NFL draft profile: Alabama DL Jarran Reed, bull-strong run stopper

Shutdown Corner is counting down the top 50 prospects in the 2016 NFL draft with a scouting report, quotes from NFL evaluators and a projection where they might be drafted.

18. Alabama DT-DE Jarran Reed
6-foot-3, 307 pounds

Key stat: In 21 games in junior college, Reed totaled 4.5 sacks in 21 games. In 29 games with the Crimson Tide, he totaled two sacks.

[Follow Yahoo Sports draft expert Eric Edholm on Facebook and Twitter]

The skinny: Country-strong, solidly built double-team eater who has helped his team erase opponents’ run games everywhere he’s been. And he’s been — seemingly — everywhere, or at least made plans to do so. Reed originally committed to D-II Fayetteville State out of high school before spending a year of prep school at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. Then Reed went to East Mississippi Community College for two years and committed to North Carolina, Florida and Ole Miss before ending up in Tuscaloosa.

After a bad start at Bama, being charged with a DUI before he ever played a snap in 2014 and being demoted to third team, Reed came back to start most of his junior season and arrive on the scene as an ascending player. Although his stats actually decreased slightly in 2015, Reed attracted attention for his incredible power and lane-clogging ability. A left shoulder injury prevented him from bench pressing at the NFL combine, and his workouts were nothing special there. But NFL teams know what Reed can offer.

Grandstanding: A Yahoo Sports podcast
Subscribe via iTunes or via RSS feed

Best-suited destination: Although he can fit in most fronts, we believe Reed likely will be most effective as a two-gap nose tackle where he’s not asked to (or expected to) rush the passer. He’s not done it at any level, so it’s unrealistic to expect Reed to develop that part of his game in the NFL. That doesn’t mean Reed doesn’t have significant value in the modern NFL game. Teams often try to run 3-4 defenses without the proper personnel, and there are very few true pillars who can anchor against the run and open lanes for linebackers to make plays. Teams that could use that type of player include the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins.

Reason he’ll rise in draft: We just listed 10 teams for which he’d be an ideal fit; technically, he could play nose in a 4-3 system as well, so there really isn’t a scheme out there that Reed doesn’t fit in some ways. But even as deep as this D-line class is, there are few run stoppers as qualified as Reed is. Of the 12 worst run-stopping defenses last season, eight were 3-4 fronts and two more use multiple fronts.

Reason he’ll fall in draft: With almost no pass-rush value, Reed’s grade will be knocked down significantly by some teams. He also has some character questions, with some early immaturity in his career, so he’s not a completely clean evaluation. Reed averaged about 40 snaps per game on the most talented D-line in the country and didn’t flash nearly as much as his teammates did. Do you take a two-down run-stopper with a top-20 pick? That’s the debate.

Scouting hot take: “Oh, he’s a man’s man. Tough kid. Does the dirty work. [The coaches] vouched for him down there when we asked about all the flip-flopping he did early on with all the different schools. He’s on track now. Nick [Saban] got him in line.” — NFC defensive line coach

Player comp: Casey Hampton, who had nine sacks and five Pro Bowls in a 173-game career

Expected draft range: First-round pick

Previous profiles

50. Ohio State WR Braxton Miller
49. Indiana OT Jason Spriggs
48. Florida DL Jonathan Bullard
47. Texas Tech OT Le’Raven Clark
46. Arkansas TE Hunter Henry
45. Oklahoma WR Sterling Shepard
44. Michigan State QB Connor Cook
43. West Virginia S Karl Joseph
42. Michigan State DE-OLB Shilique Calhoun
41. Notre Dame WR Will Fuller
40. Pitt WR Tyler Boyd
39. Oklahoma State DE Emmanuel Ogbah
38. Alabama DE-DT A’Shawn Robinson
37. Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
36. Memphis QB Paxton Lynch
35. Alabama C Ryan Kelly
34. Louisiana Tech DT Vernon Butler
33. Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche
32. Georgia DE-OLB Leonard Floyd
31. USC S-LB Su’a Cravens
30. Alabama LB Reggie Ragland
29. Mississippi State DT-DE Chris Jones
28. Baylor NT Andrew Billings
27. Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith
26. Houston CB William Jackson III
25. Alabama RB Derrick Henry
24. Ohio State CB Eli Apple
23. Eastern Kentucky DE-OLB Noah Spence
22. Baylor WR Corey Coleman
21. Ohio State OT Taylor Decker
20. Kansas State OG Cody Whitehair
19. Michigan State OT Jack Conklin