Alabama OL JC Latham declares for 2024 NFL Draft

JC Latham has made the decision on his future at Alabama. The highly touted right tackle has decided to take his talents to the NFL, he announced via social media on Wednesday.

Latham has been a key piece of the Alabama offensive line the last two years, emerging as a starter in 2022. That unit turned things around in a huge way this year, and Latham is a big part of that after allowing just two sacks during the regular season and the SEC Championship. His efforts earned him multiple second-team All-American honors as well as a spot on the first-team All-SEC once again.

That was a solid follow-up to a sophomore season that also saw Latham allow two sacks

There was talk of moving JC Latham from right tackle to left tackle, though. However, Nick Saban said there were a few factors in the decision to keep him at right tackle — and it started with trying to develop the left tackles.

“I guess you always hope that if we move the right tackle to left tackle, that would make everything better,” Saban said, via BOL’s Charlie Potter. “But I guess the question you also have to ask yourself is would that make us any better at right tackle? Or do you just try to attack the solution of trying to get the left tackle to play to the standard that you need him to play, without making multiple changes to the offensive line. We can have a debate about that. 

“Nobody really knows the answer to that. But we have made a commitment to try to keep some stability with the guys where they’re playing, and get the guys to play left tackle better.”

More on the 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the first round on Thursday, April 25, the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26, and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 27.

Players will have the opportunity to solidify their draft stock at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from February 26 through March 4.

The three-day event will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility.

Last season, 69 players were granted special eligibility for the 2023 NFL Draft. 13 underclassmen who had completed their college degrees were also deemed eligible to be selected.

The deadline to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft is on January 15. NFL teams will receive a full list of eligible players in the class on January 19.