FLOWERY BRANCH — Former Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, who could be available when the Atlanta Falcons pick with the 17th pick in the upcoming NFL draft, is set to visit the team, according to an espn.com report.
The Falcons sent area scout Anthony Robinson and the team’s linebackers coach, Jeff Ulbrich, to Alabama’s Pro Day on March 9.
Ragland, who talked about an upcoming with the Falcons to NFL.com, is considered one of the top linebackers in the draft, which is set for April 28-30 in Chicago.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn intensely watch Ragland at the Senior Bowl.
“I felt his speed,” Quinn said. “He’s bigger than I thought. On TV you see some ballgames, but I felt the speed. There was a play across the field where he just went after the tight end, closed on him and took a shot at the ball.
“I was like, ‘this is a guy that is going for it.’ You can sense that from him.”
Ragland played middle linebacker for the Crimson Tide, but has tried to show NFL scouts that he play outside linebacker.
“I thought he had versatility because he went down to the pass rush and did some of that, too,” Quinn said. “It’s pretty rare. A lot of inside backers don’t have experience rushing outside. Man, what a versatile dude. Is he a guy who can play over the tight end? He’s got the strength to do that, but yet he plays his game behind the ball. He jumped out to me in a positive way.”
Just a few years back, all of the NFL draft scouts wondered if a middle linebacker out of Boston College ran well enough and had the range to drop into coverage.
He was excellent against the run, but could he cover?
That was Luke Kuechly in 2012. Kuechly has since proved that he’s just fine in coverage. Actually, the two-time All-Pro player is quite dynamic in coverage.
Ragland, the projected top middle linebacker in the 2016 NFL Draft, has heard some of the same analysis of his play.
“Oh yeah, every time that you look up, he’s always making a play on the ball,” Ragland said. “I’m just coming out here to prove the naysayers wrong. … You just can’t worry about what people say. I try to control what I can control.”
About the Author
