Way-too-early NFL mock drafts are properly named.
They're fun, they stoke conversation, and because they're published around 51 weeks too soon, they're also good for nothing by the time the draft they foresee is at hand.
Alabama football offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor is the Crimson Tide's way-too-early draft darling. Pro Football Focus' 2026 mock draft projects him as the No. 1 overall pick; ESPN's slots him at No. 2 overall, and FOX Sports has the massive junior-to-be going No. 4.
He's got that kind of ceiling, even if he needs to make strides this fall to reach it. But for one NFL area scout whose region includes Alabama , Proctor isn't the best draft prospect on the roster, much less the best one in the sport.
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"Right now, I like LT Overton on that team. Can he and Proctor both go in the first round? For sure," said the scout, who required anonymity because area scouts aren't authorized to speak on behalf of their clubs. "But neither one's production matched their potential last year, so there's a gap to close for both of them. And for me, Overton is a little closer to doing that."
That's just one man's opinion. And so are mock drafts.
But this opinion comes from an experienced scout who has evaluated some of the SEC's very best players over the years, not a pundit throwing draft darts at a board that won't mature until next April. That's not to say a single scout has a crystal ball that others don't; scouting opinions can vary wildly, even among the best in the profession.
That said, Overton is no sleeper among the nation's top defensive linemen. If he's not the best player on what should be a stout Alabama defense this fall, he'll certainly be one of the best few. All three above-mentioned mock drafts project the second-year transfer from Texas A&M as a first-round pick, as well: ESPN at No. 16, Pro Football Focus at No. 24, and FOX Sports at No. 29.
For Overton, matching production with potential largely means converting his outstanding rate of quarterback pressures into more sacks, and against the run, turning his consistently disruptive presence into more tackles in the backfield.
It's easier said than done.
Penetrating the pocket is tough enough, but elite pass rushers can do so with the balance and body control needed to track the quarterback's effort to step out of danger. There's a long list of talented would-be sackmasters who, absent that body control, end up on the wrong end of highlights of a quarterback's elusiveness, missing arm tackles and pounding the turf on too many almost-got-hims.
Proctor, meanwhile, has flashed elite play in some games, although not with the week-to-week consistency that NFL clubs expect from a top-10 draft pick. It's a money year for Proctor, to be sure. But just like Proctor's left tackle spot, defensive end is a premium position for NFL general managers, too.
And if Overton can finish more plays in the backfield this fall, the too-early mock drafts will catch up eventually.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Is Kadyn Proctor Alabama football's top draft prospect? Not for everyone
