| Authored by Jeff Risdon - 16th March, 2009 - 11:34 am
 Though not as top-heavy as last year’s historic class, this group features several NFL-ready prospects with very good potential. This group is very athletic overall, though some observers lament the lack of a real top-shelf road-grader except Andre Smith, who has other issues. The middle tier has those road-graders but most are either raw or lack the agility and quickness to thrive.
1. Eugene Monroe, Virginia. 6’5”, 309.
Positives: Naturally built like a prototypical tackle--thick legs, long arms, good height, lithe upper-body muscle. Real natural knee bend, very good flexibility for his size. Great footwork, does not take false steps or surrender balance. Has a refined kick step to the outside that helps neutralize speed rushers. Good hand punch, extends his arms and locks in with power. Handles inside bull rushes adeptly, really blunts all momentum. Good leg drive and leverage in run blocking, able to seal open a hole inside or outside. Quick burst off the snap. Plays to the whistle. Has enough functional bulk that he has played RG and RT in short-yardage and played it well. Intelligent off the field with a praised work ethic, well-liked by his teammates and respected by his opponents.
Negatives: Had some issues locating the blitz or finding his assignment on stunts and twists (see FSU game). While he has the athleticism, he doesn’t always locate and engage effectively at the second level on run blocking. Fundamentals break down the further he gets from the line. Not as nasty as some teams prefer from their tackles. Did not impress with his bench reps at the Combine, though he’s never lacked strength or power on the field.
NFL Comparison: Lomas Brown back in the day, Walter Jones
Forecast: Should be in the mix for the #1 overall pick, surefire top 5 pick. The success at T of the man he forced to G at UVA, Branden Albert (1st round to KC last year), gives Monroe an aura of safety and low risk in NFL draft rooms. Can start right away and has as much potential as recent stud rookies Joe Thomas or Ryan Clady.
2. Andre Smith, Alabama. 6’4”, 332.
Positives: Downright fearsome mauler who knows how to use his size to his advantage. Long-armed with a brutal hand punch and great power in his wrists and shoulders. Very strong drive blocker--once he engages a defender in run blocking, that player is eliminated. Decent kick step, shifts his weight to his outside leg well. Moves with surprising fluidity for such a large man, light on his feet and coordinated. Can quickly locate and engage at the second levelVery physically strong and relishes showing it off. Has the nastiness and tenacity many teams love, plays angry and to the whistle every snap. The Bama offense was lousy without him in the Sugar Bowl after being highly efficient and effective all year.
Negatives: His weight has fluctuated, and his performance goes down when his weight goes up. Has shown a tendency to play down to the level of inferior competition. Will get caught at times lunging outside at speed rushers and then get beat by a quick inside move. His hand placement and knee bend are inconsistent in pass protection. And then there’s his well-chronicled Combine train wreck...
NFL Comparison: A less-defined Marcus McNeill with Jeremy Trueblood’s attitude on the field
Forecast: Was in strong consideration for the #1 overall pick before his bizarre, disastrous Combine, where he went AWOL and showed awful judgment and poor maturity. His jiggly pro day did not help matters, though he was “astonishingly impressive” in position drills according to one GM. Has enough talent and positive attributes that he should still wind up in the top 10, but he could slide to the 20s if he doesn’t adequately mollify the non-football concerns.
3. Jason Smith, Baylor. 6’5”, 309.
Positives: Converted TE who did not sacrifice athleticism while adding bulk and moving to tackle. Outstanding feet, has the mirror skills that belong on “how-to” instructional videos. Great balance and leverage when engaged. Extends his arms and hits his hand punch with surprising force. Very good at locating defenders in space and engaging from a position of strength. Faster than most at his position. Is used to playing on an island against top-shelf pass rushers and rarely got beat. Tenacious and competitive, has shown steady and continual improvement. Bright and charismatic, seems to enjoy the trappings of being highly regarded without it inflating his head.
Negatives: Not as naturally strong or bulky as most tackles, particularly in the lower body. He must initiate the contact or he can be knocked back by bull rushes and more powerful players. Almost never pancakes his man. Has little experience blocking down (moving to the inside)--that doesn’t mean he cannot do it, it means he hasn’t been asked to do it.
NFL Comparison: Joe Staley, Levi Jones
Forecast: The more people watch him and get to know him, the higher Smith’s stock soars. The best pass blocking LT in this class, though he’s not ideal for a power-running team. Top 10 pick.
4. Eben Britton, Arizona. 6’6”, 310.
Positives: Powerful athlete with very good balance and leverage. Very quick off the snap and attacks from a position of strength. Very good at sealing the edge. Likes to block inside and can effectively get out to the second level and engage. Real physically strong and wide. Very good hand punch that jars the defender upright, uses proper hand placement. High football IQ. Voted a team captain and his coaches rave about his quiet but solid leadership and character. Has the requisite mean streak to play the right side.
Negatives: Came from a spread offense with a mobile QB that hid his problems, namely a decided lack of lateral agility and foot speed. Does not slide to the outside well. Struggled with speed rushers who can also take it inside. Inconsistent knee bend. If he misses with his hand punch he’s in trouble in pass protect.
NFL Comparison: Jon Jansen
Forecast: In the late 1st-early 2nd round mix. Projects best as a right tackle, which makes him somewhat unique amongst the upper tier tackle prospects in this class and adds to his value.
5. William Beatty, Connecticut. 6’6”, 307.
Positives: Real quick and light on his feet. Very good mirror blocking skills. Has shown the ability to stay in front of speed rushers and hold the edge. Excels in run blocking at finding targets in space and at the second level and engaging. Very long arms and big hands. Fires off the snap every time. Very natural knee bend, stays low very well for a tall man. Very good at sealing the hole, disengaging, and then finding another block. Very fast for his position. Hard worker who learns quickly.
Negatives: Not as physically strong as desired. Lacks the bulk and leg strength to anchor against bull rushes. Will lean too far over his feet, particularly against shorter defenders. Needs work on locking his arms while extended. Was not highly regarded before a stellar senior season, kind of a one-year wonder. Played at a lighter weight (around 290) than he is now, so his recent added bulk might not stick and/or could slow him down. Fronted a lefty QB, so he’s not had to protect a blind side.
NFL Comparison: D’Brickashaw Ferguson
Forecast: Late 1st-Mid 2nd round. Ideal for a zone-blocking scheme and a mobile QB, as Beatty really thrives at run blocking out in space and on the move. If his recent weight gain sticks and doesn’t hurt his quickness, he’ll outplay his draft slot.
6. Michael Oher, Ole Miss. 6’4.5”, 309.
Positives: Extremely quick with an ideal body for the position. Explodes off the snap. Quick hand punch and he squares his body to the target well. Very good at getting to the second level, and he engages with purpose and nastiness downfield. Has tremendous power in his hands and shoulders; once he engages, he eliminates the defender in both run and pass blocking. Good flexibility, has the body characteristics of durability. Pretty good recovery blocker if he gets beat with the first move, uses his length well in that regard. Exceptional at selling the screen and then leading the charge. Has handled the intense scrutiny with a quiet class.
Negatives: Tends to play with lazy feet; reaches and lunges far too often instead of sliding and shuffling his feet. Of greater concern is that he is aware of this but has never really improved it. Often keeps his hands too low and surrenders leverage in run blocking. Very quiet, introspective personality that some coaches will see as apathy or weakness. Very good when his assignments were kept simple, but the few times he was asked to do things out of his comfort zone he struggled; had to be walked through the footwork of pulling inside during Senior Bowl week and never really got it. Has a troubled background, though I do not see that as a real negative.
NFL Comparison: Orlando Pace without refinement
Forecast: Oher is perhaps the most heavily scrutinized, famous lineman to ever enter the draft thanks to The Blind Side. He’s never quite fulfilled the promise but he’s not far away either. Fits into the second half of the 1st round.
7. Jamon Meredith, South Carolina. 6’4.5”, 304.
Summary: Bulky but athletic, with experience playing both G and T. Real good arm extension and strong hand punch. Very physically strong upper body. Good knee bend and hip roll. Keeps his head up and shows good awareness of the defense. Does a good job steering speed rushers way outside when they start tacking that way. Extremely inconsistent performer, particularly in pass protection. Plays with very heavy feet, and he does not move his feet when engaged. Comes out of his stance too tall. Showed an alarming propensity for getting beat inside. Some scouts have questioned his intensity and passion for the game.
Forecast: I’ve talked to teams that believe that all Meredith needs is better coaching and a mentor and he’ll be an All Pro. I’ve also talked to teams that think he’s a 6th lineman who is just the top backup at T and G. Because it only takes one believer, he’ll probably fit in the top half of the 2nd round. He’s in a similar position at this point where Duane Brown was last season, so if another run on tackles creates excitement, Meredith could benefit and fit in the bottom of the 1st. Caveat Draftor.
8. Xavier Fulton, Illinois. 6’4”, 302.
Summary: Converted DT who is still learning the intricacies of the position. Great natural athlete who does a lot of things very well--hand punch, arm extension, knee bend. Quickly developing a nice kick step. Really took to the coaching during Senior Bowl week and showed a strong desire to learn and improve. Better run blocking power and technique than he’s often given credit. Still needs a lot of work on keeping his feet moving and staying in balance while engaged, hand placement (he tends to keep them too low), and recognizing the defensive attack point. Doesn’t have much standout game tape, so teams have to gamble somewhat on his learning curve and aptitude. Struggled during Senior Bowl week against 3-4 rush OLBs.
Forecast: Because he’s new to the position and probably needs a full year of developmental time before he’s NFL-ready, he’s likely to slide much later than what his ceiling would dictate. 4th-5th round, and a patient team could be handsomely rewarded. Throw him out as a rookie and your fan base will not be happy.
9. TJ Lang, Eastern Michigan. 6’4”, 312.
Summary: Thickly built warrior who started all 4 years. Very physical, very nasty, very powerful. Fires off the line and gets low quickly with proper knee bend and hip roll. Good phone-booth pass blocker but struggles kicking outside and does not have good recovery speed. Has a jolting hand punch and good timing with it. Real strong drive blocker who can lead the charge and seal open large holes. Did not fare well against quicker ends, though to be fair he played at a program that would struggle to win 5 games at the D-II level and got little help. Lacks ideal arm length, and he needs to learn to grab less and extend his arms more quickly. Probably best served as an NFL guard, but he can fit at RT for power-oriented teams. Impressed at the Texas vs. the Nation game with his tenacity, leadership, and brute power in run blocking. 4th-5th round.
10. Jason Watkins, Florida. 6’5.5”, 318.
Summary: Highly-regarded athlete with a great physique for the position. Strong in both upper and lower body, and it’s functional strength. Very adept at kick stepping outside and sliding his feet quickly to maintain a strong base. Has shown the ability to mirror block well. Good at getting to the second level and engaging, appears to be in synch with what the runner wants to see. Has played both LT and RT. Handles outside speed rushers well, but is vulnerable to outside-in moves. Rarely gets his arms to full extension, though when he does he locks well and can move without losing his leverage. Plays very upright far too often. Not real aggressive. Can be slow to fire off from the snap. Had a lot of missed pass blocks covered by a big, mobile QB (Tim Tebow). Many observers question his passion and drive. Looked better as a junior than as a senior, when he appeared more sluggish and often looked like he was trying to not get hurt.
Forecast: Watkins is a player who has very high potential but also carries significant risk of not earning a second contract. Those players typically wind up in the 3rd and early 4th rounds.
11. Gerald Cadogan, Penn State. 6’5”, 309.
Summary: I’ll quote a veteran NFL scout who has scouted him extensively: “If that kid ever figures out how to use all his tools he’s going to be real dangerous. But right now his toolbox is real unorganized.” Very athletic, light-on-his-feet tackle with good lateral quickness and tenacity. Plays extremely upright and has no consistent mechanics at all. Sometimes his feet are great and he gets arm extension; others he is straight up and short-armed. It often appears he’s either never been coached or is completely impervious to coaching. When he uses proper technique he’s often very good at both run and pass blocking, but there is no rhyme or rhythm to his game from play to play.
Forecast: See Jason Watkins, though Watkins has played more consistently at a higher level than Cadogan did in college.
12. Troy Kropog, Tulane
Summary: Long, smooth athletic type with good feet and a natural flexibility. Quick and effective kick step. Identifies blitzes quickly and has the agility to react. Decent downfield blocker, finds targets in space well. Does not play with power. Lacks upper body strength, and he compounds it by not extending his arms well. Relies almost exclusively on being quicker than the opponent, but the jump from C-USA to the NFL in terms of speed and quickness of DEs and LBs is huge. Looked overmatched at times during Senior Bowl week, could not sustain blocks or handle countermoves well.
Forecast: 4th-5th round to a zone blocking team that can use his agility.
13. Augustus Parrish, Kent State. 6’4”, 302.
Summary: Long-limbed, long-time starter with very good lateral agility and power. Moves his feet very well, keeping balanced and shoulders square to the defender. Natural knee bend and very loose hips. Fires off the snap and gets good arm extension and hand placement. Plays with a lot of passion and snarl. Despite having pretty quick feet, can be lumbering and doesn’t always play at full speed. Has some conditioning issues; cramped up at the Combine and battled weight during his college career. Had lots of trouble with quick ends who could go inside or outside, but generally devoured more one-dimensional rushers. Will step into the bucket and lunge back inside instead of properly sliding and sealing. Not good on screens.
Forecast: 4th-5th rounder who probably best fits as a swing G/T and short-yardage mauler.
14. Lydon Murtha, Nebraska.
The workout wonder of the Combine surprised many, though he was once a top-shelf recruit. Never really found a position at Nebraska while fighting through all sorts of injuries to all sorts of body parts. Tremendously athletic and versatile. Tenacious and has a nasty streak. Showed solid ability to seal the edge and drive his man backwards and outside to create running lanes. Inconsistent mechanics, bends at the hips too often. Surrenders balance by lunging if he misses his initial thrust. Can be slow to react to what’s happening around him. Fails to consistently get low enough, will get jolted up and back by more powerful defenders.
Forecast: His injury history and lack of consistent fundamentals will water down his near-freakish athletic prowess. 6th-7th rounder that a team will pray can stay healthy and mature into the stud RT everyone expected when he arrived in Lincoln.
15. Cornelius Lewis, Tennessee State.
Wide-bodied mauler who plays with great power and physicality. Excellent drive blocker who can get to the second level effectively. Really blunts bull rushes and blocks down well. Plays with attitude. Not real quick, and his footwork needs some polish. Will lean outside at times instead of moving his feet. Was dismissed from Florida State after his freshman year and carries some character concerns, though people I’ve talked to that know him say he’s matured. Might be a better NFL guard. 5th-6th round.
16. Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma.
Giant (6’8”, 332) mauler whose stock has plummeted. Has proven he can be a dominant run blocker at times, real pancake machine who loves to brawl. Has great strength at full arm extension. Has the skillset of a guard, but he’s probably too tall and plays too upright to capably fit inside. Lacks lateral agility and quickness, which exacerbates his issues with recognizing blitzes and identifying his target. Thinks he’s better than he is. His sheer size and the hyped potential he has flashed will get him drafted in the 4th/5th round as a RT.
17. Ramon Foster, Tennessee.
Another big ole boy (6’5”, 328) who plays with great power and is an experienced, effective run blocker. Real strong drive blocker who can steer his man. Has worked hard on his kick step and improved his lateral agility. Can slide one step either way under control and in balance, but beyond that he really lumbers and struggles. Not the most athletically gifted physique. Struggles to find targets at the second level or while moving, which sort of precludes a move inside to RG. Tended to play to the level of competition at school. 6th-7th round RT prospect though he’ll likely be drafted a lot higher than that.
18. Sam Allen, Grand Valley State--6’6”, 295 pound D-II stud looking to make the big jump. I’m one of the few who has actually seen him play. A little on the light side, and he plays too tall in run blocking, but he has coachable potential and very good pass blocking technique. If he can add 10-15 pounds and not lose his explosiveness off the line or agility, he’s a real diamond in the rough. 7th round/UDFA and one of my favorite sleepers in this draft.
19. Fenuki Tupou, Oregon--Very large, physical drive blocker. Real powerful with a great initial punch. Plays with passion and spirit. Has a nice kick step. Shows quick feet at times but gets caught flat-footed too often. Too willing to absorb contact, does not extend his arms consistently. Struggles to find targets of the line. Lunges way too much, surrenders balance and leverage too readily. At times looks like a very good prospect, but at times really struggles to look like a competent college starter. 6th-7th rounder with some promise for a team with an OL coach that connects with him.
20. Chris Kemme, Akron--4-year starter and genuine mauler with good size and strength. Strictly a RT or perhaps RG in the NFL, plays with heavy feet and will never have much agility. The kind of player teams use in short-yardage as an extra TE or inside for power running sets. He gets knocked for his pass protection, but I would encourage those folks to watch him against NIU and Larry English, where Kemme more than held his own. 7th round/UDFA.
Others
Sebastian Vollmer, Houston--very tall (6’7”+) prospect from a pass-happy system where he operated out of a 2-point stance. Has some upside with his size and experience but has not consistently displayed the functional athleticism or passion to merit more than a late-round flyer.
Alex Boone, Ohio State--how the mighty have fallen. Last June he was in the top 20 of my preseason Top 103 but played his way off the list. Great size and tremendous power and ferocity, but his feet are lead and his legs never bend. Carries some significant personal baggage, including a recent arrest for an alcohol-related offense that indicates his maturity didn’t stick.
Joel Bell, Furman--Real athletic, quick small-school stud who got away with a lot of bad habits (plays real upright and doesn’t shift his weight properly) and was still successful at the FCS level. Will get drafted in the 6th-7th round but needs some developmental coaching.
Garrett Reynolds, North Carolina--real tall RT prospect who lacks sand in the pants and gets by on giving maximum effort to the whistle on every snap. Coaches will love him and that might get him drafted in the late realms and stick for a year or two. If he can add lower body strength and learn to anchor and get leverage in run blocking, he’s a find. That’s a lot of “ifs”.
Andrew Gardner, Georgia Tech--would be rated as a 3rd/4th rounder if not for a torn labrum his senior season. Recovery status unknown.
Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com
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