:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72222439/1453490043.0.jpg "Jordan Battle scouting report: 2023 NFL Draft profile, prospect ranking")
April has rolled around as yet another batch of future NFL-ers await to find out where their next steps will be. As always, Alabama is offering up plenty of excellent prospects at various positions, including safety Jordan Battle, who spent four seasons with the Crimson Tide and has declared for the draft.
Battle was part of an Alabama program that reached two national championship games during his sophomore and junior years. He recorded six interceptions and three touchdowns in his four seasons, as well as 141 solo tackles and 110 assisted tackles. He had a career-high 84 tackles his junior year, and recorded 71 in the 2022-23 season.
Battle has received accolades from various organizations throughout his career, earning first-team all-SEC and Associated Press third-team All-American honors following both his junior and senior seasons.
Jordan Battle: Scouting Report
Battle stands at 6'1'' and 209 lbs. heading into the draft, and recorded a 4.55-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He excels in the short zone, effectively defending tight ends and slot receivers while helping out on blitzes. He isn't quite as consistent in the open field as he can be in tighter spaces – he lets plays get behind him, and is slower and less flexible on open-field pickups, allowing running backs and receivers to slide by his tackle attempts.
If a team is looking for someone to pick up deeper zone coverage, Battle won't be their guy, but he is a valuable asset in the short game. This isn't to say he isn't a very talented player – he started at a championship-caliber Alabama team for years – but he will fill a more specific role than some other safeties may be able to provide.
Mock Draft landing spots
Battle is a middle-round pick at varying mock drafts. ESPN's Matt Miller sees him going to the Bills in the fourth round, and CBS' Ryan Palmer has the Falcons taking him in the fourth. The Athletic's Dane Brugler has him falling to the fifth round with the Raiders, and NFL.com's Chad Reuter sees him going to the Packers as early as the third round.