Month: March 2010

2010 NFL Draft Coverage – Offensive Tackle Preview

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The NFL draft moves to primetime for the first time in 2010. The first round will be in PRIMETIME, and takes place on Thursday April 22nd at 7:30 p.m. ET. The NFL Draft second and third rounds are on Friday April 23 at 6 p.m. ET. Rounds Four thru Seven will be held on Saturday April 24th at 10 a.m. ET.

With all that said the 2010 NFL Draft is rapidly coming up on us and our College football handicapping expert James Hayes has begun analyzing player data from the Combine and PRO workout days. He’s begun writing his online NFL draft position by position scouting reports.

Onto the 2010 Offensive Lineman – Offensive Tackle Rankings – (OT Ratings)

RUSSELL OKUNG, Oklahoma State

While others may have bulged eyeballs at the Combine or enticed scouts with various measurables, Okung is singularly the best tackle in the 2010 class. At 6”5, 300 lbs, he has the right amount of size for the NFL, given his prodigious athletic talents. Particularly at tackle, Okung’s long arms are a tremendous asset. He could start for a team at left tackle from day one; in addition to looking the part, Okung did a great job protecting Cowboys’ pivot Zac Robinson over the years. He made 34 straight starts for Oklahoma State and given that his size is merely adequate – not supreme – he’s a surprisingly physical run blocker. Okung should be a top five pick.

BRYAN BULAGA, Iowa

People think about offensive tackles from Iowa and the first guy that comes to mind is Robert Gallery; they subsequently start quaking in their boots. Bulaga, however, projects as a very solid NFL player. At 6”6, 312, he plays with excellent functional strength and has a knack for generating leverage by getting low. Like a lot of Big Ten offensive lineman, Bulaga is a great technician who uses his hands well. In conference play the past couple seasons, if Bulaga locked onto a guy, the battle was over. He doesn’t have the fantastic athleticism of Okung or Maryland’s Bruce Campbell, but Bulaga should be a joy to coach and will seldom look foolish in the NFL. If Okung is off the board when the K.C. Chiefs pick at five, Bulaga would fill a need for them.

BRUCE CAMPBELL, Maryland

Campbell catapulted his stock by blowing scouts on their keesters at the Combine. He is a hulking 6”7, 310 lbs, yet apparently ran a mind-blowing 4.78 forty-yard dash (he is officially clocked at 4.85 seconds on NFL.com, which is still ridiculous for a man that size). Campbell buttressed that performance with a respectable 34 reps on the bench. The man is clearly an athletic specimen and scouts also love his fluidity; he moves his hips and shoulders very well. Campbell is the type of player traditionally right in the Oakland Raiders’ wheelhouse. Despite injury concerns, he could quite possibly go to Oakland with the eighth overall pick.

TRENT WILLIAMS, Oklahoma

The Sooners’ veteran tackle was another player to vastly increase his stock at the Combine. In the forty-times, Williams was on Bruce Campbell’s tail, blazing a 4.88 going at 6”5, 315 lbs. Williams has the ability to add more bulk with an NFL weight-training program and might be better suited playing right tackle at the next level. He is an instinctive player that hones his craft with balance and dexterity. In college, he was able to handle elite speed off the edge, which makes Williams versatile to potentially play either side. Scouts have described that “once [Williams] smells blood, he gets nastier.” High praise; this bundle of traits will get Williams drafted in the first round in a deep OT pool.

ANTHONY DAVIS, Rutgers

Unlike the other top tier candidates, Davis’ reputation has stagnated somewhat after uninspired Combine efforts and poor interviews. Yet, he is still in elite company in terms of talent and potential. The Scarlet Knight is plenty stout at 6”5, 323 lbs. Davis is adept at getting to the second level and playing in space. He can be overwhelming with run blocking when he wants to be, but it seems like he turns it on and off a little more frequently than those who project higher than him. A poor work ethic and a questionable love for the game will scare some teams away, but Davis is still an athletic gem with tremendous upside. He’ll be a first or very early second-round pick.

Honorable Mention: JASON FOX, Miami-Fl: Observers have long raved about Fox’s (a former TE) athleticism. It should be enough to put him on someone’s radar.

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