Alabama Football at the NFL Combine: Day One

While players have been meeting with NFL teams and the media in Indianapolis, Indiana, the NFL combine is officially underway on Thursday, as defensive linemen and linebackers will take the field for the on-field portion of the combine. Thursday's inaugural start by the defenders kicks off a four-day stretch that will see NFL draft hopefuls showcase their talents in front of scouts, general managers, and head coaches of all 32 NFL teams ahead of April's NFL draft.

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Alabama has four players expected to take the turf in Indianapolis on Thursday for the on-field portion of the combine:

Defensive tackle Tim Keenan III
Edge LT Overton
Linebacker Deontae Lawson*
Linebacker Justin Jefferson

*Lawson will not run the 40-yard dash, he told Sirius XM Radio on Wednesday.

All four received their measurements and grades from NFL scouts, with Lance Zierlein writing the scouting report on all four. How did the former Tide stars measure and grade out before the on-field portion?

Tim Keenan III, Defensive Tackle

Alabama's three-year starter at defensive tackle measured at 6-foot-1 and weighed in at 327 pounds, one inch shorter and seven pounds heavier than his listed measurements with the Crimson Tide. His arm length was 30 1/2" (" is how the NFL lists inches) and his hand size was 8 5/8". He was graded at a 5.94 on the NFL prospect grade on NFL.com, which grades out to "average backup or special-teamer."

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about some of the strengths and weaknesses that Keenan showcased on film:

Strengths

- Carries a broad build with stocky limbs.
- Productive 2024 season with 40 tackles (7.5 for loss) and 2.5 sacks.
- Beats center into the neutral zone with quick hand strike.
- Leverage and base strength to hang in against double-teams.
- Works to maintain his run fit while moving laterally.
- Adequate short-area quickness to tackle his gaps.
- Powerful picker on T/E and T/T twists.

Weaknesses

- Short arms allow blockers to crowd his frame.
- Takes time to free himself from connected blocks.
- Below-average range getting down the line and stopping the run.
- Takes blocks on but not enough block destruction.
- Lacks ideal burst to create momentum for his bull rush.

LT Overton, Edge

The Tide's two-year starter at Bandit defensive end measured at 6-foot-3 and 274 pounds, two inches shorter and four pounds lighter than his listed weight with the Crimson Tide. His arm length was 33 1/4", and his hand size was 10 5/8". He was graded at a 6.15 on NFL.com, which grades out to "Good backup with the potential to develop into a starter."

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the strengths and weaknesses in Overton's game based on what he saw on film.

Strengths

- Strong base and is always the low man into contact.
- Plays with default ruggedness and resists blocks at the point.
- Tremendous hip power to uproot blockers.
- Excellent contact balance and is rarely on the ground.
- Pops, resets and reloads hands to preserve contain positioning.
- Appears to have enough strength to battle when playing inside.
- Efficient footwork to tighten his track and slice inside on T/E twists.
- Hands are active and aggressive to displace tackle’s punch.

Weaknesses

- Slow twitch with below-average get-off.
- Ducks head into contact and can lose his sight line into the backfield.
- Below-average lateral quickness limits his ability to widen pursuit.
- Gradual upfield tempo rarely creates quick wins.
- Tight-hipped rush lacks stride and burst to win at the turn.
- Below-average counter quickness to find inside pathways.

Deontae Lawson, Linebacker

Alabama's three-year starter at linebacker and two-time captain measured in at 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds, one inch taller and two pounds lighter than his listed measurements with the Crimson Tide. His arm measurement was 31 7/8", and his hands were measured at 9 1/4". Lawson was graded at a 6.15 on NFL.com, which grades out to "Good backup with the potential to develop into a starter."

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the weaknesses and strengths he saw from Lawson on film.

Strengths

- Two-time team captain.
- Rapid feet to scrape quickly across the front.
- Fast trigger and burst allow him to dart into gaps.
- Sudden and quick-footed as a block slipper.
- Flows wide and meets lead blocks with a forceful lead shoulder.
- Reactive athlete who can slide and match a back’s cut decisions.
- Plus range to expand his zone capabilities.
- Elusive blitzer who can stress pass protection.

Weaknesses

- Below-average pre-snap recognition against motion and movement.
- A beat late keying blockers and racing to the junction point.
- Limited feel for blocking schemes leads to inefficient movement.
- Below-average hand pop to stack and shed climbing blocks.
- Below-average stopping power and wrap-up consistency as a tackler.

Justin Jefferson, Linebacker

Alabama's one-year starter at inside linebacker measured at 6-foot even and 223 pounds, one inch shorter and four pounds lighter than his listed measurements with Alabama. His arm size measured in at 31 3/4", and his hand measurement was 10". Jefferson graded at a 6.00 on NFL.com, which grades out at "Traits or talent to be above-average backup."

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the strengths and weaknesses he saw in Jefferson's game on film.

Strengths

- Makes very quick responses to play design.
- Base strength allows him to play through contact and recover.
- Adequate pursuit speed helps him run down the play.
- Sudden acceleration and change of direction to blitz or spy.
- Awareness to shade zone and athleticism to play man coverage.
- Offers value on kick- and punt-cover teams.

Weaknesses

- Narrow frame falls below NFL standards at linebacker.
- Gets pushed around when playing near the line.
- Unable to step downhill and properly leverage his gaps.
- Will guess and miss his run fit when plays flow off-tackle.
- Needs more consistent eye balance in his short coverage.

The on-field portion of the NFL combine will start at 2:00 p.m. CT on the NFL Network.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.