BU54

March 19, 2007
Thomas the top offensive tackle in draft
By Vic Carucci/NFL.com


One man's ranking of the top five offensive tackles in the NFL draft:

1. Joe Thomas, Wisconsin

Positives: Size (6-foot-6-plus, 311 pounds), strength and remarkable athleticism for such a big man. ... Gets good knee bend for superior leverage over his opponent. ... Tremendous footwork and mobility to leave his stance and get in front of a speedy defensive end. ... Excellent power that allows him to lock on to a defender and eliminate him from a play.

Negatives: Almost none for a player who could very well end up as the first or second overall pick of the draft, but he could make a little more use of his physical dominance and be a little less of a positional blocker.

2. Levi Brown, Penn State

Positives: Size (6-5-plus, 323 pounds), strength and incredible athleticism. ... Quickness off the snap. ... Superior position blocker. ... Can get enough leverage to dominate in pass protection. ... Has the ability to be consistently strong when blocking for the run.

Negatives: Needs to become more aggressive and show a bit more consistency in his work ethic, a flaw that the right NFL offensive line coach can solve.

3. Tony Ugoh, Arkansas

Positives: Size (6-5-plus, 301 pounds), strength and quickness. ... Good footwork and agility. ... Able to come out of his stance quickly and gain favorable position against speedy defensive ends. ... Has enough power and balance to maintain his ground against a bull rush.

Negatives: Needs to be more aggressive. ... Must develop more answers to a speed rusher's counter moves and remain more persistent in holding off the second effort of a bull rusher. ... Suffered a pulled quadriceps while running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and, as a result, was unable to participate in Arkansas' Pro Day on March 13.

4. Ryan Harris, Notre Dame

Positives: Size (6-4-plus, 305 pounds), strength, athleticism. ... Excellent mobility. ... Does a nice job of getting outside against speedy pass rushers. ... Has the ability to dominate, provided he is technically sound.

Negatives: Must become far more aggressive and make better use of his natural power. ... Needs to show greater competitiveness. ... Underwent back surgery on July 27, but did play in every game as a senior.

5. Joe Staley, Central Michigan

Positives: Size (6-5-plus, 305 pounds), speed, athleticism. ... Outstanding footwork. ... Good instincts and awareness, especially against blitzes and stunts. ... Does a nice job of working with other linemen on combination blocks.

Negatives: Needs to get stronger. ... Must work on bending knees more often to gain better leverage. ... Limited exposure to top-level opponents.

LINK
Thomas the top offensive tackle in draft - Chicago Bears

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Professor

I could see Harris being a Guard in the NFL, so I wouldn't classify him on this list. Take him off and move each up one and then Add Doug Free from Northern Illinois. He is as big as any of the other guys and has some good talent.

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blkwdw13

After seeing who wrote it I see why they have Staley so low, he is definitely the third best OT in the draft and might even be better than Brown.

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Professor

Staley has all the tools, but played bums in college. I don't know if I could spend a top 10-15 pick on a guy that really you have nothing to go on. I do think that he is a better prospect that ugoh, but he faced better talent and is very quick.

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gruntbygod

So did Larry Allen.

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Professor

I do see the analogy, but you cannot compare Allen to Staley at this point.

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Professor

Also Larry Allen was about 20-25 lbs. heavier than Staley is.

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gruntbygod

Allen also came out as a tackle, and while he played well their, he made his mark as a Guard.

But my point is, I dont really buy into the low level competion thing. Sure it makes alot of sence, but their is a VAST amount of players that excel in the NFL after playing inferior competition in college. Hell, I dont even think Allen played 1AA, Sonama State may be division II

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J-Unit

Yeh Rashean Mathis played at Bethune-Cookman and look at him. I have heard that Harris as struggeled against top-notch defensive linemen. I would probably drop him and move up Staley.

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