When Miami Dolphins GM Chris Grier has had a big problem to solve in the 2024 NFL Draft, he has turned to his friends at Alabama.
Grier has made seven first-round draft picks since 2018. Three of those players — including Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle — played for Nick Saban at Bama.
That’s why it’s a smart bet to keep Crimson Tide tackle JC Latham on a short list of potential Dolphins picks at No. 21 overall in a couple of weeks.
Miami Dolphins Draft Preview: Get to Know Alabama OT JC Latham
The Basics
- Age: 21
- Height: 6’6″
- Weight: 360 pounds
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- School: Alabama
- Current Year: Junior
- PFN Big Board Ranking: No. 15 overall, No. 4 OT
Why He’s a First-Round Talent
Latham has a dream pedigree.
He was a five-star recruit out of IMG Academy and started 27 games at right tackle his final two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Ala., earning first-team all-conference and second-team All-American honors in 2023.
“My strengths, I feel like I’ve been blessed to have the ability to do it all and perform at a high level in everything I do,” Latham said at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine. “… I’m only just getting started.”
PFN draft analyst Ian Cummings absolutely raves about Latham in the tackle’s draft profile, writing:
“As crazy as it may seem, Latham could still be the third-best OT in the 2024 class, even with his blue-chip grade. Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Penn State’s Olu Fashanu are just as good — but Latham provides a unique kind of upside with his elite explosiveness, power, and road-grading ability in the run game.
“There isn’t a tackle in the stacked 2024 class who can generate the kind of push and displacement that Latham can, both with his power drive and his rotational torque. Not only is Latham extremely explosive and forceful, but he’s also incredibly well-leveraged. For a 6’6″ blocker, he’s extremely natural at reaching the proper pad level and loading his base.
“Latham moves people on the ground — plain and simple.”
How He Would Fit
Latham has the build and temperament to play right tackle at the next level. He almost certainly wouldn’t play there for the Dolphins in 2024, though — if at all.
Austin Jackson just signed a contract extension, and right tackle is his best position.
Latham in 2024 would presumably be the team’s starting right guard before transitioning to left tackle (his high school position) in 2025, assuming this is Terron Armstead’s final season in Miami.
“We’ll figure out how to get the job done, regardless of what happens,” Latham said. “If I’m at left, I’m still going to be just as aggressive. But I do like that when I was on the right at Alabama, being able to just run block and move guys off the spot. … I have the ability to not only play left but guard as well.”
High-Flying Potential
Before most kids his age were shaving, Latham was dunking.
He was a massive 13-year-old at Memorial Catholic in suburban Milwaukee who enjoyed killing time by throwing down some powerful dunks — on a regulation rim.
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A couple of years later, after transferring to IMG, basketball had an even more profound impact on his life.
“I really was a defensive lineman,” he said. “Two weeks before the first game, three guys got hurt playing basketball. All tore their ACLs/MCLs. Crazy events. They asked me and Tyler Booker to play offensive line. I didn’t even have an offseason at left tackle. I just went out there and played.”