaBryan Ray (89), Justin Eboigbe (92), Braylen Ingraham (52)

SLB Chris Allen (4), Jarez Parks (23), Drew Sanders/Chris Braswell

MLB Dylan Moses (7), Shane Lee (35), Markail Benton (36)

WLB Joshua McMillon (40), Christian Harris (8), Jaylen Moodey (42)/Ale Kajo (10)

JLB King Mwiikuta (30)/Ben Davis (1), Kevin Harris II (44)

CB Patrick Surtain II (2), Ronald Williams, Marcus Banks (26)

CB Josh Jobe (28), Jalyn Armour-Davis (22), Scooby Carter (11)/Brandon Turnage (14)

FS Jordan Battle (6); Eddie Smith (25)

SS Daniel Wright (3), DeMarcco Hellams (29)

Star Patrick Surtain II, Jalyn Armour-Davis (22)

SPECIAL TEAMS

P Skyler DeLong (10)/Will Reichard (16)/Ty Perine (99)

FG/KO Will Reichard (16), Joseph Bulovas (97)

Holder Mac Jones (10)

LS Thomas Fletcher (45)

PR Jaylen Waddle (17)

KR Jaylen Waddle (17)/Brian Robinson Jr. (24)

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

JMO but there isn't a position in the secondary that shouldn't be open for a starting position. #2 ain't all that.

 

[bama alum]

I thought DeShort went into the transfer portal.

 

[mando]

Not sure if DeLong went in the portal or not. I would like to see him turn it around for the kids sake. Hard to see a kid with so much hype struggle so much in public view. Has to be hard on his psyche. Just hope the best for him.

 

[BamaFan334]

JMO but there isn't a position in the secondary that shouldn't be open for a starting position. #2 ain't all that.

Over the last six months you have literally complained about every player on our team, even Tua. Shane Lee was named first team Freshman All-America. Surtain is a Top 10 cornerback that has a great defense to reception percentage. When will you understand that your opinion simply isn't factual or valued anymore?

Top 30 defensive backs returning to college football in 2020 | NFL Draft | PFF

PFF's Anthony Treash breaks down the best and most impactful defensive backs who will return for the 2020-21 college football season.

www.pff.com

PFF Rankings: Highest-graded defensive backs in college football through Week 5 | NFL Draft | PFF

PFF highlights the highest-graded defensive backs in college football through Week 5.

www.pff.com

 

[Tidestalker]

Over the last six months you have literally complained about every player on our team, even Tua. Shane Lee was named first team Freshman All-America. Surtain is a Top 10 cornerback that has a great defense to reception percentage. When will you understand that your opinion simply isn't factual or valued anymore?

Top 30 defensive backs returning to college football in 2020 | NFL Draft | PFF

PFF's Anthony Treash breaks down the best and most impactful defensive backs who will return for the 2020-21 college football season.

www.pff.com

PFF Rankings: Highest-graded defensive backs in college football through Week 5 | NFL Draft | PFF

PFF highlights the highest-graded defensive backs in college football through Week 5.

www.pff.com

From the #'s I saw posted elsewhere, Shane Lee had the lowest PFF grade on the defense.

 

[BamaFan334]

From the #'s I saw posted elsewhere, Shane Lee had the lowest PFF grade on the defense.

Still doesn't mean he wasn't better than every other Freshman linebacker in the country. The point of my comment initially was that even though he may not be up to a Mosely, Hightower, Foster, or McLain standard, he was a true freshman that still was rewarded as one of the top freshmen in the country. We all know each superstar linebacker we had was forced to wait their turn, and that was because they were in the same boat as Lee as Freshmen. Dude was forced into a role that the defensive coordinator admitted was over thought and too tough to learn.

 

[Tidestalker]

Still doesn't mean he wasn't better than every other Freshman linebacker in the country. The point of my comment initially was that even though he may not be up to a Mosely, Hightower, Foster, or McLain standard, he was a true freshman that still was rewarded as one of the top freshmen in the country. We all know each superstar linebacker we had was forced to wait their turn, and that was because they were in the same boat as Lee as Freshmen. Dude was forced into a role that the defensive coordinator admitted was over thought and too tough to learn.

@JoseyWalesTheOutlaw isn't lying if he says he was a weakness in the defense.

You aren't lying if you say he was a Freshman AA. But if you're going to use PFF as a source of support, it should be noted they graded him out really low.

I have no idea how many freshman started at LB around the country, or how that vote is even tallied, but it must have been a weak field. JMO

My point is that the truth is somewhere in between... He had some good and bad moments.

 

[BamaFan334]

@JoseyWalesTheOutlaw isn't lying if he says he was a weakness in the defense.

You aren't lying if you say he was a Freshman AA. But if you're going to use PFF as a source of support, it should be noted they graded him out really low.

I have no idea how many freshman started at LB around the country, or how that vote is even tallied, but it must have been a weak field. JMO

My point is that the truth is somewhere in between... He had some good and bad moments.

And I agree more with what you're saying rather than someone saying "he ain't got it". That's just plain stupid to think the guy doesn't have what it takes. He's not a coverage linebacker, he's a down hill thumper, just like Reuben Foster. If you want a coverage linebacker, go find a guy a few inches taller, a few pounds lighter that can run faster, like they did with our 2020 recruiting class. But we need a stalwart to hold down the middle and let our other guys run. Mack Wilson could run, but he wasn't stalemating guys in the hole because he simply wasn't big enough. He could run and cover like nobody's business, but his run support always allowed guys to fall forward or get that extra yard we needed to not give up. Lee will getup to snuff and they will work on his body. Face it, he was just too muscular if you can say that about atrud freshman. He was dealt a shitty hand due to Injuries and Golding only hurt him worse with a scheme he wasn't built for yet. Alabama had him for seven months before he hit the field. Took them three years to get Foster ready.

All that being said, Surtain is a solid player for us and talking him down is just stupid and pathetic.

 

[OldPlayer]

I thought there was no depth chart.

 

[Tidestalker]

And I agree more with what you're saying rather than someone saying "he ain't got it". That's just plain stupid to think the guy doesn't have what it takes. He's not a coverage linebacker, he's a down hill thumper, just like Reuben Foster. If you want a coverage linebacker, go find a guy a few inches taller, a few pounds lighter that can run faster, like they did with our 2020 recruiting class. But we need a stalwart to hold down the middle and let our other guys run. Mack Wilson could run, but he wasn't stalemating guys in the hole because he simply wasn't big enough. He could run and cover like nobody's business, but his run support always allowed guys to fall forward or get that extra yard we needed to not give up. Lee will getup to snuff and they will work on his body. Face it, he was just too muscular if you can say that about atrud freshman. He was dealt a shitty hand due to Injuries and Golding only hurt him worse with a scheme he wasn't built for yet. Alabama had him for seven months before he hit the field. Took them three years to get Foster ready.

All that being said, Surtain is a solid player for us and talking him down is just stupid and pathetic.

I don't know how he can really change his body.... He's just naturally short and muscular. And not fast in any type of open space scenario. There's a reason he and SDH are the only 2 LB's we've seen on campus that short & wide.... We are all hoping he can become SDH, but the speed is an issue.

There could certainly be some type of role for him as a goal line type of player, or run stuffer. I also noticed that he has a knack for getting into the backfield towards the end of the season on blitz downs.

But there's just no way that OC's aren't going to try and single him out against TE's or RB's in coverage every chance they get. When you look at our D he would be the guy to attack.

All that being said he was a better option than a couple of returners... And the experience can't hurt. Having a freshman AA backup next year is certainly not a bad thing.

 

[BamaFan334]

I don't know how he can really change his body.... He's just naturally short and muscular. And not fast in any type of open space scenario. There's a reason he and SDH are the only 2 LB's we've seen on campus that short & wide.... We are all hoping he can become SDH, but the speed is an issue.

There could certainly be some type of role for him as a goal line type of player, or run stuffer. I also noticed that he has a knack for getting into the backfield towards the end of the season on blitz downs.

But there's just no way that OC's aren't going to try and single him out against TE's or RB's in coverage every chance they get. When you look at our D he would be the guy to attack.

All that being said he was a better option than a couple of returners... And the experience can't hurt. Having a freshman AA backup next year is certainly not a bad thing.

I specifically remember you and I begging Golding to blitz him more. We could all see it, some were saying it wasn't our scheme, but I know you and I saw it needed to happen a lot more than it actually did.

 

[TerryP]

From the #'s I saw posted elsewhere, Shane Lee had the lowest PFF grade on the defense.

But if you're going to use PFF as a source of support, it should be noted they graded him out really low.

FWIW, as a source for grading, It doesn't add up with the man power it takes ... grading so many players in this many conferences. They don't have that many eyes on that many games, that many players, WITH the necessary knowledge on how to grade them in the first place.

 

[Tidestalker]

FWIW, as a source for grading, It doesn't add up with the man power it takes ... grading so many players in this many conferences. They don't have that many eyes on that many games, that many players, WITH the necessary knowledge on how to grade them in the first place.

That's fair. Some of the other grades felt questionable as well...

Not sure if anyone else out there tries to do legitimate objective grades like that in football? Hoops has an intricate advanced stat site (KenPom). But the sport itself is more numbers based.

I'd like to add that the ole eye test on Lee didn't exactly give me the warm and fuzzies either. So I wasn't shocked by his particular grade

 

[BamaFan334]

That's fair. Some of the other grades felt questionable as well...

Not sure if anyone else out there tries to do legitimate objective grades like that in football? Hoops has an intricate advanced stat site (KenPom). But the sport itself is more numbers based.

I'd like to add that the ole eye test on Lee didn't exactly give me the warm and fuzzies either. So I wasn't shocked by his particular grade

Second in tackles, third in sacks on a team of upperclassmen didn't pass your eye test? Are you only focused on his pass coverage on a handful of plays or a few plays he hit the wrong hole? Gonna happen to more than just him when you're running a defense for over 700 snaps. He also played like the 4th most snaps on the entire team. McKinney, Leatherwood, and Wills played more. See, this is what I don't understand. He had the second most tackles on the team, nine behind McKinney, whom most would say was everywhere for us, but yet Shane Lee doesn't pass your eye test as a Freshmen thrust into duty?

 

[footballer]

@BamaFan334, I am not going to make any assertions about any player here. But my standards of LB play is, how many yards are gained before contact and tackle is made? It is great to make a lot of tackles, but how far past the line of scrimmage were the tackles made? That's how I judge if a LB is in the right position, has the instincts to make the right read and is not jogging along behind the play chasing a runner. A couple 3 years ago, we had a big, slow and not so instinctive LB who did not get drafted or make any roster that I remember.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Ben Davis still around. He ought to have a Masters by now.

 

[TerryP]

That's fair. Some of the other grades felt questionable as well...

That's what caught my eye early on. There were a handful of weeks where I'd seen a player with better numbers (TD's, completions, et. al.) not selected as their player of the week in their weekly grading system. It didn't make sense to me.

When we started seeing grades being issued for the P5 conferences with all the teams I had to ask myself, "how on earth are they grading 60 teams, 30 or more players per team, all within a 24-48 hour window? How many employees do they ...

That's when the ol' logic test fell into place. Look at the entire picture for a second ...

If they had someone grading offense they'd need one to focus on skill positions and another to focus on the line with blocking, etc. At a minimum, there's two for offense alone.

Then there's the bigger issue at play. How can they grade an offensive linemen on blocking assignments when they don't know what the assignment was in the first place? In this case, how can they accurately grade Lee when they don't know his assigned lane? How often are they faulting one player for a missed assignment when the likelihood of another missing his assignment led to the blown play in the first place? Seriously. If a guy like Sopsher was supposed to hit one gap but went the wrong way where does that leave the linebacker and that running lane? Nine of ten times, out of position.

How different is this from fans castrating a field goal kicker because of his inconsistency when there's nothing consistent about his practice routine?

May I drop the word, "context."

 

[TerryP]

Ben Davis still around. He ought to have a Masters by now.

Just walked the aisle ... three and a half years for his undergrad.

 

[BamaFan334]

@BamaFan334, I am not going to make any assertions about any player here. But my standards of LB play is, how many yards are gained before contact and tackle is made? It is great to make a lot of tackles, but how far past the line of scrimmage were the tackles made? That's how I judge if a LB is in the right position, has the instincts to make the right read and is not jogging along behind the play chasing a runner. A couple 3 years ago, we had a big, slow and not so instinctive LB who did not get drafted or make any roster that I remember.

Understandable, but if you graded our linebackers just going back to Saban's tenure by their true freshman year you wouldn't be able to grade 95% of them because they never made it on the field. It took them two and three years to learn what Lee was forced to learn in a ballpark of three months or so. All I'm pointing out is that the guy stepped in and did a decent job. If he was that bad, don't y'all think Saban would have forced a change? Also, thelack of a defensive line this year didn't help, so a lot of tackles he made could have been from him making up for someone else's mistake and turning a twenty yard gain to a six yard gain. It is very clear he got stronger as the season went on.