Only a few defenses have been stingier than Alabama's this season. Aside from a 43-point outburst by Ole Miss in the Crimson Tide's only loss of the season, no team has been able to hang more than 23 points on Nick Saban's defensive attack.
For Alabama, the stoutness starts up front. In fact, one NFL scout with almost two decades of experience told FOX Sports that Alabama's defensive line is the best he's seen.
"I've never seen one team as loaded from seniors to freshmen as this team is," the scout said, per the report. "It's amazing. They're all huge and they all can move really well."
The scout reportedly projects that 'Bama has at least three first-round talents on the D-line -- Jonathan Allen, Jarran Reed and A'Shawn Robinson.
Reed is a senior, but Allen and Robinson are both juniors that will have a decision to make on whether to return for another season with the Crimson Tide or leave to pursue an NFL career. Underclassmen have until Jan. 18 to decide whether to apply for draft eligibility.
Earlier this week, NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks wrote in his weekly Stock Report that "scouts are beginning to pinpoint (Allen) as one of the top defensive playmakers in the country" after his three-sack performance last weekend vs. Mississippi State.
The D-line talent doesn't end there, though. The scout also told FOX that he likes what he's seen from Darren Lake (senior), Dalvin Tomlinson (junior) and Daron Payne (freshman), per the report.
We'll wait to see how the remainder of their college careers play out before making a final ruling on the scout's "best ever" proclamation, but there's no denying Alabama's talent at the position. Just ask stars Leonard Fournette (LSU) and Dak Prescott (Mississippi State), who have felt the wrath of the Crimson Tide front in lopsided losses over the past two weeks.
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