If anyone would like to add their thoughts here, please do.

I certainly noticed this, someone like:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Nathaniel-Watson-LB-MississippiState

He's nearly 26 years old, and was drafted in 2024. I like him, and thought he was a quality player for low cost, and be ready to play out the gate. Then he got hurt and not much since, from my memory.

Regardless, it's crazy to have a player basically eliminated from a 3rd contract by age, and likely wear.

I always shied away from Bama players, because I thought Saban ran too hard in practice, and with reps, for his kids. They were more injury prone than average, in my estimation.

Anyway, just a couple days left till this place lights up like the 4th of July after a Tribe win.

Really hopeful that AB & Company can repeat their recent Draft Successes.

13 comments

  1. I feel like there’s two sides to this though. A lot of guys used to enter the draft way before they were ready for the NFL and it basically meant they couldn’t play for a year or two, or they just never developed into good NFL players because they didn’t have enough time to develop in college. I’d rather have a 23-24 year old that can contribute year one and have a good 10 year career than a 20 year old that might not be ready/miss the first year or two and also have multiple rounds of contract drama.

  4. Found out I’m 4 months older than boogie. Rip me it’s joever I’ll never make it to the league now.

  6. Says a guy who just signed a guy turning 32 this year to a 4-year, $112 million contract with $60M guaranteed.

  8. I agree with Decosta. Ignoring the obvious positives of NIL, I do think the quality of draft classes has really deteriorated. We are seeing a lot of older prospects, and I think especially at a position like QB, NIL is why we are in the midst of a truly horrific 2 year drought of like 1 QB classes because guys like Nussmeier, who probably would’ve been a 1st last year, go back for the NIL money and it blows up spectacularly.

    The other part of it is when you stay in school until you’re 23-24, those bad habits from college get more and more ingrained, and it gets so much harder to work them out.

    I mean look at this class, after that small group of guys at the very top, it’s an old class filled with a lot of guys who really aren’t viewed as “high ceiling” guys.

  9. I was never sold on AB’s youth movement. I agree young players have more upside, but if we fail to develop them and they end up cut or on practice squads, does it matter?

  12. I don’t understand his hate. As far as I’m aware, the only players returning to school are later round picks so they can hone their skills and develop more. If a player is considered a high first round pick, then they leave. It seems to me that we’ll see players with higher floors that are more pro ready

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