With the NFL Draft slated for April 25-26, this is the 19th of daily looks at a player who could be on the New England Patriots’ radar. All profiles can also be found at projo.com/patriots.

Player: Andre Smith, Alabama

Height and Weight: 6-foot-4, 332 pounds

Position: Offensive tackle

Hometown: Birmingham, Ala. (Huffman HS)

Senior year: 12 starts, credited with 18 touchdown-resulting blocks

Career: 38 starts, allowed only 2 ½ sacks over 2007 and 2008 seasons

Honors: Outland Trophy winner (nation’s best down lineman), first-team All-American, three-time first-team All-SEC

NFL Combine

Did not participate

* -- 5.28 seconds (40-yard dash) at Pro Day

Is he a fit for the Patriots?

If Smith can assure New England that his recent issues are behind him, he could be. As far as talent and potential go, Smith is the best tackle in this year’s draft. But he was suspended for the Tide’s bowl game for alleged illegal contact with an agent, then he abruptly left the Combine without participating in any of the on-field tests and didn’t do well in his interview sessions. His conditioning came into question during Alabama’s pro day, and he has reportedly submitted paperwork to fire agent Alvin Keels. That’s a lot of issues – though they aren’t major issues – for a young man who is supposed to be preparing for his professional career.

But Smith has spent the last two seasons playing for Nick Saban, one of Bill Belichick’s closest friends in the football world, and if Saban gives Smith the green light as far as those problems, Belichick will trust his word.

On the field, Smith’s size belies his agility and quickness. He has a powerful lower body but is still light on his feet and has an explosive first step. But scouts say he has difficulty moving laterally, particularly to his left, that he can get lazy, and that he doesn’t always listen to the quarterback’s cadence, leading to seven false-start penalties over the last two seasons. He has also battled his weight, and his mobility is affected when he puts on pounds.

smanza@projo.com