Crimson Tide Scouting Report: Defensive Back Jordan Battle

BamaCentral and NFL Draft Bible team up to profile the 17 Alabama players who have a chance to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Jordan Battle 

No. 9

Position: DB

Ht: 6-1

Wt: 210

Draft eligible: 2022

Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

High School: St. Thomas Aquinas 

Pros:

Freshman starter at Alabama who possesses terrific size for a safety looks the part. Battle is athletically gifted, turning and running well if threatened vertically. His burst and speed make him dangerous when he blitzes, timing his get off very well, often getting a head start. In underneath zones, he is disciplined, passing off routes reliably. Battle delivers hard hits coming downhill, making receivers second guess if they want the ball over the middle. He takes good angles to ball carriers in space. In the box, he displays the required physicality to take on blocks. Battle moves well at the backend given his size, backpedaling and transitioning cleanly. While he is not often asked to do it, his athleticism and size allow him to man up against tight ends.

Cons:

Lacks instincts as a playmaker with his eyes on the quarterback, he fails to anticipate routes or throws to make plays on them. Even when he has a chance to make a play, he just bats the ball down. In the run game, he can be slow to trigger and fill. Battle likes to keep everything in front of him, failing to locate routes developing behind. Shifty ball carriers can make him miss when he comes downhill with a head of steam.

Summary:

Athletic and physical safety with prototypical size. Battle is dangerous when blitzing and can play in the box with his physicality. His movement skills in space are very good for a player of his size. Lacking instincts, he is unable to make plays on the ball consistently. Battle projects as an underneath zone defender who can provide range and physicality at the second level. While he can play in deep zones, he should not be relied on as a playmaking-free safety.

Grade: 7.4 (now)/8.5 (potential)

BamaCentral Analysis

From his very first appearance in a Crimson Tide uniform back in 2019 when he recorded an interception in the season opener against Duke, Battle has made an impact on the backend of Alabama's secondary at safety. As a sophomore in 2020, the hard-hitting Battle ranked third on the Crimson Tide defense with 66 tackles. Despite his lack of his anticipation skills, Battle's 45-yard pick six against Kentucky last season showed off his upside and just how special his play-making ability could be. If Battle can anchor the Alabama secondary in 2021, alongside senior cornerback Josh Jobe, and turn it into a "no-fly zone" yet again, there's a great chance the Sunshine State prospect will rival Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton as the top safety and one of the better overall players in the 2022 NFL Draft

Crimson Tide Scouting Report is a 17-part series on Alabama's prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft, with evaluations by NFL Draft Bible and analysis by BamaCentral. Check out his profile on NFL Draft Bible.

Linebacker Henry To'o To'o

DE/OLB Christopher Allen