Draft preview - offensive line On draft day last year a group of Buccaneer fans began counting down to the 23rd overall selection, not so much counting down until the Buccaneers made a selection it was more to do with the perceived need on the offensive line and the slide of one of the better tackle prospects in the draft, USC’s Winston Justice, when he was still available at 23 most in the room were convinced that Justice was the way that the Buccaneers would go. I actually changed my mind just before the pick was made for one main reason, whichever member of the Buccaneers staff was writing the name on the card did an awful job of covering up the card with his right hand and accompanying super bowl ring. The suspense was ended before the card reached the podium the pick was a lineman just not the expected one. In the last 5 years the Buccaneers have drafted 9 offensive linemen (2 Centres, 4 Guards and 3 Tackles), which has used up a 1st, 2nd. 3rd, 3 x 4th, 2 x 5th and a 7th round pick. Despite that I cant imagine they are entirely happy with the current offensive line so drafting another is not out of the question. Centers The biggest name at this position is USC’s Ryan Kalil, a first round quality lineman but he may find himself going later in the draft due to the belief that you should not really draft a centre in the first round, last year Nick Mangold was probably more complete but Kalil has a lot of promise, he dominates his opponents due to excellent technique he lacks the top end physical attributes that are expected and can be overpowered but if he can continue to bulk up and not lose his quickness he could be special. Maybe a late first or early second round pick. The drop off after Kalil is quite large, Dan Moses (West Virginia) is like a Tesco’s value version of Ryan Kalil, very similar in that he lacks size but has good technique will probably be a late rounder but has the ability to stick on a roster somewhere, he fights hard every down and is a typical overachiever. The book on Hawaii lineman has been the same for many years, you have to teach them to run block but they have the passing protection well drilled, mainly because June Jones never met a pass he didn’t like. This is true for the Warriors lineman Samson Satele, he has played all positions on the line and may be better guard. His biggest criticism appears to be his run blocking and having short arms. Two mid rounder’s who have showed promise are Doug Datish (Ohio State) and Leroy Harris (NC State) both are a little undersized, Datish has never focused on one position as he played guard while Mangold was the starter. Harris has a lot of experience but gets overpowered by the bigger defensive tackles, has good instincts and always finishes on a play. Guards There isn’t anyone who stands out as a dominating guard in this years draft, then again neither Davin Jospeh last year but there was enough information available to say the Buccaneers liked him. Ben Grubbs (Auburn) and Justin Blalock (Texas) are the best, if anyone is going to get called in the first round its one of these two. Blalock is a more physical presence and has the potential to simply run over defensive lineman while blocking, Grubbs is more of an athletic guard with quick feet which as is the case with many converted tight ends. Grubbs doesn’t play with the same killer instinct as Blalock does. Grubbs will be drafted on his potential while Blalock more on his senior production (after he moved from right tackle) both of these have potential to start in the NFL for a long time but they will go late first or early second round and I’m not sure its justifiable to spend another high pick on a guard. After these three we are probably looking at three main mid round prospects in Aaron Sears (Tennessee), Josh Beekman (Boston College) and Marshal Yanda (Iowa). Beekman comes from a school that appears to produce lineman who are ready for the NFL. Different schools excel at producing players at given positions Miami & Linebackers, USC & Safteys, Michigan & Offensive Tackles. Tight Ends & Georgia etc. Well Boston College excel at producing interior offensive lineman, products have included Pete Kendall, Dan Koppen, Tom Nalen, Chris Snee, Ron Stone and Damien Woody. Therefore talking a mid round Boston College guard isn’t the worse idea this coaching staff has ever had. Beekman has great size but he doesn’t really stand out in any area of his game, his all round game is solid and he has the tools to be spectacular if he was a bit more athletic he would be a prized NFL prospect. Despite being from Iowa Yanda reminds me more of a Boston College prospect he is a tough, blue collar, aggressive guard who has simply overachieved throughout his college career and appears to take great delight in burying a defender every chance he gets. The Patriots have built whole lines out of guys like this. Sears might be the most talented of the 3 he is versatile and has played a lot of tackle in the last few seasons, but he really struggles with edge rushers, he has the tools to be dominant on the inside but has never put it all together he doesn’t appear to have the nasty lineman attitude like Yanda does. Sears is a great run blocker and fits much better at guard than tackle will need to work on his pass protection due to a lack of athleticism, but if you want a guard to run block for Cadillac then Sears could fit the bill. Tackles If any position can be called a glamour position on the line it would be offensive tackle or more accurately the left tackle, if your looking to take a tackle high in the draft more than likely it would be a left tackle prospect (Kenyatta Walker?) Joe Thomas (Wisconsin) is obviously the top tackle in this draft, I have always liked Wisconsin linemen (in the same vein as Boston College guards) Wisconsin have produced a lot of backs who have racked up big numbers like Michael Bennett, Ron Dayne and Anthony Davis while reasonably talented backs a lot of there success was based on the dominating offensive line wearing down the d lines they faced. I’m not as high on Thomas as most, he is strong and powerful with a big frame and at times he has dominated edge rushers to such an extent that in the second half they are lining up on the other side of the line. He has short arms and lacks the attitude you look for in your linemen, also a lot of the questions about him are similar to the ones that surrounded Leonard Davis when he entered the draft. I believe that Thomas will be a good tackle for many years in the NFL but if I’m taking a tackle at 4, I want great not good tackle. I want an Orlando Pace or a Walter Jones at 4 and I just don’t think Thomas will be an elite tackle. For me the difference between top 5 pick Joe Thomas and Levi Brown (Penn State) is very little, Brown is big and athletic who lacks a mean streak. He is probably a boom/bust prospect but I see similar promise as I do in Thomas, while Thomas may be a safer pick the potential is very similar, Brown could easily be the best tackle in this draft and probably at about 10 picks later in the draft. The tackle that is rising up the boards is Central Michigan’s Joe Staley, he is a good, smart tackle. He has a huge frame and if he continues to get stronger he could be excellent. Is a good athlete, he ran a 4.8 40, for a 6-5, 300lb man that is certainly moving it. I have a feeling he could be a workout warrior and might be over drafted because of his measurable’s and workout numbers. I have always thought that he was a second round prospect and I still think he is, but in the second round he would be a nice pick up. Will probably end up in the middle of round one. In the mid rounds it difficult to pick out an obvious prospect, Tony Ugoh (Arkansas) who Darren McFadden followed all year long and in doing so was the runner up for the Heismann is a nice pick, but his game doesn’t translate well to the pro, he has the size and quickness to be a success but will probably require a lot of work on his technique. I think that Notre Dame’s Ryan Harris is vastly overrated and last year true freshman Sam Young was probably the better tackle on that team, good mobility but lacks strength at the moment and is to easily controlled and moved by the larger defensive ends. Later round prospects that show potential are Allen Barbre (Missouri Southern State) and Adam Koets (Oregon State). Koets has just about everything needed in a tackle is a smart player and has the potential to dominate, it is his intangibles that are in question and how hard he will work, he also lacks a bit in strength but has the frame to bulk up but it’s just the work ethic that is in question, where in contrast you have a tackle like James Marten (Boston College) a typical BC lineman, tough, hard working, overachiever who lacks the physical tools. He came into replace Trueblood and isn’t quite the same level prospect as the current Buccaneer. Barbre played at a small school so there are questions about his level of competition, but he dominated at division 2, his combine numbers were amazing and looked as good as anyone in the position drills. Could be a small school sleeper in the late rounds but is still a developmental prospect who has. excellent athleticism.