JC Latham, OT Alabama: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Latham was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2021

Alabama right tackle JC Latham is receiving some summer hype from media members as a future first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Latham plays with impressive power, but his physical limitations and arm length might necessitate a positional change.

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JC Latham, OT Alabama: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior right tackle from Oak Creek, Wis.

Background: Latham was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 3 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 3 for Rivals, and No. 2 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 5th in the nation with a 90 grade out of 100. Latham spent his high school freshman and sophomore years playing defensive end for Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, Wis. before transferring to IMG Academy. He played varsity basketball and competed in the throwing events for track and field while at Catholic Memorial. Latham played left tackle in both of his seasons at IMG Academy, which included blocking for current Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. His team went 8-0 in 2020, claiming the top spot in the MaxPreps Xcellent Top 25 poll. Latham started for a 9-1 IMG Academy squad in 2019. He led Catholic Memorial to a 13-1 record and the Wisconsin Division 3 State Championship in 2018.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: N/A

Pros: Experience playing right guard and right tackle, thick lower half, quick off the line, explosive enough first step to kick out and combat wide-alignment rushers, sturdy anchor to halt power rushes, drives defenders up the arc and around the pocket, lots of positive hand placement reps, strong clamp that engages quickly, very difficult to escape his clamp, heavy and active hands swat and punch smaller rushers, overpowered Harold Perkins Jr. vs. LSU (2022), physically overwhelms and embarrasses undersized pass rushers, recognizes stunts and delayed blitzes, effective force on down blocks, willing to maul smaller defenders in the run game

Cons: Committed 11 penalties in 2022, doesn’t appear to have elite arm length, hip stiffness prevents fluid upper body rotation, relies heavily on raw power and strength advantage, balance during his initial kick step and slide is disrupted by power because he only has one foot firmly anchored, too easily thrown off balance for his size, unlikely to execute sudden changes in momentum, footspeed, stops feet in pass pro, pad level rises significantly when he tries to speed up his lateral movement, late to redirect and mirror pass rushers laterally, occasional oversets open inside rushes, bendy or explosive edge rushers test his outside shoulder, needs more independent hand usage, must replace hands faster, lacks recovery speed and footwork when two-handed punches miss the mark, allows defenders into his chest, defenders had success long-arming him to keep their chests clean, hands are sometimes late to rise and establish their clamp, instances of being late to pick up stunts, doesn’t generate significant displacement in the run game, out-leveraged at the point of attack, relies on shoves more than latch and drive in the run game, inconsistent ability to execute reach blocks, not a consistent mauler in the run game, ducks head when firing downhill out of his stance

Overview: Latham saw rotational snaps at right guard in 2021 before taking over as Alabama’s starting right tackle in 2022. He has a thick lower half and a strong upper body. Latham is quick off the line and packs enough explosiveness in his first step to cut off wide-alignment rushers. The former five-star recruit has a sturdy anchor that will improve with better footwork, hand timing, and leverage. Latham drives defenders up the arc and around the pocket. He usually recognizes stunts and delayed blitzes but occasionally is late to pick up an assignment. There are plenty of plays that show ideal hand placement and grip strength. His clamp strength consistently pops on tape. Defenders can’t escape once his hands are latched on. Latham’s heavy and active hands swat and punch smaller rushers, disrupting their rush plans. He physically embarrasses undersized pass rushers. In 2022, Latham overwhelmed LSU’s smaller pass rushers with his size and play strength, including rising star Harold Perkins Jr. However, LSU’s defenders found success after the first quarter on B-gap rushes and outside rushes that relied on initial explosiveness and bend to finish around the edge. It was the same story against Arkansas (2022). The Razorbacks didn’t have as many quality pass rushers as the Tigers, but there were still several reps where their smaller linemen avoided Latham’s powerful hands and turned the corner. While the game against Arkansas went mostly smoothly, the Iron Bowl was a different story. Auburn’s Colby Wooden posted wins in the run and pass game against Latham, while Derick Hall used his length to negate Latham’s hands and drive the tackle backward. The right tackle’s lack of elite arm length and limited ability to redirect and mirror pass rushers suggests he’s better suited playing guard at the next level. Latham is listed as nine pounds heavier than he was in 2022, and that might not be a good thing. His lateral agility, footspeed, and change of direction skills need to improve for him to survive on an island. Latham relies heavily on raw power and his strength advantage, but that won’t work against NFL-caliber starters. He suffers from some hip stiffness that prevents fluid upper body rotation. Latham’s balance during his initial kick step and slide is disrupted by power rushes because he only has one foot firmly anchored and takes long, high steps. He is too easily thrown off balance for a player his size. There are instances when the Wisconsin native stops his feet in pass protection. His pad level rises significantly when he tries to speed up his lateral movement. Latham occasionally oversets, opening inside rushes. He is late to redirect and mirror pass rushers when these lanes open. Latham needs to deploy more independent hand usage and replace his hands faster because his missed two-handed punches cost him reps. He allows defenders into his chest, and defenders have success long-arming him to keep their chests clean. Latham is an effective force on down blocks and mauls smaller defenders in the run game. However, he doesn’t generate significant displacement as a run blocker and is often out-leveraged at the point of attack. He relies on shoves more than latching and driving defenders back. Latham isn’t a consistent mauler, and he ducks his head when firing downhill out of his stance, which leads to some whiffs.

Overall, Latham plays with impressive power in his hands and good overall play strength, but he might be better suited as a guard at the next level. Latham’s arm length and struggles against explosive or bendy pass rushers are worrying, especially as the NFL trends toward smaller and more athletic defenders.

Role & Scheme Fit: Right guard with right tackle upside in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Second Round

Size: 6'6", 335 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-27-23