My assessment of the tackles so far, part I.

[Direckshun]

Matt Kalil, USC (projected: 1st)
6'7", 295 lbs.
Position(s): LT

Compared to the other top-end tackles in drafts prior, Kalil probably would fall somewhere in the middle. He is much more of a "sure thing" compared to 2011's Tyron Smith and Nate Solder, but doesn't boast the all-around game of 2010's Trent Williams, Russell Okung, or even Anthony Davis. The reason he's not the outstanding prospect some make him out to be involves his one-dimensionality. Kalil is a great pass protector, and kept Barkley's blindside clean all season despite the assortment of talent he saw against him: speed guys, power guys, no one was successful. This makes him incredibly unlikely to bust, and one of the safest picks in the draft this year. But his run game has some serious holes in it, he's not particularly powerful and he doesn't blow defenders off the spot like a Joe Thomas or a Brandon Albert. Which means his talents aren't going to transfer to right tackle.

Mike Adams, Ohio State (projected: 1st)
6'8", 320 lbs.
Positions(s): LT, RT

Adams is a massive, powerful stud with surprising agility. I think he's rocketing up depth charts, and for my money he's the best tackle in this year's draft. He's got great ability in pass-protection, as he defeated everybody he went up against at the Senior Bowl. He might not time well at the Combine, but Adams is capable of punishing speed demons and doesn't give an inch to power rushers. He's also more polished than Kalil and Jonathan Martin. He will need some work on his technique, but he can groomed for a season on the right side if you want without fail; he is punishing and powerful in the run game. I typically don't endorse taking a right tackle at the #11 or #12 overall, which is where the Chiefs select this year. But if it were ever possible for a right tackle to be a game-changing position, a player like Adams makes it so. If the Chiefs do not trade down, I would take Adams over Stanford OG David DeCastro or Alabama RB Trent Richardson.

Riley Reiff, Iowa (projected: 1st)
6'6", 300 lbs.
Position(s): LT, LG, RG, RT

Ladies and gentlemen: Bryan Bulaga, volume two. Now, I was notorious two seasons ago for beating up on Bulaga, but that's because people kept painting him as a Top 10 candidate. Which he wasn't. He was a really good right tackle prospect that people kept trying to paint as an elite left tackle. I continually chimed in my dissent, and sure enough, he falls to the Green Bay Packers at #27 overall and has played right tackle ever since. Do I think Reiff is headed for the same fate? Not so fast... I think Reiff has more left tackle potential than Bulaga. He's a punishing run blocker and boasts an athletic versatility Bulaga never had. He was originally recruited to play tight end, for instance. But he has excelled everywhere along the offensive line he's played: guard, right tackle, left tackle. And he's blossomed since Bulaga left. I think his versatility makes him the surest thing at tackle in the 2012 draft.

Jonathan Martin, Stanford (projected: 1st)
6'6", 305 lbs.
Position(s): LT, LG

Of the four first-round tackles, Martin is the one I think could fall. He is a finesse pass-protector, whose game is built better all-around than Kalil's is. But I think he has a work left to be done on his fundamentals, because like Kalil, he is a bit light and he doesn't play with that kind of power you love to see in your big uglies up front. It should also be noted that he was protecting Andrew Luck, and I think Andrew Luck might have a Peyton Manning effect on his teammates, making them all look so much better than they actually are. Martin is going to get overdrafted, like I think all of this year's tackles will be, but he struggles against power rushers, which he'd see constantly at right tackle. He's going to have to play on the left, but until he develops his fundamentals, he's going to get beat like a rented mule there. Draft Martin if you have a year to either sit him (crazy, I know) or play him at guard or tackle and let him get beat while he slowly figures it out.

Bobby Massie, Ole Miss (projected: 2nd)
6'6", 312 lbs.
Position(s): LT, RT

I love Bobby Massie, when he's on. There is some game film on Massie from 2011 when he looks like a surefire first rounder. It was only a couple games, and for the most part it looks like Massie lacks some of the athleticism and technique to make the left side work, but he should be able to handle the right side perfectly. Nonetheless, there are about ten teams who will need help at their left tackle positions in 2012, and with nothing in free agency, most of those teams will be looking to reach in the draft. With the first round come and gone and the four top prospects off the board, teams will be looking for a desperate chance to land a left tackle in the top half of the 2nd. Massie is, to me, the most likely candidate for that. Again, he will need some work, but he is very young and has stretches where he just seems as good as any candidate on the board this year.

Matt McCants, Alabama-Birmingham (projected: 2nd)
6'6", 308 lbs.
Position(s): RG, RT

I don't think I have ever watched a game of Alabama-Birmingham my entire life, but I'm including McCants in here because it's rumored that he could destroy the NFL Combine. He's certainly got the size teams adore in offensive tackles, and that 308 lbs that he weighed at the Combine is light, I believe. I think he's got room for as much as twenty more pounds of muscle on his frame. His 35" arms are ridiculously long, among the longest in this draft class. It's written that McCants is a really good athlete; he has the ability to move very well in space that will make him supremely appealing to zone blocking teams of all stripes. I'm told that I "have to see this kid in space," apparently he's amazing at the second level.

Nate Potter, Boise State (projected: 2nd)
6'6", 300 lbs.
Position(s): LT

The lazy comparison is often the best one to start off with: is Nate Potter the next Ryan Clady, former BSU Bronco and current Denver Broncos LT extraordinaire? But this time, the answer is yes. He is, in all his inconsistent glory, the next Ryan Clady. That means for every really good season you get out of him, you're getting two really underwhelming seasons. Potter comes with a polish to his pass protection that any number of teams would love to reach for, but he's the smallest 6'6", three-hundred pounder I've seen. He is a total finesse tackle, possesses no real mean streak that I've seen, and he just looks light? That doesn't mean he can't excel in the NFL, but teams will bull-rush him until he gets thicker. It looks like he'll need at least two years to get to realize his potential in the size department, but will that negate his great athleticism in pass blocking?

Andrew Datko, Florida State (projected: 2nd)
6'6", 320 lbs.
Position(s): LT

It's the second round. Your team is in desperate need for a left tackle. Nobody in free agency was worth a darn, and the Big Four in the first round are all gone. Where do you look? Chances are, you'll give Datko a good look. There has been some buzz around his teammate and fellow prospect, Zebrie Sanders, but Datko was Florida State's incumbent at left tackle and was never supplanted by Sanders. Datko, when he was healthy (he's had concerns with his shoulder), has had a good career at FSU protecting the blind side who is never out of the play, even when he's beat. He has had some injury concerns, yes, but he has shown an unbreakable spirit in his work ethic. He has consistently put on weight (which he carries very well) at the request of his coaches, and now stands as one of the biggest tackle prospects, weight wise, in the first three rounds. He still lacks power, however, and one fears that he may be injury prone. So he may not have any juice as a right tackle.

Mitchell Schwartz, California (projected: 3rd)
6'6", 318 lbs.
Position(s): RT

Schwartz is a great right tackle prospect, with really zero left tackle potential. In his four years at Cal, he has grown into looking like a ten-year NFL veteran in the run game. His base stays really low and he uses every ounce of his frame to blow through defenders. He has enough athletic versatility, however, to play with that kind of aggressiveness in the power-run scheme or a zone-blocking scheme, but that's his game. His pass game has some serious issues, and will need work. He was clowned at the Senior Bowl by Melvin Ingram and Quentin Coples, players he'll see less playing on the right side. There's a possibility he could play inside if you need him too, but you want that kind of great blast on the right side of your line in the run game.

Zebrie Sanders, Florida State (projected: 3rd)
6'6", 308 lbs.
Position(s): LT, RT

Sanders played left tackle for much of last season when Andrew Datko went down with injury. He played reasonably well, but there were too many games where the bottom fell out. I like that he can play the left tackle position in a pinch. But he's much more of a right tackle utility guy than he is any sort of answer at left tackle. He is a zone blocking tackle, I believe; a lot of the mistakes he makes in pass protection are against bolder, stronger passrushers who attempt to bowl him over. He will need a strong performance at the Combine to demonstrate his strength. He's plenty athletic, it's his power that concerns scouts.

Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State (projected: 3rd)
6'5", 318 lbs.
Position(s): LG, RG, RT

Adcock entered this season as a force at tackle that many (myself included) thought could threaten the first round. Instead, he suffered through injuries and opposing teams started to throw the farm at him. The result was a mixed season; he stonewalled teams towards the end of the year at left tackle, but as the team shuffled him between tackle positions in 2011, he sometimes looked overwhelmed and consistently lost out to speed rushers. He does have a good degree of natural power to his game, but he just looks so much slower this year. Adcock might be a threat to slip to the third day of the draft, as teams start thinking of him more as a guard than as a tackle. I could see him as either, but he does seem to be a bit of an awkward fit as tackle... He is a powerful blocker but he doesn't have that outstanding size power-blocking teams love, though I think he'd still excel in that system, and he's definitely not a fit in a zone-blocking scheme, although I am no expert. Guard might be where he lands.

Senio Kelemete, Washington (projected: 3rd)
6'4", 307 lbs.
Position(s): LG, RG

I watched Kelemete a ton last year when he protected Jake Locker's blind side, and some this year as he bulldozed paths for Chris Polk. I just don't see him as a tackle. I am including him here for completeness sakes. He puts up amazing work in the weight room and is soon to blow everybody's pants off in Combine. But the one thing I think he is absolutely miserable at is his kickslide. It's like watching a kodiak bear battle for the right to mate... it's pretty damn ugly. It's so ugly that I think he's going to need a year inside before he does anything at the tackle position.

[Direckshun]

Just in case anybody's wondering what I mean by each position:

LT -- premium for pass protection, run blocking important, high athletic skill
LG -- premium for pass protection, pulling in run blocking is important, less athletic skill
RG -- premium for run blocking, emphasis on power blocking, pass protection important, less athletic skill
RT -- premium for run blocking, pass protection very important, decently high athletic skill

I know it's different for every offensive system. That's just what I meant by my listings above.

[Chiefnj2]

If Datko is a 2nd round prospect why was he a late combine invitee?

[Dave Lane]

Saccopoo may JIMP when he reads this thread

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

If Datko is a 2nd round prospect why was he a late combine invitee?

I can't break down the politics of it.

Zebrie Sanders is talked about as the hot OT prospect out of FSU, but Datko was the incumbent there. Maybe DaKCMan knows more about it.

I think Datko looks like a pretty clean left tackle prospects. His injury concerns me a bit... shoulder is a bad injury to have.

[suds79]

I continuously preach more beef up front. That and I like road grader RTs.

So if they were to draft a tackle in round 1 vs trading down (my 1st choice), I suppose I'd want it to be Adams over a guy like Martin.

[Coogs]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Saccopoo may JIMP when he reads this thread

Whatever works for you two I guess!










jk/

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by suds79

I continuously preach more beef up front. That and I like road grader RTs.

So if they were to draft a tackle in round 1 vs trading down (my 1st choice), I suppose I'd want it to be Adams over a guy like Martin.

Martin has been slipping a bunch of rankings. I don't know why.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Adams is a massive, powerful stud

That could only manage 19 reps

[booger]

http://www.draftcountdown.com/featur...sitions/OT.php

I haven't seen wisconsin last year but from the pure size/arm length standpoint this guy has the frame for sure.

Josh Oglesby 6'7 338 damn near 36" arms 11 1/4" hands and 22 isn't great for bench reps but average or better considering his arm length. They have 2-3 other OL that are rated high but i haven't heard as much as this kid. Anybody know if he can play?

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

That could only manage 19 reps

I saw that. Surprising.

Obviously I wrote this before yesterday's workouts.

[Wilson8]

40 times...

Donald Stephenson, Oklahoma 4.94
Matt Kalil, Southern California 4.99
Tom Compton, South Dakota 5.11
Brandon Mosley, Auburn 5.21
Bobbie Massie, Mssissippi 5.23
Riley Reiff, Iowa 5.23
Tony Bergstrom, Utah 5.27
Jeff Allen, Illinois 5.28
James Brown, Troy 5.30
Justin Anderson, Georgia 5.31
Andrew Datko, Florida State 5.32
John Cullen, Utah 5.34
Dustin Waldron, Portland State 5.34
Ronald Leary, Memphis 5.36
Matt Reynolds, BYU 5.37
Mike Adams, Ohio State 5.40
Zebrie Sanders, Florida State 5.41
Lamar Holmes, Southern Miss 5.41
Kevin Beachum, SMU 5.44
Mitchell Schwartz, California 5.45
Taylor Dever, Notre Dame 5.46
Senio Kelemete, Washington 5.52
Matt McCants, UAB 5.52
Marcel Jones, Nebraska 5.67
Josh Ogelsby, Wisconsin 5.80

Also listed at guard but could be a good RT for KC
Cordy Glenn, Georgia 5.15

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I saw that. Surprising.

Obviously I wrote this before yesterday's workouts.

Yeah that wasn't an attack at what you wrote/thought, was just to point out there's a pretty big red flag on him.

[T-post Tom]

Nice thread. Not sure if Mike Adams would be content to rocket up someone's depth chart though.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Wilson8

40 times...

Donald Stephenson, Oklahoma 4.94
Matt Kalil, Southern California 4.99
Tom Compton, South Dakota 5.11
Brandon Mosley, Auburn 5.21
Bobbie Massie, Mssissippi 5.23
Riley Reiff, Iowa 5.23
Tony Bergstrom, Utah 5.27
Jeff Allen, Illinois 5.28
James Brown, Troy 5.30
Justin Anderson, Georgia 5.31
Andrew Datko, Florida State 5.32
John Cullen, Utah 5.34
Dustin Waldron, Portland State 5.34
Ronald Leary, Memphis 5.36
Matt Reynolds, BYU 5.37
Mike Adams, Ohio State 5.40
Zebrie Sanders, Florida State 5.41
Lamar Holmes, Southern Miss 5.41
Kevin Beachum, SMU 5.44
Mitchell Schwartz, California 5.45
Taylor Dever, Notre Dame 5.46
Senio Kelemete, Washington 5.52
Matt McCants, UAB 5.52
Marcel Jones, Nebraska 5.67
Josh Ogelsby, Wisconsin 5.80

Also listed at guard but could be a good RT for KC
Cordy Glenn, Georgia 5.15

I think Cordy Glenn may be the #2 tackle on some people's boards now.

He looked pretty sloppy in the drills, but a 345 lbs right tackle who is super fast? You have to consider him an option at #11 overall.