The 2015 NFL season has yet to begin, but certain teams have already begun vetting potential targets for the 2016 NFL Draft. The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs have, per a report from WHNT in Alabama, begun doing their due diligence for next year's NFL rookie meat market by inquiring about current Alabama linebacker, Reggie Ragland.
Ragland's high school coach Kevin Rose revealed to Ryan Cody of WHNT that he received letters recently from the Raiders and Chiefs inquiring about the senior Crimson Tide linebacker's character and mental makeup.
"They are looking back on his character and work ethic in high school which is a great message for our kids," said Rose, via Cody. "Don't think that what you do when you are 16-17 and 18 years old is unimportant, it's going to follow you for the rest of your life."
Ragland, widely viewed as one of the top linebacking prospects in the nation, received a second-round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board as a junior. At 6-foot-2, 250-pounds, Ragland was a first-team All-SEC in 2014 after finishing second on the team in tackles. He posted 95 collars, 10.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Most importantly, he made the decision to return to Alabama for his senior season despite his high draft status, citing a desire to finish his education.
"I wanted to come back for my education, really, so that I could have something to fall back on because my football career is not going to last forever, and I've got something that I can do," Ragland said last year, via AL.com. "I'm good with people. I like working around people. And that's something that's big for me is getting my education and really just giving [the degree] to my mom."
He might like working with people, but Ragland has a reputation as a "take-on" player on the inside with a head busting disposition. Alabama head coach Nick Saban has also, in the past, gone out of his way to praise Ragland's maturity and leadership, so it's likely that Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and Chiefs GM John Dorsey will receive positive reviews from Rose of Ragland's on and off-the-field personality.
"In Reggie's case I'm able to get on there and say very positive things about him because he was a great role model when he was here," Rose told Cody.
Big, athletic, mature, smart - that sounds like the exact kind of linebacker Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio - a former NFL 'backer himself - and new Oakland defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. are looking for on the inside of their defense.
