NFL Analyst Reveals Alabama Stars Ahead Of The Combine

As the NFL Combine approaches, draft buzz intensifies, fueled by prospect rankings and mock drafts. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, a draft analyst since 2012 and lead analyst since 2019, recently released his initial Top 50 prospects, which included two Alabama players.

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This year, Alabama boasts a significant draft class, with 12 players receiving Combine invites. Among them, Kadyn Proctor and Ty Simpson are drawing considerable attention regarding their potential draft positions.

Jeremiah's initial Top 50 list, released on January 27th, ranked Proctor at No. 28 and Simpson at No. 40.

Jeremiah described Proctor as:

"An enormous tackle prospect. He has excellent feet and agility for a big man. In pass protection, he has an explosive first step and keeps defenders off his chest. He can sink his weight and stall bull rushers. He will occasionally react late off the snap, which has led to some short-corner loses."

"In the run game, he can uncoil his hips on contact and displace defenders. He excels on down blocks, washing defenders down the line of scrimmage. He was used as a skill player on occasion at Alabama and even caught a quick screen against Georgia -- that speaks to his athleticism."

"Overall, Proctor will need to manage his weight to stay at tackle, but he has the most upside of any blocker in this draft."

Regarding Simpson, Jeremiah characterized him as:

"A slightly undersized quarterback with sound mechanics, touch and accuracy. He primarily operated out of the shotgun at Alabama. He has quick feet in his setup and marries his feet with his eyes to stay on platform as a passer. He has a compact delivery and enough arm strength to make all the throws."

"He does have some issues when the pocket collapses, as he gets sped up and the ball can take off down the field. He is a good athlete and throws well on designed boots and roll-outs."

"His play tailed off at the end of the 2025 season while he battled a couple different injuries which limited practice time, according to sources at the school. His limited number of starts (15, all in this past season) is also a concern. Overall, Simpson has the skill set to develop into a functional NFL starter, but it might require some patience."

In his 2.0 Round 1 mock draft, released on February 17, Jeremiah did not include any Alabama players, a shift from his initial 1.0 mock draft on January 26, which had Proctor going No. 24 overall to the Cleveland Browns.

Jeremiah suggested that Simpson has the potential to improve his draft stock, stating, "the prospect with the most to gain leading up to the draft is Alabama QB Ty Simpson. Stay tuned."

As with all mock drafts, player placements remain fluid, and the ultimate destinations of Simpson and Proctor will only be revealed on draft night.