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2011 NFL Draft Predictions – Interior Lineman Rankings

The 2011 NFL Draft is rapidly coming up on us, and James Hayes brings you his projections. Read on for the top Interior Offensive Linemen in the 2011 NFL Draft….

2011 NFL Draft Coverage – Offensive Lineman Preview (Interior)

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The NFL draft moves to primetime for the second time in 2011. The first round will be in PRIMETIME, and is scheduled to take place Thursday, April 28, 2011; the second and third rounds on Friday, April 29; and the final four rounds on Saturday, April 30, 2011.

The Panthers with the worst record for 2010 have the right to the 1st pick in 2011. Note: A provision in the current NFLPA-CBA ensures that this draft will still take place even with the current labor dispute.

Offensive Line Rankings (Interior Lineman, Guards/Centers)

MIKE POUNCEY, Florida
6”5, 305 lbs

Pouncey, whose twin brother Maurkice is already a starter on the Super Bowl-attending Pittsburgh Steelers (he came out for the Draft one year earlier than Mike) has the versatility to play guard or center, though he rates better at guard. Like his brother, he has tremendous strength, athleticism and aggression at the point of attack. The Pounceys both combine the traits one needs to be a successful NFL lineman fluently. Pouncey should be off the board in the first round.

May remind you of: Maurkice Pouncey, Steelers (this one was too easy)

MARCUS CANNON, TCU
6”6, 358 lbs

The gargantuan Cannon would be great at guard and could maybe play right tackle too. Most players who are over 350 are just too fat in the NFL, but Cannon moves well and impressed scouts in the Combine drills. His strength is, obviously, top notch. A 5.2 second 40-yard dash is quite remarkable for a man up over 350 lbs. He was considered a second or third-round pick, but the great showing on the tests have probably bumped that up to a solid Round 2 pick.

May remind you of: Leonard Davis, Cowboys

RODNEY HUDSON, Florida State
6”2, 299 lbs

People have known that Hudson is an elite-level college guard for a long time at FSU. He didn’t blow people away with Combine measurements – he actually is rather slow for a man under three bills – but Hudson had a phenomenal Senior Bowl and has blown open holes both in that game and throughout his career for the ’Noles. He has the versatility to play left or right guard. Hudson’s footwork stands out, and though he is a small NFL offensive lineman these days, scouts still see him as a Round 2 selection.

May remind you of: Antoine Caldwell, Texans

CLINT BOLING, Georgia
6”5, 315 lbs

Boling brings experience to the table – he started all four years for the Bulldogs and split time between guard and tackle. He’s not the quickest player, but he is strong as a bull. He is an intuitive, aware player who excels at in-line blocking and made that abundantly clear with his Senior Bowl performance. Georgia wasn’t always the best running team, but Boling was the star that stood out on that unit. Boling will be more effective at run blocking than pass blocking. He projects as a likely third-round selection.

May remind you of: Jake Scott, Titans

JOHN MOFFITT, Wisconsin
6”4, 319 lbs

Moffitt was another key component of an excellent Badgers O-line and has versatility to play guard or center. He possesses power, he stays low, gets good leverage and is a great drive blocker. He packs a forceful punch that can potentially stymie NFL D-lineman. He is not an elite athlete and can be beat with quickness, yet Moffitt shows enough tools to be a respectable pro on the interior OL.

May remind you of: Chris Snee, Giants

Honorable Mention: Danny Watkins, Baylor The only red flag with Watkins – and it’s a pretty major one – is that he’s 27 years old. He looks like a possible second round pick, but will teams be scared off?

By James Hayes

James has been naming every player on the EA Sports video game rosters for half a decade now, he’s finally putting his knowledge to better use writing for us here at CappersPicks.com. Your comments are welcome below…Give Us Your Take!