The 2011 NFL Draft is approaching and one of the things on peoples minds is “who is my team going to draft?” This Draft once again has some good prospects at the offensive line; however, this draft doesn’t have that big name pick such as Jake Long, Joe Thomas and Micheal Oher that everyone wants. That however doesn’t mean these players can’t be molded into very good offensive linemen.
Anthony Castonzo:
School-Boston Collage
Height- 6’7″
Weight- 311 lbs
Arm Length- 34 1/2 in.
Hand Size- 10 5/8 in.
Strengths- Possesses the ideal height for an offensive tackle and has great feet. Anthony who has over 50 starts in his career at Boston Collage is smart, tough and a hard worker. His great feet and his big frame allow him to stop the speed rushers
Weaknesses- He needs to improve bulk. While in pass protection, he can be caught dipping his head and can be beat by a strong pass rush move or a bull rush. He also doesn’t push people off the line in a running game.
Gabe Carimi:
School- Wisconsin
Height- 6’7″
Weight- 314 lbs
Arm Length- 35 in.
Hand Size- 10 3/8 in.
Strengths- He is a massive tackle that plays mean and looks to dominate the opposing player. Carimi is able to recognize the blitz and adjusts quickly. He has a strong first punch and locks his arms to prevent any pass rush moves.
Weaknesses- Carimi doesn’t drop his hips which causes him to lose leverage and has sloppy footwork in pass protection.
Mike Pouncey:
School- Florida
Height- 6’5″
Weight- 303 lbs
Arm Length- 32 1/4 in.
Hand Size- 9 3/4 in.
Strengths-Pouncey has great size and speed for an interior offensive linemen compared to his twin brother Maurkise who was drafted by the Steelers in last years draft. Mike has shown elite awareness and discipline, has much experience at both guard and center and uses a quick first step for sound positioning in the running game.
Weaknesses- Pouncey struggled with the shotgun snap at the start of his senior season, he can be beat by the bull rush and struggled in the running game when put against a heavier opponent.
Derek Sherrod:
School- Mississippi St.
Height- 6’5″
Weight- 321 lbs
Arm Length- 35 3/8 in.
Hand Size- 11 in.
Strengths- Sherrod has a nice combination of height and mobility. He uses his long reach to push rushers away from the pocket, uses good positioning to wall off defenders in the running game and is effective in combo blocking.
Weaknesses- Sherrod needs to bulk up his frame since he can be beat by the bull rush, violent moves, and stunts/twists. He won’t get much movement off the line and doesn’t play with nastiness.
Tyron Smith:
School- USC
Height- 6’5″
weight- 307 lbs
Arm Length- 36 3/8 in.
Hand Size- 11 in.
Strengths-Smith possesses the ideal height and length combined with the rare speed and mobility for an offensive tackle. He sinks his hips to stop the bull rush he moves his feet well to counter the quicker speed rushers and has a mean streak.
Weaknesses- Smith is another player that would benefit from adding bulk to his frame. He also doesn’t have the natural football instincts, overall awareness and doesn’t recognize the blitz as quickly as you would like to see.
Nate Solder:
School- Colorado
Height- 6’8″
Weight- 319 lbs
Arm Length- 35 1/2 in.
Hand Size- 9 7/8 in.
Strengths- Solder possesses a rare combination of height, length, and impressive mobility. His frame and long arms make it difficult for rushers to get around him and he uses his huge wingspan to navigate defenders. Solder gets off the ball quickly, he has good power in the running game and has outstanding awareness
Weaknesses- Solder again would benefit from adding bulk to his frame. He also needs to watch his balance when facing edge rushers with speed and power moves. Furthermore he also needs to be a bit more consistent when facing stunts and twist. I would also like to see him play with a mean streak for all four quarters.
Comparing these future players to young current players
Jake Long:
School- Michigan
Height- 6’7″
Weight- 315 lbs
Arm Length- 35 3/4 in.
Hand size- 10 1/4 in.
Strengths- Long has a thick frame, good upper-body muscle tone, long arms, wide hips, thick thighs and calves. He is technically sound and a natural leader.
Weaknesses- Long is a little tight in his hips, lacks ideal lateral agility in slide kick slide and has trouble when immediately needing to change direction.
Michael Oher:
School- Mississippi
Height- 6’5″
Weight- 309 lbs
Arm Length- 33 1/2 in.
Hand Size- 10 3/8
Strengths- Oher has a perfect left tackle build, good height and excellent athleticism. He has girth in the lower body and uses long arms to lock out defenders.
Weaknesses- Oher only 3 years at the left tackle position and is a better pass blocker then a run blocker. He also needs better consistency using his punch.
Many of the the offensive line prospects have the same measurables to some of the best in the NFL right now. In this Draft it has been said that it does not have those elite offensive linemen we have seen in the past few years, but that has yet to be seen. Take Your Pick.
