JC Latham analyzes his Pro Day performance
Alabama Pro Day went off without a hitch for offensive tackle JC Latham. Now, he’s moved on to prospect visits with the teams that could potentially nab him in the first round later this month, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, and more. Latham opened up about his Pro Day performance to reporters in Tuscaloosa after wrapping up drills alongside Darrian Dalcourt.
“There was just two guys so it was basically non-stop,” Latham said. “It’s really just trying to strain through the technique and doing a better job of that.”
Latham started Alabama’s last 27 games at right tackle, or every game of his sophomore and junior seasons. This past year, he earned second-team All-American honors. He appeared in 40 career games, playing in 13 as a true freshman reserve in 2021.
Latham has lost 20 pounds since the end of his season at Alabama, but he’s done so without losing his strength. The biggest part of cutting down was eliminating one of his favorite meals. After taking part in positional drills, Latham revealed to reporters that he’s had to give up his Five Guys.
“Five Guys burgers,” Latham said. “I don’t know what they be doing over there, but just the tinfoil it’s wrapped in. I get two with lettuce, mayo, ketchup and cheese. I eat two of those and a small fry. I don’t even eat all the fries because you know they overdo it with fries.
“But Five Guys, I love their burgers.”
Mel Kiper ranks Latham behind Joe Alt in mock draft
In ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s latest mock, he predicts former Notre Dame star Joe Alt will go No. 7 overall, but at No. 13 overall, former Alabama tackle JC Latham is close behind.
“It’s debatable right now, it really is,” Kiper said on his post-combine show. “I think (Alt) will be certainly right there, but I keep bringing up the name… JC Latham. He’s the consummate right tackle. We all get caught up in, ‘Oh, can he be a left tackle,’ well, he says he can be a left tackle.
“The Chargers could move Joe Alt to right tackle, but Latham is already that. He played at Alabama at a high level… This is where you have to separate ratings from mock. I’m going to move Latham up because of the fact that he has that skillset. He played at a very high level. He did really well in the game against Michigan until he had a hiccup late. You remember that but you’ve got to filter those out, everybody has them.”
As a projected first-rounder, Latham has plans to be in Detroit for the 2024 NFL Draft, which starts Thursday, April 25. The Green Room will be packed with the draft’s elites, all hoping to hear their name before the end of night one.
“That’ll be a surreal moment,” Latham said. “You see the draft every year, you watch it every year, so just being able to really enjoy it first-hand, it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”