Analysis
What Ourlads' Scouting Services said about ALEX LEATHERWOOD before he made the Las Vegas Raiders' Depth Chart: Alabama, 6051 312 5.01. Three-year starter, Pensacola, FL. Three-time first-team All SEC, two-time first-team All America, and 2020 Outland Trophy Award winner. Leatherwood capped off his career with 40 straight starts split between left guard and left tackle. He has an NFL body and power presence right now. Will undoubtedly be ready to step into an NFL offensive line week one if needed. The question will revolve around where he is best suited. The physical talent should land him at guard, where his overwhelming strength, length, and quickness can be most effectively used. There are some pass protection issues he needs to clean up from a technique perspective, most notably with his hands and body control. His power and ability to move men off the ball will be an asset to a running game and should provide immediate contributions if he were inside initially. No matter what, this is a starting caliber player that will increase the mauling at the point of attack for any offensive line. Has the NFL body in every regard. Thick, tall, and long with well proportioned weight. Has some country thickness to him in addition to a well-developed amount of functional muscle mass. Has actually lost considerable weight since arriving in Tuscaloosa along with a complete re-shape of his body. Heavy handed mauler who can overwhelm defenders both in line and in space. Can swallow his man in one gulp. Keeps his athletic, quick feet active post-contact. Capable of mirroring and sliding with good balance and control. Knee bend and ankle flexion come natural, nothing is overly labored. Inconsistent across the board when it comes to pass protection techniques. Inaccurate hands that too often end up outside the shoulders, making him vulnerable to holding penalties. Lacks head control, needs to keep himself more balanced and stable. Needs to play more patient and aware of spacing and angles. Doesn’t seem to always trust his footwork against speed. Third/fourth round. (A-34 3/8, H-9 1/2, BP-NA, 10-1.78).Alabama, 5110 188 4.27. Junior entry, two-year starter, Montgomery, AL. Former five star recruit. The fastest downfield threat on a team full of fast deep threats stood out over his final two years as he displayed a level of acceleration that the opposition could not handle. When he gets a clean release, there aren’t many who can even think about staying close to him on vertical routes. There is some lack of variety to his game but don’t make the mistake of labeling him a deep-threat only kind of player. He is a competitor who will work hard at his craft. If and when he develops his underneath route running and ball skills, Ruggs could be an incredibly dangerous weapon in any NFL offense. Blazing speed that can be put into his own tier. A straight line burst that is nearly impossible to defend for a lone corner on an island. Makes an impact on the defense by simply being on the field. Tracks the deep ball exceptionally well and even has another gear to go get the ball if it appears to be overthrown. Vision after the catch is a plus. Has a habit of locating the creases and lanes before shooting through them and getting away from the defense. Has the kind of runaway speed where he is simply faster than the guy chasing him. A quiet, but devastating competitor. Adds return experience. Will also impact special teams as a gunner. Lacks size and staying power in traffic. Can be overpowered by a physical corner. Route running needs work. Doesn’t attack the ball when coming back downhill. Too much patience. Has dealt with multiple soft tissue injuries that will need extra screening. 2019 stats: 40-746, 18.7 ypr, 7 TD, 12-286 KOR, 23.8 avg, 0 TD. OSR:1/51. First round. (A-30 1/2, H-10 1/8, VJ-42, SS-DNP).