Jedrick Wills was a monster for Alabama football. Where will his talents have the offensive tackle land in the 2020 NFL Draft?
Alabama football struggled last season, but it’s not because of Jedrick Wills. The right tackle used his athleticism and hands to keep a relatively clean pocket for both Tua and Mac Jones. He’s now looking to be drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.
How do his talents have him stacking up with the other top offensive linemen in the class? Let’s look at his strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths
Wills has plenty of strengths that show on tape. Most of them come back to the fact that his is an incredibly strong and athletic tackle. This helps him recover on the rare occasions where he is at a disadvantage. Although he played right tackle for Alabama, this athleticism will help him switch to the left side of the line in the NFL.
Wills also played at Alabama, a place known for its offensive line pedigree. Some have busted, but he’s prepared to start his first ever NFL game.
Weaknesses
In terms of weaknesses, Wills only has two that are worth mentioning. He can obviously improve as a lineman, but that goes for anyone in the NFL Draft.
Wills seemed to commit an above-average number of penalties, especially in big moments. Alabama as a whole struggled with penalties last season, but Wills had too many false starts to be comfortable with.
The other weakness is a lack of experience at left tackle. I think he has the athleticism to play on the left side, but it is an adjustment nonetheless. It’s one of those things that won’t keep him from being successful, but it is worth mentioning.
Draft projection
Offensive tackles always get pushed up big boards due to need, but it happens even more when the tackles are stars. The highest tackle will realistically be drafted in 2020 is with the Giants at 4. If they pass, there will almost definitely be a run on them from 7-12.
I personally have Wills as the top offensive tackle and think he has a great chance to be heading to New York. If the Giants prefer Isaiah Simmons or another offensive tackle, I wouldn’t expect a big fall for Wills. Even if he ends up being OT4, he will definitely be drafted in the first half of the first round, possibly in the top 10.
It’s no guarantee, but I expect Wills to get a big payday after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Projection: Early first round (No. 4-11)