The Confusing Case of C.J. Mosley

Alabama Crimson Tide college football team is one of the best programs in the last decade. They have produced some unreal college players, but there is a growing concern about some of their players at the next level.  Louis Riddick, a former NFL front office member, former NFL player, must-follow on Twitter, tweeted this out about C.J. Mosley and Cyrus Kouandijo. Booger McFarland, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, followed it up with this reply about Nick Saban's program. There is definitely damming evidence that for all Alabama is producing, it is a true mixed bag of how they are succeeding at the next level.

One of those that bucked the trend a bit was Eddie Lacy. Green Bay Packers running back won Rookie of the Year, and many people believe there is a reason to believe Lacy could compete for a Most Valuable Player in the next coming years. There is some scuttlebutt the Packers might go back to the Tuscaloosa well this May and take Mosley at 21 if he is available. Should Green Bay be concerned with Mosley's chances at having a long career or is he too good to pass in the late round of the first round? Odds are they will roll the dice and take their chance with Mosley as some project him as the best or second-best linebacker in the draft.

It seems like there is a wide range of opinions on Mosley at this point. There are many trusted people including Matt Miller of Bleacher Report where he is being told Mosley is making a move up the draft boards making it a pipe dream he will be there for Green Bay.  Dan Kadar of Mocking The Draft believes Mosley will drop all the way down to 21. An early mock draft prediction is people will be all over the place with Mosley maybe more so than other players in the league. It seems like a given Khalil Mack is not leaving the top ten, but guys like Mosley or Anthony Barr could go anywhere from the late part of the top 10 to the early 20's.  

The biggest takeaway is people do not think, despite their strong resume as great college players, it is not a given drafting an Alabama player will result in an All-Pro NFL player like it did when Miami produced all the greats in the early 2000's, same with most of USC in the mid-2000's. Alabama does not have the same pipeline of actual NFL success especially on the defense end. With their offense, Julio Jones and Lacy are two of the best at their position, but can we really say that about any Nick Saban Alabama defenders at this point of their careers?  

There are some bright spots with Marcell Dareus making a Pro Bowl in his third season, and Mark Barron has been an above average safety for Tampa Bay plus it does seem like Dont'a Hightower will be a pretty decent linebacker. But for those three, there is Dee Milliner whom struggled mightily in his first year with New York Jets. Courtney Upshaw has been nothing for Baltimore. Same goes for Dre Kirkpatrick as he battled all sorts of injuries with Cincinnati. Terrance Cody is not really more than just a body with the Ravens. There is a real mixed jury here, but none of these players have really broke out like Jones or Lacy did on the offensive side of the ball.

Despite some of the criticism of Mosley, the game film would indicate he might be able to break the trend. Mosley does everything you want from a linebacker being able to fill the run as good as anyone in college football in the last four years, and he can definitely cover the tight ends of the league. Mosley could be one of the better linebackers out of the draft without question. But the idea he played two full years of SEC football along with a good amount his sophomore year has to be a little concerning about how much punishment he cane take for a continued time in the NFL.  

While the quarterbacks will always be the main attraction with every draft, it will be interesting to see what happens with the narrative with Mosley and the other Alabama players moving forward in the next couple of months. 

Charlie.