Jaeden Roberts injury: What happened to Alabama guard?

The Alabama Crimson Tide saw starting right guard Jaeden Roberts exit their 19-13 loss to the Michigan Wolverines with an injury on Tuesday in the ReliaQuest Bowl. With less than a minute remaining in the first half, quarterback Jalen Milroe had a 41-yard rush, Roberts was injured during the play.

Roberts was able to slowly jog to the line of scrimmage. However, the team used a timeout and he left the game, having to be helped to the locker room area by a pair of trainers.

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer replaced him with backup Geno VanDeMark for the remainder of the game. Both Roberts and VanDeMark split time throughout the season at the right guard spot for the 11th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (9-4).

Jaeden Roberts: NFL draft prospects

Jaeden Roberts is a junior, making him eligible for the 2025 NFL draft. He is listed at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, and can be a massive presence to help protect the gaps up the middle of the offensive line. Roberts has shown the ability to do well in terms of displacing the defender to create running lanes for the backfield.

The passing game has shown the ability to do better, but does not get driven back in the pocket as well as moving around on the offensive line if needed. However, he has only started one season, so the experience on the field is not there. Roberts also has struggled a bit in terms of defending against defensive linemen who have quick first steps.

If he declares for the 2025 NFL draft, expect to see teams project Jaeden Roberts as a second- or third-round selection. He still has some polish and experience needed in order to feel more comfortable with a higher pick, but he has shown enough to make him worthy of being selected in the middle of the draft. One team that would likely be interested in selecting him would be the Baltimore Ravens as interior offensive linemen are one of the team's biggest needs.