ChiefsPlanet - View Single Post - The Long, Slow, Arduous Bataan Death March To Drafting OL On May 8th

Direckshun · 01-06-2014, 09:23 PM

OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan

Taylor Lewan has a ton of potential. To drop in the Draft, that is.

I just never got the hype with this guy. This is somebody everybody had flagged a potential Top 10 guy, but all I see is a dirty, unathletic, and sure-to-be physically overmatched tackle in the NFL. He isn't even a technician. What do people see in the guy?

Well, he's 6'8", but he lumbers like a brontosaurus. He's not going to be the guy you send to the next level to take out Vontaze Burfict or Derrick Johnson. He's just the guy you can sort of trust at right tackle with minimal double team help.

He's also a three-year starter at LT in the Big 10, and that is legitimately saying something. I'd probably take him in the 2nd round if I was hurting for tackle help, maybe. He did turn in nice performances against the Irish and Gamecocks, this year, going up against some of the most lethal passrushers college football has to offer. But the Irish royally kicked his ass last year, and Lewan didn't seem to have a prayer when Clowney kicked it into gear for the passrush.

He's just one of those guys with good size, but unless he's just super athletic in shorts at the Combine, he's going to drop as more athletic guys attract more attention. He's also a bit dirty, which I don't mind too much in my OL; I like a nasty attitude. But with all these knocks on him, he's still going to require work on his technique, even after three years at LT.

Projection for Lewan: I go against the popular opinion here, because I just can't get excited about Lewan. I think he's put up really good "sacks allowed" stats because he's gone up largely against soft competition. I think he's a prime candidate to fall to the 2nd round.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Pretty close to zero, even if they do likely disagree with me and think of Lewan as prime NFL talent. Dorsey's lone draft in KC has shown an affinity primarily for pure athletic ability that can be coached up, and Lewan hasn't shown, to me, a ton of either. And I think the Chiefs are preferring bigger OL, but even at 6'8", Lewan just doesn't look the part to me.

01-06-2014, 09:23 PM	#22
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan Taylor Lewan has a ton of potential. To drop in the Draft, that is. I just never got the hype with this guy. This is somebody everybody had flagged a potential Top 10 guy, but all I see is a dirty, unathletic, and sure-to-be physically overmatched tackle in the NFL. He isn't even a technician. What do people see in the guy? Well, he's 6'8", but he lumbers like a brontosaurus. He's not going to be the guy you send to the next level to take out Vontaze Burfict or Derrick Johnson. He's just the guy you can sort of trust at right tackle with minimal double team help. He's also a three-year starter at LT in the Big 10, and that is legitimately saying something. I'd probably take him in the 2nd round if I was hurting for tackle help, maybe. He did turn in nice performances against the Irish and Gamecocks, this year, going up against some of the most lethal passrushers college football has to offer. But the Irish royally kicked his ass last year, and Lewan didn't seem to have a prayer when Clowney kicked it into gear for the passrush. He's just one of those guys with good size, but unless he's just super athletic in shorts at the Combine, he's going to drop as more athletic guys attract more attention. He's also a bit dirty, which I don't mind too much in my OL; I like a nasty attitude. But with all these knocks on him, he's still going to require work on his technique, even after three years at LT. Projection for Lewan: I go against the popular opinion here, because I just can't get excited about Lewan. I think he's put up really good "sacks allowed" stats because he's gone up largely against soft competition. I think he's a prime candidate to fall to the 2nd round. Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Pretty close to zero, even if they do likely disagree with me and think of Lewan as prime NFL talent. Dorsey's lone draft in KC has shown an affinity primarily for pure athletic ability that can be coached up, and Lewan hasn't shown, to me, a ton of either. And I think the Chiefs are preferring bigger OL, but even at 6'8", Lewan just doesn't look the part to me.
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