CC: What is your assessment of Andre Smith? Will the controversy over his alleged dealings with an agent affect his draft prospects at all?MK: "A great player. It's a shame he wasn't there for the Utah game. Dominant run blocker. He needs to keep that weight at a nice level to be an outstanding pass blocker as a left tackle. Good technique. Pop at the point. But I do think he's got to keep that weight at a manageable level to be an outstanding pass blocker against these undersized, great athletes that can really get after the quarterback off the edge at that right defensive end spot. From a left tackle standpoint, I think if his weight gets up a little too much it could be an issue. But if he keeps his weight manageable, he's got a chance to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player. There is some concern, so it's not automatic, but I think he's got to be one of the top 3-5 players drafted. The agent thing, that's not going to affect him."
CC: Were you surprised Glen Coffee made the move to enter the draft, and where do you have him pegged?MK: "A lot of running backs, once they had the great year he had, will figure 'well, if I go back, I'll be competing.'
(Mark) Ingram is a heck of a player himself. There's great players coming into Alabama's program every year; freshmen can have an impact right now. He might felt like 'hey, I've maximized what I was able to do (as a college player).' Andre Smith is moving on,
(Antoine) Caldwell is moving on, so he may figure 'hey, the quarterback's leaving. There's a new quarterback coming in. This is the time to do it.' His rating is not going to change much next year. He's thinking 'I did the best I could this year. Let the chips fall where they may.' I think he looks to be a third-to-fifth-round guy. Running backs tend to drop.
Kevin Smith from Central Florida had a great rookie year (in 2008) for the Lions, but he was a third-round pick after having a tremendous junior season. So, I would say third-to-fifth round (for Coffee), but a kid who can make an NFL team and be a contributor."
CC: John Parker Wilson has been invited to the Senior Bowl. Was that more of a public relations move, or is Wilson considered a serious NFL prospect?MK: "He's a late-rounder/free agent, probably more of an undrafted free agent. He's a guy that in the NFL, at best, is a No. 3 (quarterback), maybe a back-up down the road. But as a starter, I think he'd be severely challenged, may not be able to get the job done. I can't speak for the Senior Bowl, but they always want Alabama kids in that game for obvious reasons. If he wasn't at Alabama, I don't think he'd be a Senior Bowl quarterback."
CC: Antoine Caldwell flirted with the draft last year before returning for his senior year. Did he improve his stock at all?MK: "He knew this — that he was going to be in a group of centers that was one of the best center crops I've seen in a long time. So that hurts him a little bit when you talk about
Alex Mack at Cal,
Max Unger at Oregon,
Eric Wood at Louisville,
Jonathan Luigs at Arkansas and
Jon Cooper at Oklahoma; there are a lot of great centers in this draft. (Caldwell) is a good one, there's no question about that. When you look at the battles he's had in the trenches against the SEC opponents, against
(Terrence) Cody in practice — all those things are going to make him a better player. Another guy who's in that third, fourth, fifth-round area. I think Caldwell will have a chance to be a starting center in this league."
CC: Were you surprised Terrence Cody decided to come back for his senior year, and did he make the right move?MK: "Yes (he made the right move), because he was only a one-year guy and had that (knee) injury and he wasn't able to finish out the year strong. I think another year is really going to help him. If he can maintain his weight where it should be, be a dominant figure for the entire season, he may be a Top 5 pick in the first round next year. He wouldn't have been close to that this year. He'd have been a first-rounder, but not a Top 5 pick."
CC: What about Rashad Johnson? Does he have a chance to be a full-time player in the NFL, or will he be strictly a special-teamer?MK: "I think he plays (full-time). The only thing about him is that he doesn't have ideal size. He's been right between 183 and 188 pounds. So that's not the ideal size you look for in a safety, but he's smart, instinctive, all over the field. You go back to what he did against LSU in early November with the three picks. To me, he's a quarterback in the secondary, an extension of your defensive coordinator. He's a cerebral player, an instinctive player, always where he should be. I think the kid's a second- or third-round pick at worst."
CC: What about Travis McCall? He's a great blocker, but doesn't do much in the passing game. Will his blocking ability alone get him a chance to play in the NFL?MK: "Yeah, I think that's what it's going to be. The blocking aspect is a big part of it for him. He's about 260 (pounds), and that's something that gets him some looks, maybe late in the draft, or certainly as an undrafted free agent."
CC: Last year, Alabama did not have a player drafted for the first time since 1970. How much has Nick Saban increased the talent base in his two years at Alabama?MK: "You think about the kids coming out this year, and the kids coming out next year, with Cody and a lot of the young kids in the secondary, they've got some guys. You've got Ingram,
Julio Jones, who's going to be a top pick down the road. When you keep recruiting the type of kids Nick has, by the time they are juniors and seniors, you'll have 3-5 every year that are going to be pretty highly regarded (for the draft). This is starting a trend now, where Alabama every year is going to have some very good, draftable players."
Mel Kiper Jr. is the author of five annual NFL publications: "Post Season Prospectus," "Draft Preview," "Free Agency Data Sheet," "Draft Report" and "Draft Review." For ordering information, click HERE.
