The NFL draft unfortunately didn’t go as planned for both Alabama DT [autotag]LaBryan Ray[/autotag] and EDGE [autotag]Christopher Allen[/autotag] as neither heard their names announced during the three day event in Las Vegas. However, the good news for these two is that over 30% of the NFL is un-drafted free agents.
The 33rd Team, which is a website ran by Mike Tannenbaum and Joe Banner, published an article discussing which un-drafted player from each of the 32 NFL teams is most likely to make their respective team. Tannenbaum is the former GM of the New York Jets and Banner was formerly the Philadelphia Eagles President and Cleveland Browns CEO, so it is safe to say that these two are about as credible as it gets.
The New England Patriots chose Ray due to the Patriots high rotation in defensive linemen and a need for depth. It is also well known that Nick Saban and Bill Belichick have a great relationship and he trusts the players coming out of Tuscaloosa.
As for the Denver Broncos they went with Allen as they have a need for a rusher coming off the edge. The Broncos did sign Randy Gregory from the Cowboys as well as using a second round pick on the position, but when trying to replace a guy like Von Miller it is important to have all options available.
For both of these Alabama guys to be recognized by such reputable members of the media should speak volumes.
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