Alex Leatherwood

Pos: OL

School: Alabama

Ht: 6’5″

Wt: 312 lbs

Strengths:

  • Ideal size for a tackle
  • Has good footwork, can slide smoothly with good kick back
  • Great long arms that Leatherwood uses this to his advantage
  • In pass protection, he remains square and has good leverage
  • Fluid lower half, isn’t stiff
  • In the run game, he has quick movements and can motion from defenders quickly
  • Does just enough to get the job done in the run game
  • When he does use his punches, they are effective

Weaknesses:

  • Needs to play with a stronger sense of tenacity and aggressiveness
  • In the run game, he can lose his footing with lunges. Hands are well placed however after his first two steps he may lunge causing him to get beat at times
  • While he can use his hands to his benefit, there are times where they get a little high
  • Should have some more punches in pass pro, however it isn’t a big problem

Overall Assessment:

I think Alex Leatherwood is among the top offensive lineman in this class. He has positional versatility, and can play guard or tackle. Leatherwood is a gifted prospect who has good athletic capabilities, with long arm length and good size. He is a high upside player as a result and shows a ton of potential. In terms of technicalities, Leatherwood is well rounded. He shines in pass protection, where he has a good fluid lower half, and uses his long, lengthy arms in an ideal manner. He keeps his body square against other EDGE defenders, and maintains solid balance in the passing game. He’s a quick player in the run game and gets the job done. In terms of Leatherwood’s weaknesses, he has some correctable tendencies. First and foremost, he needs to be an aggressive player, whether it is pass pro or the run game, it seems as though he is just playing to get the job done, and not much else. Furthermore, he is spectacular in pass pro, however in the run game, when he doesn’t manage to get on the block, he sometimes trips up and loses his footing. His hands are in the proper place, however his feet don’t start churning at the proper time. This happens on some of his run game snaps. His hand usage is one of his strongest traits, yet he sometimes plays in the heat of the moment and gets his hands above the pads and in areas where he will draw a flag. Leatherwood also tends to avoid using punches until very late in his kickbacks. This caused issues with bendy speed rushers and could translate to the NFL. However, I think that Alex Leatherwood is extremely underrated, and I have a first round grade on him. As said before, Leatherwood has positional versatility, to play tackle or guard, however I believe he projects best as a tackle. This is where he can use his arm length and gifted size the best. He has scheme versatility as well, however a zone blocking scheme works best for him.

Pro Comp:

Russell Okung

Scheme Fit: Zone Blocking Scheme; guard/tackle

Pick Projection: Late 1st – Late 2nd

Team Fits: SEA, IND, OAK

Draft Grade: 8.6/10

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas/ USA Today Sports