- submitted by Long Ball, DOF

Hello and welcome back to the trenches – it’s that time of year again when old Long Ball takes a long, hard look at the prospects that really make things happen in a football game:  the Big Uglies!  As I stated last year during my analysis, my philosophy has always been that I don’t care if you run a pro-style formation, shot-gun, run-and-shoot, Wildcat (single-wing) or the wishbone . . . . if my big guys whip your big guys, I’m gonna win!

Don’t be surprised if my personal rankings don’t necessarily fall in line with the Big Board (even though I am responsible for the Big Board LOL!)  Let’s start with the high-dollar position of offensive tackle – you know the drill, click and read . . . .

Developing NFL offensive linemen is normally a 2-3 year process – many players’ first starting opportunity is at a position they will not remain, i.e. future LT’s may start at RT, future RT’s may start at OG, etc.  In some instances, a college offensive tackle may struggle in space in the pros, leading to an inside move (Leonard Davis of the Cowboys, for example).

Left tackles are coveted for their ability to protect a QB’s blind-side (given the limited number of left-handed QB’s in the NFL) and must be able to block the opponent’s best pass-rusher, who normally exhibits both speed and power in their respective pass-rush moves.  Therefore, LT prospects will be graded higher in this review.

Bryan Bulaga of Iowa is the best LT prospect in this year’s draft.  The junior declared early, despite missing games early in the season with a thyroid condition.  Fully recovered, this “man among boys” (6’6”, 312 lbs) dominates in both run and pass blocking (Iowa’s strength and conditioning program is second to none in producing quality linemen) and exhibits the best footwork, quickness and speed of the top-ranked OL prospects.  In the games he played, he consistently graded high and is only ranked lower due to games missed last year and his underclassman status.

Russell Okung of Oklahoma State and Anthony Davis of Rutgers are #2 and #2A, depending on a scout’s or coach’s point of view.  Okung (6’5”, 302 lbs), the top-rated tackle on the Big Board, is a solid performer with a great work ethic and attitude.  He lacks strength and can get his pad level too high on pass protection, leans forward too far when aggressively run blocking and does not possess the elite foot speed exhibited by Top 5 OT’s in previous drafts.  Davis (6’6”, 325 lbs) owns the size, strength and athleticism that scouts desire; however, his inconsistent technique, reputation as an underachiever and troubles staying at his ideal playing weight promote a concern of his work ethic once he obtains his big pay-day.

Bruce Campbell (6’7”, 310 lbs), another Maryland “work-out warrior” could develop into a top LT, if he improves his run-blocking technique.  As with most tall linemen, he will lunge as a power drive blocker and lose his balance – he is mobile enough to pull, but also needs to work on cut-blocking.  He excels in pass protection, sets quickly with good knee bend and meets his man with a strong punch (instead of catching him), locks on and moves well laterally, utilizing his length.

I have 3 developmental candidates in my “Rayfield Wright” category (former TE’s with excellent footwork):  Charles Brown (6’5”, 295 lbs) of USC, Jason Fox (6’6”, 314 lbs) of Miami and Selvish Capers (6’5”, 304 lbs) of West Virginia.  All three would benefit from an NFL off-season weight program to fill out their ample frames and build strength.

A prospect that impressed me during Senior Bowl workouts is Rodger Saffold (6’5”, 312 lbs) of Indiana.  I originally had him as a candidate for an inside position, but his battles with Greg Hardy opened my eyes.  He played LT for the Hoosiers for 3 ½ years, so he might make it back outside in the NFL.

On the other side of the line, Trent Williams (6’5”, 308 lbs) of Oklahoma was the only returning starter on the Sooners OL.  He was moved to LT to replace Loadholt, but is a RT at best and probably a candidate to move inside.  He has serious work to do from a technique perspective at the next level and may only be the 2^nd best OG prospect, behind Iupati.

Vladimir Ducasse (6’5”, 322 lbs) of Massachusetts is moving several rungs up the ladder, as the native of Haiti never played football before high school.  He had a rough start to Senior Bowl practices, as Brandon Graham got the best of him during individual drills; however, he improved as the entire line portion of workouts progressed.  He will start inside, but has the potential to work in space.

Do you prefer “Honorable Mention” or “Best of the Rest”?  If you have read this far, vote in the comments and that’s what I will use for the rest of the series – anyway, Kyle Calloway (6’6”, 322 lbs) of Iowa (yeah, what a pair of bookends for the Hawkeyes) and Ciron Black (6’5”, 331 lbs) of LSU are two of the better RT candidates not previously mentioned.

One small school prospect that has received some press due to his size (6’8”, 321 lbs) and speed (4.89 forty) is Jared Veldheer of tiny Hillsdale College.  He will be a RT candidate and a project at that, moving up in class of competition.  A “dark-horse”, developmental type prospect to groom on a practice squad is available in the person of Tony Washington (6’6”, 305 lbs) from Abilene Christian – extremely athletic but raw, having played only one year of high school football.

OK all you draft geeks – have I got ya salivating yet?  Next we will move inside and take a look at guard and center prospects.  To steal a phrase from my English Professor friend Mikey, always remember:  a double negative is a no-no!

The Big Ugly Hisself,

Long Ball