2012 Draft Prospects: Offensive Line

So here's what I think so far of the 2012 O-line draft prospects. Remember that this is not a complete list by any means and it's really just my initial thoughts based on what I've seen so far. There's nearly two months till the draft itself so there's time for things to change. In no particular order then;

- Matt Kalil, Tackle, USC: This is a name that everyone will recognise because it's a name that the majority of people expect to be called in the first hour of the 2012 draft. Now when watching offensive tackles I like to put myself in the position of the teams Head Coach and imagine that it's my quarterback out there being protected. On that note... Kalil scares the s**t out of me. I have no idea where the top 5 ranking has come from. I've seen some good games from Kalil in the past, but reviewing 2011 there is a lot there to be worried about.

Run blocking he's pretty much fine, that's not a problem. But Kalil is expected to be a left tackle, a key pass protector, and at this point he begins to struggle. People point to his statistics but in all such cases I point to the tape. And what I see is a quarterback who gets the ball out of his hands quickly, because if he didn't he'd get killed on a routine basis. Against NFL quality pass rushers I think Kalil is going to struggle badly.

He really suffers against technique rushers and just about survives with speed rushers. When faced with stunts and twists or creative blitzes, he just has no awareness and seems to only make the block when people run into him. I think being at USC has done wonders for his draft stock, but the NFL I think is going to cause him serious, serious problems. Good luck Vikings fans, you're in for a long season if the draft goes down like many think it will.

- Riley Reiff, Tackle, Iowa: God this is shaping up to be a bad year for Offensive Tackles. I have much the same issues with Reiff as Kalil. His run blocking is generally very good, but his pass protection is somewhat suspect. In college teams tend to be throwing a lot of wide receiver screens and quicker passes these days, which means that a lot of these tackles are being shielded by their quarterbacks quick release.

Reiff was sometimes solid, sometimes all over the place. Like Kalil he would often survive the first contact with the defender, only to crumble at the second bite. That's just not acceptable at the NFL level. Against stronger, faster, more determined and competitive athletes who have much better technique, that's the kind of play that will get your quarterback killed in a hurry. I'm not buying either Reiff or Kalil right now.

- Jonathan Martin, Tackle, Stanford: Now we're talking! Behind every great man is a great woman, apparently. And behind every great quarterback is a great left tackle, almost guaranteed. The connection then between Andrew Luck and Jonathan Martin should be obvious. If not, then suffice to say that Luck owes Martin a drink, or maybe even a few, or maybe even a new car, if Luck gets drafted number one overall.

The reason for that is because Martin has done an excellent job keeping Luck upright. The problem with highly rated quarterbacks is that they often get too much credit for what is fundamentally a team performance in a highly team orientated game. Martin is not considered a top 5 pick like Luck or Matt Kalil, yet in my estimation he's much better than Kalil.

He's more athletic with his footwork, tougher, has better technique and is seems more accustomed and comfortable with the kind of pass rush that he's going to see in the NFL, e.g. dealing with a relentless assault from physically gifted athletes. Martin may not get the credit that Luck does, but hopefully he'll get himself a decent pick and contract, because I think he deserves it and is going to make some team very happy with their selection.

- Mike Adams, Tackle, Ohio State: In order to understand Mike Adams as a prospect we have to consider how the NFL studies young offensive tackles. The reason for this is because Adams isn't the most technical of tackles, with occasionally suspect footwork and use of the hands. But what Adams does have, and have in abundance I might add, is athletic ability.

The general consensus among NFL scouts and personnel staff has always been that you can take a young, athletically gifted individual and then mold them into pretty much whatever you want. They bring their size, speed, strength, balance, agility etc, and then you teach them the key skills and techniques they need to succeed.

Such players also have a huge plus side, especially given their age and inexperience at the NFL level, in that a physically gifted athlete can mask technique deficiencies with his athletic skills. A quick footed player can recover from errors much easier using speed to stay with an opponent or break away from one. A strong man can use raw power to overcome sub-standard blocking technique.

Finally, an athletic individual gives the coaches more options in terms of what they can ask their player to do. Whether it's pulling on a trap or power run play, getting out onto a linebacker on a zone run, getting out in front of a running back on a screen, or just taking on a tough one on one block, athletic players give their coaches choices as to how to deal with various problems.

On that note (perhaps a slightly too long winded one) we come to Mike Adams. He is a talent, that is beyond doubt. He suffers sometimes from keeping his hands too close together when punching and driving, and will occasionally over extended himself to make a block, but Adams definitely puts the "athlete" into "student athlete".

He has quick feet, he's pretty strong and he comes out of his stance like a bullet. He seems pretty football smart and aware of things like when to pass off a block against defensive stunts and twists. When run blocking he shows a great ability to get up to the second level quickly when needed, or keep holes open against defensive linemen. Pass blocking is where his technique sometimes comes up short, but again his physical attributes mean he often recovers with ease.

I really like Adams and this is coming from someone who is a whore for technique. It's just that in recent years I've come to see the merits of the point of view regarding athletically gifted players and I think Adams is one of those. Whoever snags Adams has basically got a ready to go tackle who just needs to be guided and developed. I'd be happy to use a top 10 on him I think.

- Zebrie Sanders, Tackle, Florida State: Mmmm... not impressed. At all really. If you just want someone to cut block 60 times per game then fine, but Sanders seemed to spend a lot of time not blocking anyone or floundering around like a beached fish when he did try and block. Against some smaller rushers he had some success and maybe I'm being a bit too hard on him, but in my opinion he's never getting to amount to much and would just be a wasted pick.

- Bobby Massie, Tackle, Ole Miss: Difficult to judge is Mr. Massie. On the one hand he did his job on a fairly regular and consistent basis, e.g. keep the pass rusher he was responsible for away from the Quarterback. But I couldn't shake the feeling watching him that he'd struggle against NFL caliber athletes. Any time that Massie faced a pass rusher with a move or two then it was lights out and Massie was beaten. Gets pushed around a little too easily as well.

- Mitchell Schwartz, Tackle, California: I thought Schwartz was pretty good. He kept himself low and well balanced for the most part and seemed to have a tremendous punch on him, which is something that's not obvious from his relatively low bench press at the combine. On the field though, he seems to have few problems standing people up with some nasty looking shots.

He may not be the quickest footed guy either, but he always seems to be in the right spot, even when handling rushers coming from very wide spots. He's faced and overcome some tough opponents this year and frankly I don't think he's getting the credit he deserves. Projected to go no earlier than the 5th and may even go undrafted, I think Schwartz has potential as a good right tackle, especially at the right price.

- Nate Potter, Tackle, Boise State: Potter is a hard man to judge based on the kind of teams that Boise has played. This is one of the reasons that guys from the SEC tend to dominate the draft, especially in the early stages, because coaches and scouts are more confident that the talent level in that conference approximates the kind of talent that players will face in the NFL.

The problem with Potter is simple. He's very inconsistent. That's a problem when we're talking about someone charged with protecting the quarterback from harm. His run blocking is not too bad, but pass blocking seems to be a struggle at times. I just think that if I was a personnel guy, I couldn't trust him enough to be anything more than a pure backup.

- Levy Adcock, Tackle, Oklahoma State: Whoever taught him that god awful awkward stance he used in 2010 and spent most of 2011 recovering from should be ashamed. In general Adcock is really not worth much. He struggles against any form of prolonged pass rush, his run blocking is only adequate and his awareness - especially when facing multiple edge rushers - is horrendous. Wasted pick in my opinion.

- Senio Kelemete, Tackle, Washington: Throw away pick if you ask me, which you kind of are by reading this. Kelemete is like a lot of college tackles that come into the NFL. It's not that he's bad, he's ok, but ok doesn't cut it at this level. Ok is going to give up two or more sacks per game and that's going to get you replaced very quickly. I'd rather carry on with another ok tackle and use the pick for someone that can make a difference.

- Mike Webster, Center, Ohio State: I actually quite like Webster. He's good against the run, getting great angles against the D-linemen and working his hips into the hole to keep the running lanes clear. He routinely takes on defensive tackles and wins, while demonstrating good technique. His pass drop is quite deep and rapid, which means he's pretty handy at picking up stunts and twists, but in the NFL he'll probably have to slow that down a little so as not to run himself back into the quarterback. Making that change could give him problems, but overall I think he's a good prospect that doesn't get that much attention.

- David DeCastro, Guard, Stanford: Impressive. Like a lot of offensive linemen from Stanford, DeCastro's running technique is very good. He takes good angles and sets his hips very well, with a solid blocking stance and pretty good strength. Sometimes he struggles a little twists and stunts but it's not a deal breaker. Can't really go wrong with DeCastro.

- Cordy Glenn, Tackle/Guard, Georgia: Slow and clumsy. That's basically Glenn in a nutshell. How about we add flag magnet to that list as well? Wouldn't even use my worst enemies pick on him, it just wouldn't be fair.

- Kevin Zeitler, Guard, Wisconsin: Good and bad from Zeitler. He's pretty strong in general and excels as a pulling guard on run plays. In pass protection Zeitler has been solid. But.... he does have a tendency to get overmatched against larger defensive tackles. I wonder how well he'd cope with someone like an Ndamukong Suh, Casey Hampton or Haloti Ngata at the next level?

- Peter Konz, Center, Wisconsin: Not bad, but not sure if I'd rate him the number one overall center as many have. Konz is pretty steady in run blocking, but sometimes has a tendency to overrun defenders when moving up to the second level. I'm not sure whether he just mentally has difficulty picking out his assignment or whether it's an agility thing. Pass protection is mostly sound, with pretty good leverage achieved on most plays. Perhaps outside of round one then Konz is worth a look.

- Ben Jones, Center, Georgia: Hit and miss. Sometimes his pass blocking can be really good when he gets his hips low and his hands under the defenders pads. The problem is that at times it seems like he needs the defender to run into him in order for him to pick the guy up. Against twists, stunts and blitzes he really can struggle to find his man and get his hands on him. Probably not NFL caliber.

- Philip Blake, Center, Baylor: Blake is an interesting prospect but a little difficult to judge. His play has been an excellent but the problem is that there are a number of mitigating factors that simply cannot be ignored. The first is that defenses often played Baylor with relatively wide splits in their defensive line and rarely with a man over the center. Thus Blake spent much of his career effectively down blocking.

The second problem is that Baylor played a very wide spread offense and most teams seemed not all that keen to blitz them, especially not up the middle. The product of that is that Blake really doesn't have a lot of experience handling complicated defensive attacks on the O-line, something he'll most definitely see at the next level.

Technique wise he's fine, but there are a lot of ifs and buts to be filled in. I think this situation lends itself to one where Blake would be drafted in the later rounds and used as developmental prospect, possibly at Guard as he has pretty good mobility. But honestly I think he's a bit of a gamble to draft. Undrafted, wouldn't have a problem with him at all.

- Grant Garner, Center, Oklahoma State: Like Blake, Garner is difficult to assess given the offense that he comes from. Generally speaking Garner shows some good technique but has difficulty man handling the bigger defenders, and though his hands are quite active and he seems to move his feet well, he'd need a lot of work in the gym to make it in the NFL, providing he could handle the step up in technique in the first place.

Next up will be everyones favourite, the Quarterbacks.

2011 NFL Draft: Tight Ends & Offensive Linemen

Okey Dokey, so I finally solved my editing problem. It turns out that the problem I was having with Blogger (not recognising the use of the Enter/Return key) coincided time wise with the introduction of their new post editing function. A more cynical person than me would hasten to suggest that this was done to deliberately force people to use the new editing layout, but like I say, I'm not that cynical......

Anyway. The first thing that you might notice is the font of the text changing. Until I can figure out what a) works best and b) I like best, you might find the font changes every now and again. Tough, is the word I'm looking for, (you don't come here for my charm, I know that much).

Now onto business. I've spent the last few days pouring over the Offensive Line prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft (and often getting side tracked by future players as well, such as Aaron Murray & Matt Kalil). I'm not sure if I posted the other day my thoughts on the Tight Ends so I'll throw that in first, though to be honest I haven't given them that much attention. I present to you now, as promised, my findings thus far;

Tight Ends:
- Kyle Rudolph. Not a bad route runner if I'm honest, but I have a question mark over the safety of his hands. Playing down the middle, Tight Ends often serve as a conveniently observable outlet, but Rudolph doesn't inspire much confidence as a pass catcher. Distinctly over rated I feel.

- D.J. Williams. Conversely, Williams has pretty darn safe hands. Couple that with good run blocking skills and you have the makings of a pretty solid Tight End. Unfortunately he's not the fastest in the world and his run after the catch ability leaves a lot to be desired. He's one of those players who will make a great catch and then disappear under a pile of linebackers.

- Weslye Saunders. Haven't really seen enough of Saunders, but what I did see was about average. Can't make a definitive statement at this stage, but it's likely he'll be just another run of the mill Tight End.

- Lance Kendricks. Very strong, good run blocker, pretty good routes, nice hands and ploughs over people after the catch. My top rated Tight End thus far. Easily out shown the other three above.

Offensive Linemen:
- Nate Solder. I Remember being very impressed with Solder at the combine. Then I watched him in an actual game(s) and was very disappointed. There were some nice flashes at times, but way too many occasions where he just get beaten straight off the snap. I'm not sure how he ended up rated so highly. People must be watching way different tape than me.

- Anthony Castonzo. My lasting memory of watching Castonzo is seeing him get continually beaten around the edge by Robert Quinn. On this evidence, guys like DeMarcus Ware are going to tear him to pieces. I really, really would not want to pick Castonzo.

- Tyron Smith. If I was hauling Smith in for an interview and medical, I'd want his hearing checked because he must be deaf. The guy misses probably 75% of all snaps. God knows what he's waiting for. He's also far too eager to hit the turf and try a cut block when things look a little tough. Very worrying.

- Gabe Carimi. By this point you're probably worried that this isn't the year for Offensive Tackles. But there is hope and Gabe Carimi represents a fair chunk of it. Generally a very solid player, strong, technically sound, and with a surprising burst of speed when he needs it, Carimi is definitely a top tackle. He reminds me a lot of Bryan Bulaga who I was pretty high on in 2010 and who went on to have an excellent season in Green Bay.

- John Moffitt. A guard by trade, Moffitt thoroughly impressed me. Strong, with very good technique, good awareness generally of what was going on around him, and flips his hips into the hole nicely. A great inside talent, I hope Moffitt gets the recognition he deserves.

- Mike Pouncey. The Center for Florida and brother to another famous Center called Pouncey. What surprised me is how little footage there is available, anywhere! The little that I did get to see wasn't all that, but I didn't get a good enough look to make any judgement. I'll have to sit on this one for now.

- Derek Sherrod. Up there with Carimi, easily. These two would probably be my top two tackles. Sherrod was very sound technically, had great awareness of what was happening around him, great footwork, great use of the hands, and just generally a badass Offensive Tackle. Will probably make it out of the first because he doesn't have enough hype, but is easily a first round talent.

- Benjamin Ijalana. I've heard some rave reviews on Ijalana, but I was honestly left unimpressed. Just an average College tackle. Not bad, but nothing special.

- Rodney Hudson. My highest rated inside linemen. Strong, technically very gifted, happily throws himself into blocks and has no fear. Runs like a demon (for an O-linemen) and always seems to have a ton of energy. In my humble opinion, an easy first round pick.

- Stefen Wisniewski. I hate it when players have difficult names. Why can't every player just be called John Smith? Nice and easy. But I digress. Wisnie-whats-his-name is a Guard/Center prospect, who does one thing really well and one thing really badly. Pass Protection; very good, very stout. Run Blocking; terrible, gets dumped most of the time. It's probably just a question of over extending in the run game and with a bit of work could be solved. More of a project though. Would fit the Colts/Texans ideally.

- Orlando Franklin. Excellent Guard. Very stout in both phases, good technique, and has an aggressive streak which I like in an Offensive Linemen. Again I'm not hearing too much about him, but a good player in the making.

- Joel Figueroa. What was I saying earlier about names? Guard, and a very good one at that. Highly likely to go undrafted, you might never even hear his name again, but I was impressed and I hope someone (*cough* 49ers) pick him up and give him a shot.

- Justin Boren. Another potential undrafted Guard. But again I hope he gets a shot. Strong, gets some great leverage at times, and finishes every block hard. I was very impressed.

So that's what I've come up with so far. Now all this throws up something of a problem. Because essentially I'm backing a lot of players who don't get much air time on the networks, while laughing in the face of some of the most touted prospects. Someone has to be wrong. That means I'm either a secret genius of the draft, or I'm a complete raving fool.

I'll let you know the answer just as soon as I finish building my patented death ray...

... and I'll be back either Monday or Tuesday to start giving you my thoughts on the Defensive side of this years draft.

Holding the line

So my mission today should I choose to accept it (which I will) is to convince you that offensive and defensive linemen are more important than highly paid Quarterbacks, Running backs, receivers, linebackers, and pretty much any other position on the field. I feel confident in this mission, so here goes. Running the football: Running the football does not require an 'elite' back. Larry Johnson, now of the Cincinnati Bengals, is 30 years old. His production has waned in recent years, partly due to a Kansas team that has bought into the pass happy mentality of the NFL. Yet for the Bengals he has already busted out a 100 yard rushing game. As has Cedric Benson, considered by many as a flop at his previous team the Chicago Bears. The fact is, the Bengals line are good at run blocking. They are organised, determined and physical, everything a good O-line should be. The reality is that those 5 offensive linemen can, with the help of a tight end, block six defensive linemen/linebackers (leaving one LB on the backside unblocked) and give your running back ample room to move and get going. Most rushing plays that break the line of scrimmage end one of two ways; tackled around the 10-15 yard area or busted for a big gain. Simply put, the linemen get you those first 5-10 yards, then the combination of speed & skill of the RB coupled with position and tackling skills of the secondary get you the rest. Many big runs feature power football, that is the pulling of a guard to lead block for the RB. The guard needs quick feet and good technique, but the rewards of finding such a player are ample. Combined with a big, strong tackle to help seal the edge, they are often the catalyst to most big gains. And your running back really doesn't have to be all that. If the O-line can clear a hole, any reasonably quick player can get through it. Passing game: The passing game starts with the O-line. They block and keep the QB upright. No protection equals no time, which equals bad plays. Rarely does a defensive back make an exceptional play on the ball. 9 times out 10 it's a mis throw by the QB. And the cause of that is usually bad protection. Take Tom Brady for example. Teams have learnt that dropping guys off into coverage rarely stops 'Tom Terrific' for very long. Eventually he will find holes. What they have learnt is that by rushing him hard and getting the blitz going they can force him to make quick decisions, and even Tom Brady isn't unflappable. Even he makes mistakes under pressure. Nearly all humans do. So much of Brady's success lies in the hands of his guys up front. And it's the same for almost all QB's. Now granted there is only so much they can do. If you hold the ball forever then eventually the protection will break down (just ask Aaron Rodgers), but a good O-line provides the extra fractions of a second and the extra comfort that is required for a great passing play to develop properly. Without a good O-line, a good quarterback is nothing more than a target (David Garrard at the Jaguars). Highly paid receivers will do nothing more than run endlessly downfield only to look back and see their leader crushed beneath a pile of opposition jerseys. The O-line creates the time and space, the O-line makes it happen. Defense: As I said earlier, it's uncommon for interceptions to be made due to awesome defensive play. It happens, but mostly they seem to result from bad plays by the QB. Under thrown passes, passes into closed throwing lanes, that kind of stuff. The biggest cause of that is defensive pressure, generated by D-linemen. They sack QBs, stuff runs and force bad throws. In short, everything. A tough Defensive line can shed blocks and close down an oppositions run game. Or they can consume offensive linemen, push them around to close holes and open up areas for the linebackers to get free attacks downhill on the running back. In the pass game they generate pressure off the edge and up the middle, closing the pocket around the QB, denying him the opportunity to step up and make throws. They get hands up to bat down passes. They tug the QB's jersey, strip the ball from his hand or sack the guy. They get hits before and after the throw and generally make his life uncomfortable. D-line are the beating heart of any defense. There is probably many more things that you could go into, but there's no real need. Hopefully these short passages should be enough to convince even some of the more QB friendly among you that good linemen, both offensive and defensive, are worth their weight in gold. They make everything else tick, make everyone else look better than they really are, and generally prop up their football club. Linemen, you have my respect!