Happy Gump Day: Draft Boards are heating up across the NFL for Jalen Milroe

We’re going for two weeks in a row, with the Good Vibes Only Gump Day.

Tomorrow is the NFL Draft, and that always brings about optimism, perhaps unwarranted in some cases, but around these parts it has become a frequent week of celebration as the Tide pads its NFL bona fides. There are few better recruiting inducements than flashing the ten-figure sum that ‘Bama players are earning in the NFL: That’s billion with a b, son. More than titles or rings or individual honors or prestige or history, that is Alabama’s most potent trump card to play in the chase for elite talent.

So, on to the most divisive Alabama prospect we’ve seen in quite a while. Most ‘Bama fans recognize Milroe is not NFL starter-ready. But he’s flashed so much skill the past two seasons, and his athletic prowess simply is uncoachable, that some quality teams lower in the draft order are giving serious consideration to the Tide product. He is, in a word, “heating up” on draft boards — particularly as other R1 prospects like Shedeur Sanders are turning heads for all the wrong reasons.

Alabama is presently tied with 6 NFL First Round QBs selected; it would set the SEC record if Milroe becomes a 7th, as it looks like he will.

And, why not? We sometimes are too close to the warts on a player, remembering all of the negative plays (such as three TOs in 10 plays versus Michigan), and forget what all he accomplished, and the routine playmaking excellence he displayed.

Orlovsky, and Giants fans who’ve always been high on him, are here to remind us:

Yeah, I forgot about some of those throws too.

In short, his draft stock is soaring — almost as to the heights he reached when flying in a jet with the Air Force.

Nick Saban, of course, isn’t having any of that rat poison

The Portal is closing soon, and‘Bama still hasn’t completely shored up its backcourt, being very picky and somewhat frugal with its spending on transfers. But, there is one player that you know the Tide would love to have: 6’7” SG/SF Cedric Coward out of Wazzu.

Before the season began, the outstanding perimeter shooter was tracking for the NBA draft. But he was injured after just half a dozen games into the season and had to take a medical RS. He’s the last great sniper left on the board, and though his eyes are still on the pros, the depth of this class and a suspect recent injury may keep him in college another season.

If so, he’s narrowed down his schools to just two: Duke and Alabama.

Seriously, read that again: Duke and Alabama.

There is a lot to love about Coward, and he’d be a fantastic pickup for the Tide. Hope for the best.

Heat Check on the Diamond, as both baseball and softball come in strong this week:

Lol. Patrick Murphy is totes going to host another regional, isn’t he?

Though ‘Baseball’s regional hopes are closing somewhat — especially with very strong midmajor showings by teams like Western Kentucky, the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, and the Miami Redhawks, among others. That is to say nothing of a (somewhat better) Auburn team sharing the same state. The Tide will have its work cut out for it down a stretch run that includes Vandy in Nashville and a visit by the Bulldogs. However, the schedule also includes what should be a road win over the Gators, and a visit by (and a hopeful sweep of) the woebegone Mizzou Tigers.

Accolades Szn:

Alabama has players in the SEC’s Top 5 of RBI, homeruns, average and stolen bases. This thread by Riedell Andrew is genuinely shocking. Vaughn may have fielded some mediocre-to-awful starting pitching the last two seasons, but the offense has been electric. And, hey, Ozmer even leads the league in saves too. The bullpen has long been a ‘Bama bugaboo, but closing out almost half of the Tide’s wins is excellent work.

Anyway, check out all of these stats:

Meanwhile, on the mats, the ladies finished with an improbable Semifinal run to the national championships, and five All-American performers!

We even get some good news on the gridiron, as Kane Wommack updated reporters yesterday on the linchpin of next year’s defense: the rehab progress of Deontae Lawson.

“He’s handling his rehab similar to how you would think he is – he’s a total pro,” said Wommack in an interview with WNSP 105.5 FM. “He’s farther ahead than where most people are at this stage of his rehab, and excited to see as he gets to do more and more things this summer, and then obviously, to be able to go into fall camp and get himself healthy and ready.

“So I’m excited for him.”

Earlier this week, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about Lawson at a fundraiser in Mobile, the linebacker’s hometown, and shared how he was involved in spring camp.

“Deontae’s doing an amazing job,” DeBoer said, via AL.com. “While he’s been coming back from his injury of just being a leader, coaching, being engaged, that’s hard to do. That’s harder than people realize, and he’s been right there in the middle of it all.

That is outstanding news.

Even better is the Tide’s depth prognosis this year, which has the coaching staff genuinely aflutter with excitement:

“Not nearly the standard,” Wommack told me Tuesday during an appearance on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 in Mobile about last year’s defense. “We’ve got to find a way to improve. Really excited coming out of spring about where we are.”

The main reason? Depth.

“I’m really proud of the strides we made defensively,” he said of last season. “When we got here because of a number of factors and transfer portal, when you have a transition from coach (Nick) Saban retiring and all of that, we lacked depth and a little bit of experience overall on the back end.”

That will change next season. Wommack cited Zabien Brown, a guy he described as a true freshman with the most discipline and skill set I’ve ever seen as a high school player.” He now calls him a “seasoned veteran.”

“It’s different from the standpoint of experience,” he explained. “We have guys who have grown up, and they’ve grown up fast.”

The folks at 247 have an excellent Spring recap of what we learned about each ‘Bama position group. Definitely give this a read:

We learned a lot during the Crimson Tide’s 15 spring practices, which spanned all of March and half of April. There were many intriguing developments up and down the roster, so now is as good a time as any to empty the notebook.

A few examples: Is Qua Russaw now the alpha of the Wolf/outside linebacker room? How are the new guys — freshmen and transfers — fitting in? What’s the depth like at corner? At defensive tackle? How did injuries impact the goals for this spring?

Finally, I leave you with the Arnold Schwarzenegger ABCs:

We’ll be back later to wrap up the schedule previews. Have a great day, and Roll Tide.