Pro Day Recap: Alabama Crimson Tide

Today’s pro day were highlighted by Alabama, Texas A and M and Wisconsin. Alabama probably has the most draftable prospects in the 2012 N.F.L. draft, especially in the first round, but not all of the biggest stars at Alabama were active today.

Alabama’s Pro Day:

Tony Pauline notes of interest

During drills, Hightower showed some stiffness changing direction and was not quick in coverage drills. His backpedal looked mechanical and forced, while Hightower showed little in the way of being able to burst out of his plant. He’s a big, forceful linebacker with solid straight line speed, but Hightower did nothing today to dispel the belief he’s a two-down defender.

Here’s a different take on Hightower from ESPN.com
Hightower said he has lost 10 pounds in an effort to trim down to the prototypical linebacker size. In Tuscaloosa, he said he wanted to show he could do more than put his hand on the ground and rush the quarterback.

“I feel like I showed everybody I had good hips,” Hightower said. “I’m able to come out of my breaks pretty well. I feel like I did really well as far as the position goes.

“I’m not really a drill guy. Once you get me in the pads and on the field, I feel like I did a really good job.”

UA coach Nick Saban said Hightower will fit in well with any NFL defense. In hybrid schemes, he’s especially well suited.

“I think he’s really done it all here,” Saban said. “He’s got a lot of diversity having played a lot of different positions. He’s going to offer the same thing at the next level: inside backer, nickel-backer, defensive end, odd rusher. There’s not very many other things you can do.”

Harris measured 6-2 1/2 and 241 pounds. He cracked 4.6 seconds on a number of stopwatches and tapped 35 inches on the vertical jump. During drills, Harris looked quick, athletic and fast. He easily changed direction and showed lateral speed in coverage drills. With his size and speed, Harris can line up at a number of outside linebacker positions in the NFL.

Another unheralded Tide player impressed scouts today, tight end Brad Smelley. The senior looked terrific catching the ball, running solid routes and snatching passes cleanly from the air. Smelley lacks classic size for the tight end position, but could easily make the transition to H-back or a move tight end in the NFL.

Interestingly Dont’a Hightower measured in at 6′ tall today after measuring in at 6’2 at the combine. Clearly something was off today, Hightower is not under 6’1 unless he’s wearing invisible high heels on the field.

CBS Sports Notes for Alabama’s Proday

All but two of the 32 teams were represented at an event at which 14 members of the Crimson Tide’s 2011 national championship team performed, but head coaches and all but three general managers stayed away. The Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams were the teams not represented

The Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers sent their general managers. One of the few recognizable faces was former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, now the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator.

Cornerback DeQuan Menzie ran the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds at Indianapolis. He improved that time to 4.66 seconds Wednesday. “At the combine, I wasn’t relaxed,” Menzie said. “I was feeling so much pressure. Here, it was like I was at home, and I could release the pressure and run my best 40.”

Menzie came out of the combine rated the 20th best cornerback available in the draft and was projected as a fourth- or fifth-round pick. Some teams might consider him as a free safety.

Other participants Wednesday and their 40-yard dash times: cornerback Phelon Jones (4.65), tight end Brad Smelley (4.78), outside linebacker Alex Watkins (4.78), outside linebacker Jerrell Harris (4.81), offensive lineman Alfred McCullough (4.82), offensive lineman John Michael Boswell (5.35) and nose guard Nick Gentry (5.66).

Nose guard Josh Chapman, who came to Indianapolis but did not participate in any drills because he is recovering from mid-January knee surgery, participated in the bench press on Wednesday. Lifting for the first time since before the Jan. 9 BCS Championship game, Chapman lifted 225 pounds 29 times.

Later this month Alabama will hold another pro day in which Trent Richardson and Mark Barron are expected to participate in. Richardson is a lock for the first round and a consensus top 10 talent. Mark Barron needs to run fairly well to maintain his first round grade, even though speed his not the name of his game. Courtney Upshaw will get another chance to show that he is more athletic than he showed at the combine–he did not participate today because of knee tendinitis.

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