McShay: First Round could be Loaded with OTs

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Seven of the 31 (23 percent) first-round picks in 2008 were offensive tackles, including Jake Long, whom Miami selected first overall. And that's not even factoring 15th overall pick Branden Albert, who started 15 games at left tackle for Kansas City last year, because he primarily lined up at guard in college.

There isn't a prospect who stands out like Long did last year and this class isn't as top-heavy in terms of talent, so don't expect to see so many tackles getting drafted in the first round. On the other hand, Eugene Monroe, Jason Smith, Andre Smith and Michael Oher all project as first-round picks, so there is an excellent chance more offensive tackles come off the board in the first round this year than in 2006 and 2007.

Monroe, Jason Smith and Andrew Smith are the front-runners in the competition to become the first tackle off the board. While Monroe is the most polished pass-blocker among the three, Jason Smith is a former tight end who has a great deal of upside. He's shot up draft boards this year and could climb even higher with a strong showing at the combine.

Andre Smith, meanwhile, is trying to right the ship. His problems holding up against athletic and quick edge rushers (see Florida MLB Brandon Spikes in the SEC championship game) caused his stock to drop late in the season. Alabama's suspending him for the Sugar Bowl for improper dealings with an agent doesn't help either, so it's important that he makes a strong, positive impression on teams during the combine's interview process.

At this point, Oher is expected to come off the board after the top three because he is raw and may be a better fit at right tackle than left tackle. Still, there's no denying he has the physical tools to develop into an NFL starter on one side or the other.

There is a noticeable drop in talent after the top four, but there are still some interesting prospects in the middle to late rounds, including William Beatty and Andrew Gardner. Though he needs to bulk up and do a better job of sinking his hips in pass protection, Beatty has the length scouts look for at left tackle and he flashed above-average foot speed at the Senior Bowl. Gardner started the first 48 games of his career before a torn labrum in his left shoulder forced him to undergo season-ending surgery in 2008 and his stock has dipped accordingly. An excellent pass-blocker before the injury, Gardner could prove to be a steal in the later rounds if the shoulder is healthy.

Another tackle worth mentioning here is Sebastian Vollmer. Vollmer turned some heads at the East-West Shrine game and he moves well for his size. In fact, we think a team could take him early on Day 2, so we were surprised to see his name left off the official invitation list.

Sliding to the inside, a guard has been drafted in the first round in each of the past four drafts, but look for that trend to come to a screeching halt this year. In fact, there is an excellent chance the first guard doesn't come off the board until the third round. Though his versatility combined with quick feet and a strong punch could make him a second-round pick, Jamon Meredith projects as a tackle even though he can play guard.

The top three guard prospects are Duke Robinson, Andy Levitre and Tyronne Green, who could all go in the third round. The 335-pound Robinson is a throwback interior offensive lineman, which is to say he is a tenacious run-blocker who plays with an edge and thrives at driving defenders off the ball. At 6-foot-2, Levitre just isn't long enough to line up at tackle in the NFL, so he will slide inside, where his quick feet should help him a great deal. Green opened some eyes at the Senior Bowl after flying under the radar on a disappointing Auburn team last year.

At center, Alex Mack and Max Unger clearly struggled with our No. 1 defensive tackle prospect, B.J. Raji, at the Senior Bowl, but Mack played well enough to distinguish himself and move into the No. 1 center spot heading into the combine. He is a technician capable of pushing for a starting job on Day 1 and he could go as early as late in the first round, a lá 2006 Jets first-round pick Nick Mangold, who was the last center to get drafted in the first round. As Mack's star is rising, Unger's stock is heading in the opposite direction. It became clear in Mobile that he needs to improve his footwork before pushing for a starting role and he now projects as a late second-round pick.

Ranking the OL at the NFL scouting combine
Player Pos. School Ht. Wt. Grade
1. Eugene Monroe OT Virginia 6-5⅛ 310 97
2. Jason Smith OT Baylor 6-4½ 300 96
3. Andre Smith OT Alabama 6-4⅞ 341 95
4. Michael Oher OT Mississippi 6-5 309 93
5. Alex Mack C Cal 6-4⅛ 312 90
6. Jamon Meredith OT South Carolina 6-4¾ 289 83
7. Eben Britton * OT Arizona 6-5½ 310 82
8. Phil Loadholt OT Oklahoma 6-8 347 81
9. Max Unger C Oregon 6-4¾ 299 80
10. William Beatty OT Connecticut 6-6 291 77
11. Duke Robinson OG Oklahoma 6-5½ 335 76
12. Andy Levitre OG Oregon State 6-2⅜ 306 75
13. Johnathan Luigs C Arkansas 6-3⅜ 302 71
14. Tyronne Green OG Auburn 6-1⅝ 305 70
15. Augustus Parrish OT Kent State 6-4⅛ 297 69
16. Kraig Urbik OG Wisconsin 6-5⅜ 323 68
17. Fenuki Tupou OT Oregon 6-5⅜ 328 67
18. Antoine Caldwell C Alabama 6-3⅜ 307 67
19. Louis Vasquez OG Texas Tech 6-4¾ 330 65
20. Eric Wood C Louisville 6-4⅛ 304 63
21. Troy Kropog OT Tulane 6-5⅜ 316 62
22. Trevor Canfield OG Cincinnati 6-4½ 311 62
23. Herman Johnson OG LSU 6-7⅜ 382 61
24. Ramon Foster OG Tennessee 6-5 338 59
25. Alex Boone OT Ohio State 6-7⅜ 330 56
26. Anthony Parker OG Tennessee 6-1⅞ 310 53
27. Xavier Fulton OT Illinois 6-4½ 301 51
28. Greg Isdaner * OG West Virginia 6-4 322 51
29. Matt Slauson OG Nebraska 6-5 318 48
30. Jason Watkins OT Florida 6-6 317 47
31. Gerald Cadogan OT Penn State 6-5⅛ 309 46
32. Andrew Gardner OT Georgia Tech 6-6 302 43
33. Edwin Williams C Maryland 6-2⅜ 311 42
34. Travis Bright OG BYU 6-4⅜ 316 41
35. Cornelius Lewis OT Tennessee State 6-3⅝ 324 40
36. Andy Kemp OG Wisconsin 6-5 315 39
37. Lydon Murtha OT Nebraska 6-7 307 32
38. Ray Feinga OG BYU 6-4 336 31
39. A.Q. Shipley C Penn State 6-0⅝ 297 31
40. Jose Valdez OT Arkansas 6-4⅝ 318 30
41. Joel Bell OT Furman 6-6⅞ 312 30
42. Maurice Miller OT Mississippi 6-3¼ 307 30
43. Garrett Reynolds OT North Carolina 6-7⅞ 310 30
44. Seth Olsen OT Iowa 6-4¾ 304 30
45. Robert Brewster OT Ball State 6-4½ 319 30
46. Kyle Link OT McNeese State 6-4¾ 298 30
47. Ryan McKee OT Southern Miss 6-5¼ 291 30
48. Roger Allen OG Missouri Western 6-3 322 30
49. Pauliasi Fanaika OG Arizona State 6-5⅜ 337 30
50. C.J. Davis OG Pittsburgh 6-2¼ 307 30
51. Jaimie Thomas OG Maryland 6-4 331 30
52. Brandon Walker OG Oklahoma 6-3 305 30
53. Charles Helms C LSU 6-1⅞ 282 30
54. Jon Cooper C Oklahoma 6-2 275 30
55. Alex Fletcher C Stanford 6-2⅝ 302 30
56. Robert Bruggeman C Iowa 6-3 288 30
57. Robby Felix C UTEP 6-3⅛ 292 30
58. Juan Garcia C Washington 6-2¼ 311 30
* Denotes junior prospect

Top 5 OL not invited to combine
Player Pos. School Ht. Wt. Grade
1. Sebastian Vollmer OT Houston 6-7¼ 314 70
2. Cedric Dockery OG Texas 6-3¼ 314 52
3. Dallas Reynolds OT BYU 6-4⅛ 314 36
4. Cecil Newton C Tennessee State 6-2⅛ 294 36
5. Ryan Stanchek OG West Virginia 6-3⅛ 306 36

Day 1 OL in 2008 NFL draft
Player Position School NFL team Round (Overall)
1. Jake Long OT Michigan Miami Dolphins 1 (1)
2. Ryan Clady OT Boise State Denver Broncos 1 (12)
3. Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt Chicago Bears 1 (14)
4. Branden Albert OG Virginia Kansas City Chiefs 1 (15)
5. Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College Detroit 1 (17)
6. Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh Carolina Panthers 1 (19)
7. Sam Baker OT USC Atlanta 1 (21)
8. Duane Brown OT Virginia Tech Houston 1 (26)
9. Chilo Rachel OG USC San Francisco 49ers 2 (39)
10. Mike Pollak C Arizona State Indianapolis Colts 2 (59)

The following is a graphic representation of the number of offensive linemen selected in each round of the previous three NFL drafts. Most NFL teams use this type of chart to study position trends when setting up their respective draft boards each year.

Offensive Tackles
Round 2008 2007 2006 Average
1 7 3 1 3.7
2 1 1 4 2
3 2 4 3 4
4 7 2 3 4
5 2 2 4 2.7
6 2 5 2 3
7 8 5 3 5.3
Total 29 22 20 23.7

Offensive Guards
Round 2008 2007 2006 Average
1 1 1 1 1
2 1 2 2 1.6
3 2 1 2 1.6
4 1 4 4 3
5 1 2 3 2
6 1 1 4 2
7 2 2 6 3.3
Total 9 13 22 14.6

Centers
Round 2008 2007 2006 Average
1 0 0 1 0.3
2 0 2 2 1.3
3 0 0 0 0
4 0 1 0 0.3
5 0 1 0 0.3
6 2 2 2 2
7 0 0 3 1
Total 2 6 8 5.3

Todd McShay is the director of college football scouting for Scouts Inc. He has been evaluating prospects for the NFL draft since 1998.