We’re rolling right along so that we can cover as many 2020 NFL Draft prospects as possible. Up next is Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. The 2020 NFL Draft is projected to be a strong offensive tackle draft. Wills is one of the top 4 in the consensus ranks who should be a plug and play starter at the next level. Let’s break down the Jedrick Wills Jr 2020 NFL Draft Profile.
Wills has the necessary measurable for the position. 6-foot-4, 313, with 34 1/4 inch arms. Check that box. A 5.05 40 time is more than fine for the offensive line (even though it’s not the best test for this position, it means something). A 34.5 inch vertical is really good for a tackle prospect. Will has rare lower body explosion for the position. The overall makeup and tools are here.
Wills was a big time 5-star recruit out of Kentucky in the 2017 high school recruiting class. Wills received playing time in every season at Alabama. He became a primary starter in 2018 and never looked back. Will was the primary right tackle for the Crimson Tide. Many pundits wonder whether he can play right tackle but that shouldn’t be an issue. There are 3 reasons behind that.
1: He didn’t play left tackle because of Alex Leatherwood. Wait until you see this monster in the 2021 NFL Draft. 6-foot-6 big dude. Just because Alabama had Leatherwood doesn’t mean we should knock Wills.
2: Nick Saban feels pretty confident he can play either side. This isn’t a player like Isaiah Wilson who is big and limited with movement. Wills should be able to play either side fine.
3: The blindside spot at Alabama is technically the right tackle spot. Remember, Tua Tagovailoa is a lefty. Given that info, there’s really no reason to worry about left or right tackle. Wills was basically the left tackle (or blindside tackle) for Alabama.
Wills showed how great his tools are at the combine. Awesome movement skills. Great hips and knee bend. I thought Wills totally rocked the combine. The best part of all, Wills is just 20-years-old and still has plenty of room to grow. He truly moves like a tight end. The only thing Wills didn’t show at the combine was strength. He did not bench and really that’s probably the only concern here. There is a question mark just how physically strong he is. BUT given, his age, there is room to grow.
Overall, Wills performed very well in college. The Alabama tackle gave up 14 pressures this past year but allowed just one sack in his college career which made up of 929 pass blocking snaps. This sort of reminds me of when Lane Johnson was coming out. He played mostly right tackle in college. While he didn’t have the most dominant physical traits, the movement skills were off the charts and showed flashes of plenty of room to grow. I think that’s what Wills has a chance to give you at the NFL level.
