Patriots: 3 players to watch in Alabama-Ohio State National Championship Game

Here are three players Patriots fans should watch closely in the CFP National Championship on Monday night.

To put it simply, the New England Patriots have little margin for error entering what’s shaping up to be their most important offseason in over two decades. With two teams in their division in Buffalo and Miami seemingly light years ahead of them in terms of talent, they cannot afford to swing and miss on free agent signings, potential trade targets, and draft picks.

Speaking of the draft, the Patriots are slated with the No. 15 overall selection, so they’ll have have no shortage of touted prospects to choose from. Whether it be pouncing on a future quarterback, a dominant edge rusher, game-breaking wideout, or a behemoth offensive lineman, they’d be hard-pressed to leave fans disappointed in the aftermath.

Since the Patriots’ decision in terms of which position of need they want to address with that pick obviously isn’t made up, they should be tuned in tonight’s College Football Playoff Championship between Alabama and Ohio State.

These are programs that flaunt two of the most robust recruiting classes in the country, so there will no doubt be a multitude of future NFL stars on the field. Any one of these players could end up with the Patriots in a few months’ time, so here are three first-round prospects fans should watch closely.

3. Alex Leatherwood

Alabama stud Alex Leatherwood is a seemingly can’t-miss OL prospect.

For Alex Leatherwood, choosing to return to Tuscaloosa for his senior year was a no-brainer. After all, it was virtually impossible to improve his draft stock last season while playing in the shadow of former teammate Jedrick Wills, who was taken No. 10 overall by Cleveland in the 2020 draft.

That situation really kept him out of the spotlight and Leatherwood unsurprisingly responded by becoming the sixth Alabama player to take home the Outland Trophy, which is an annual award given to the nation’s top interior lineman. That brings us to our next point. A tackle by trade, the Florida native has the requisite athleticism to thwart speedy edge rushers, but at 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds (!), he’s more than capable of handling himself in the trenches.

We all know the Patriots champion versatility when it comes to evaluating offensive linemen, and Leatherwood is as dynamic as any OL prospect in the 2021 class. For the season, he conceded just two sacks and three pressures while curtailing his penalty volume, which plagued him early in his career at Alabama. He was flagged just twice over 12 contests in 2020.

As a result, he earned first-team All-SEC honors and was even recognized as an All-American in the eyes of voters. The bottom line is that Leatherwood currently projects as a mid- to late-round draft pick and a promising showing against Ohio State could push him right up to where the Patriots are slated to pick at No. 15 overall.