Overview
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 312 pounds
School: Alabama Crimson Tide
Combine Performance Data
40 Yard Dash: 5.05 seconds
Vertical Jump: 34.5 inches (second-best among offensive linemen)
Broad Jump: 9 feet, 5 inches
Jedrick Wills 2020 NFL Draft Profile
As a senior for Lafayette High School in Lexington, KY, Wills quickly became one of the nation’s top offensive tackle recruits in 2017. The four-star recruit received a roster selection for the 2017 Under Armour All-American Game as well as being ranked as the top player in the state of Kentucky. Wills received a total of 18 collegiate offers with notable schools such as Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Michigan before announcing his commitment to play for Alabama.
Wills saw playing time as a true freshman in 2017 where he appeared in 11 of the team’s games and even got his first career start against Ole Miss. After a promising Freshman season, Wills burst onto the scene as a Sophomore as he earned the starting right tackle spot and played in all 15 games of the 2018 season. Wills gave up just one sack and one quarterback hit throughout his entire 2018 season as well as being recognized for his academics by earning CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. Wills continued his positive trend this past season as he again started every game at right tackle for Alabama while giving up just one sack along with just three and half total quarterback hurries all year. Furthermore, Wills was named to the coaches’ All-SEC First Team as well as receiving second-team All-American accolades from numerous college football media outlets.
Strengths
- Fundamentally sound and extremely advanced in his pass protection sets;
- Great hand usage when engaging defenders and shows patience when attacking;
- Tremendous feet in pass protection with solid balance and a strong base;
- NFL-caliber frame;
- Impressive ability to maintain leverage with his size;
- Competitively tough player who possesses notable football IQ;
- Moves well in space with no athletic issues;
Weaknesses
- Exclusively a right tackle in college;
- Good, not great run blocking;
- Pre-snap penalties need to be reduced;
- Can be predictable at times with his tempo and punches;
- Was so dominant at the collegiate level that he often was not forced to give 110% on every play;
NFL Comparison: Jason Peters
Teams With Need at Position: Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings
Projection: Early to mid-first round
Bottom Line
Wills is a day one starter for any NFL team at right tackle. In a draft class loaded with talent at offensive tackle, Wills’ pass protection is arguably the best. His combination of size, balance, quick feet, and devastating hand punch make him one of the best offensive tackle prospects in the past several years. Wills has solid fundamentals in all phases of the game. His strength coupled with his athleticism makes him a strong run blocker as well as nimble enough to get to the second level of a defense.
Wills possesses no fundamental or athletic weaknesses, but teams will wonder if he can play left tackle rather than right. This should not be a huge concern though, as Wills playing exclusively on the right side has nothing to do with a lack of ability, and everything to do with Tua Tagovailoa being a left-handed quarterback. For teams with right-handed quarterbacks, left tackle has a greater emphasis as they protect their quarterback’s blindside. However, teams with a left-handed quarterback place greater emphasis on the right tackle position, as they are the ones who protect a lefty’s blindside.
