Alabama freshman OL Kadyn Proctor (#74) during the Crimson Tide's spring game.
It is mock draft season, and an Alabama offensive tackle is projected to be a first-round NFL draft pick, but will he continue to play his position in the pros?
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor being selected No. 28 overall by the Houston Texans in his latest mock draft, and the idea of Proctor playing guard is coming up.
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Kiper mentioned that Proctor could switch to right tackle or play guard if the Texans do not re-sign or bring back certain starters from this year. Free agency could force an NFL draftee to adapt to whatever their team needs, and that could be the deal with Proctor if he goes to a team like Houston.
However, the biggest concern is Proctor’s consistency as a pass protector when playing left tackle. The 6-foot-7, 369-pounder looked better in 2025 than in his previous two seasons, but there is still more room for growth.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid ultimately thinks Proctor will be given a shot at offensive tackle before a team moves him to guard due to his size.
The reality is that the NFL has some of the biggest, fastest and strongest edge rushers that the league has ever seen. The left tackle on a team is protecting the blindside of every right-handed quarterback in the league, so Proctor is going to have to be able to move his feet quickly while being big enough to execute the assignment.
If Proctor becomes a more nimble version of himself, it will only give him more of a chance against the fast and furious edge rushers spread throughout the league.
It is very likely that Proctor will have an opportunity to play at some point in his rookie season. For someone his size, he’s a freak athlete and shines in the weight room, but the main thing is no matter what size he is, he will need to get better at moving laterally and moving his feet quicker.
There were times in 2025 where defenders swiftly moved right by Proctor as took down quarterback Ty Simpson, and it caused fans to question where Proctor was nimble enough to keep playing left tackle.
The best example of this is the Florida State game. Proctor allowed a career-high six pressures, one sack and two quarterback hits, and he picked up a penalty too. His six pressures were the most in the nation during Week 1.
Proctor got better as the season went on and did not have this kind of performance in SEC play, but the NFL is going to be 100 times tougher than college football.
Matthew Mason is a writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with three years of experience covering Alabama athletics. Mason, a junior at The University of Alabama, began covering Alabama athletics for The Crimson White in 2023 and became a Staff Writer in 2024 before joining TDA in May of 2025. Along with coverage of Alabama football, Mason creates video content for TDA's YouTube channel. Follow him on X at MatthewMason__