Rival views: Best Alabama defender

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney don’t always see eye to eye. In this edition of Rival Views, the two debate which defensive player is the best on a loaded Alabama roster.

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I’m tempted to say Reuben Foster because he makes so many plays and is a stat-sheet stuffer, but I think Jonathan Allen is the player who makes the Alabama defense go.

And the reason for that? His versatility.

He is asked to play outside and inside and do so many different things depending on the situation and scheme. When Bama wants to have both of their speedy pass rushers on the field outside in a seven-tech to pressure off the edge, Allen is asked to take inside leverage, push the pocket with his strength and hold the point of attack in case of a run. When they want to go to a heavier look, he’s the outside guy who can get around the corner and show off his bend but also hold the edge when the run is directed his way. He’s also disruptive in the passing lanes and can affect the accuracy of the quarterback even when he’s a few yards off the launch point.

Others get a ton of credit, but Allen is the only player on the team with five or more sacks and five or more tackles for a loss. He’s the leading tackler on the defensive line when it comes to solo tackles and tied for the lead in assists, and he has two pass breakups. You could pick so many players from Foster to Minkah Fitzpatrick to Eddie Jackson to Shaun Dion-Hamilton to Marlon Humphrey to Tim Williams, but for me it’s Allen who makes it all start.

Picking the best defensive player at Alabama is a no-lose situation because there are so many good ones that you cannot go wrong. But there are so many incredibly talented future pros on the defensive line, linebacker and at defensive back that it’s impossible to pick just one.

Forced to, I’d go with linebacker Reuben Foster.

Let’s start with the stats. The former five-star linebacker leads the Crimson Tide with 41 tackles, one more than linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton and 12 more than DL Jonathan Allen. Foster also has four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries.

He reads plays and reacts faster than any linebacker I’ve seen this season. Foster is incredibly quick at diagnosing where the run play is going, Alabama’s defensive line does a great job up front and then Foster comes in to lay the wood.

And when I say lay the wood, I mean Foster brings a 2x4 every single hit, goes after running backs with a vengeance and grinds them down play after play. Foster has such great reaction time and speed to get to the sideline to make hits that it’s really impressive to watch.

Alabama’s defense as a whole is incredible to watch. The defensive ends get to the edge at will. The defensive tackles clean up the middle. The linebackers come up and fill gaps and make big tackles. The defensive backs are constantly harassing the wide receivers and are always there to make plays. If a pass is caught or a running back breaks free, he’s almost always immediately taken down.

From Foster to Hamilton, Allen to Tim Williams, Marlon Humphrey to Eddie Jackson to Minkah Fitzpatrick to Ronnie Harrison and Ryan Anderson… should I keep going? All these guys will have a chance in the NFL and its one major reason why the Crimson Tide remain No. 1 in the country.