Alex Leatherwood selected in the first round of the NFL Draft
By Keith Farner
Published:
The Las Vegas Raiders surprised NFL Draft insiders and analysts when they chose Alabama offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood with the No. 17 pick overall.
Leatherwood is expected to play guard, or perhaps right tackle, in the NFL.
A consensus All-American, Leatherwood was arguably the best left tackle in college football who anchored an offensive line that won the 2020 Joe Moore Award. Leatherwood became Alabama’s fifth Outland Trophy winner and the fourth since 2008.
Leatherwood moved to left tackle for his junior season, and replaced first-round pick Jonah Williams. League coaches voted him first-team all-conference for his efforts. SEC coaches not only repeated that honor for Leatherwood in his senior campaign, but also voted him and his teammate, center Landon Dickerson, as co-winners of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy (conference’s top offensive lineman).
His NFL.com draft profile described him this way: Leatherwood has projectable traits, solid athleticism and position versatility, but suffers from a failure to consistently execute at a high level due to issues that might be correctable. He sees the game well and works to stay balanced and composed in pass sets, but struggles with ranging and redirecting at the top of the rush.
The #Raiders came into the draft hoping an OT would fall to them. At No. 17, it’s Alabama OT Alex Leatherwood. A surprise is an understatement.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 30, 2021
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
