With the start of the NFL draft eight days away, one former Alabama player in particular has been subject to a wide range of projection from media draft experts.

Cornerback Trevon Diggs was predicted to go No. 17 in a mock draft by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler this week, while ESPN’s Mel Kiper had Diggs falling to No. 61 -- late in the second round.

On a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Kiper named Diggs among a group of players whose draft stock has fallen lately.

“Diggs is a guy who had some games where he was a little inconsistent in terms of his coverage ability,” Kiper said. "He likes to be physical. You think about what he can be at the pro level when he’s coached and continues to improve. At Alabama they get great coaching from Nick [Saban]. That’s a speciality of his. He works hard on those defensive backs.

"I think Diggs is still a work in progress. The inconsistency has to be eliminated. If you see him in the right game, you think he’s a late [first-round pick]. If you see him in a couple other games, you think he’s a third- or fourth-round pick.

“I put him in the second. That’s kind of the consensus that I’ve built talking to people. That’s what you go by when you do this. Right or wrong, that’s what you have to go by.”

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Some other notes from Kiper’s call: