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philfree · 02-04-2010, 02:00 PM

FWIW

OTs Okung, Williams have work to do

Thursday, January 21, 2010 | Print Entry

Posted by Scouts Inc.

Offensive tackle, particularly left tackles, are among the most highly-valued prospects in the NFL draft, and now that the Senior Bowl has come and gone without any of our top-ranked tackles taking part it's time to take stock of where they stand.

[+] Enlarge
Scott Boehm/Getty Images

Russell Okung's decision to skip the Senior Bowl could be costly.
We've had some shuffling in our rankings, and Russell Okung (Oklahoma State) and Trent Williams (Oklahoma) opting out of the Senior Bowl was a missed opportunity for the two tackles on our board who are sliding a bit. None of the tackles in attendance in Mobile played well enough to surpass Okung or Williams but good showings there certainly would have firmed up their standing.

Part of the reason their stock has taken a hit is the emergence of juniors Anthony Davis (Rutgers) and Bryan Bulaga, but it's questions raised during our film study that have played the biggest role in Okung and Williams slipping down the board a bit.

Okung gets good hand placement and shows sound footwork once he's engaged with defenders, so he rarely gets beaten once he gets his hands on the defender in either the running game or the passing game. There's also a lot to like about his tenacity and he can be seen on film pancaking defensive ends and linebackers.

However, there is reason to believe Okung won't be as effective in pass protection in the NFL. First, he is not as strong at the top of his pass set as teams would like because at 6-foot-8 he struggles to sink his hips. More importantly, Okung does not appear to have elite foot speed so his footwork will always have to be sound. He also lacks the agility and flexibility Davis has shown.

Holding up against elite NFL edge rushers is an even bigger concern for Williams, who moved from right to left tackle prior to the 2009 season and never looked truly comfortable there. He had problems preventing speed rushers from turning the corner because he is a split second slow getting out of his stance and he doesn't always kick out wide enough to force pass rusher to go through him rather than right around him.

We still think Williams has what to takes to start at right tackle in the NFL but he will have to be protected at times within blocking schemes because he won't always match up well. He is not a franchise left tackle by any means, while Bulaga has shown the quickness in his sets to hold his own on the left side in the NFL.

Davis and Bulaga are virtual first-round locks thanks to their overall skill sets, but a potential fall from the top 10 to the later portion of the first round could cost Okung a whole lot of money. As for Williams, he could still come off the board in the first round because teams are so intent on finding quality tackles, but we see him as an early-second rounder at this point.

Also keep an eye on Maryland's Bruce Campbell and USC's Charles Brown, both of whom are expected to show well at the combine and in individual workouts and could challenge Williams for the No. 4 spot among offensive tackles.
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PhilFree

02-04-2010, 02:00 PM	#10
philfree Indian Twitter Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Free Agency Casino cash: $-2223802	FWIW OTs Okung, Williams have work to do Thursday, January 21, 2010 \| Print Entry Posted by Scouts Inc. Offensive tackle, particularly left tackles, are among the most highly-valued prospects in the NFL draft, and now that the Senior Bowl has come and gone without any of our top-ranked tackles taking part it's time to take stock of where they stand. [+] Enlarge Scott Boehm/Getty Images Russell Okung's decision to skip the Senior Bowl could be costly. We've had some shuffling in our rankings, and Russell Okung (Oklahoma State) and Trent Williams (Oklahoma) opting out of the Senior Bowl was a missed opportunity for the two tackles on our board who are sliding a bit. None of the tackles in attendance in Mobile played well enough to surpass Okung or Williams but good showings there certainly would have firmed up their standing. Part of the reason their stock has taken a hit is the emergence of juniors Anthony Davis (Rutgers) and Bryan Bulaga, but it's questions raised during our film study that have played the biggest role in Okung and Williams slipping down the board a bit. Okung gets good hand placement and shows sound footwork once he's engaged with defenders, so he rarely gets beaten once he gets his hands on the defender in either the running game or the passing game. There's also a lot to like about his tenacity and he can be seen on film pancaking defensive ends and linebackers. However, there is reason to believe Okung won't be as effective in pass protection in the NFL. First, he is not as strong at the top of his pass set as teams would like because at 6-foot-8 he struggles to sink his hips. More importantly, Okung does not appear to have elite foot speed so his footwork will always have to be sound. He also lacks the agility and flexibility Davis has shown. Holding up against elite NFL edge rushers is an even bigger concern for Williams, who moved from right to left tackle prior to the 2009 season and never looked truly comfortable there. He had problems preventing speed rushers from turning the corner because he is a split second slow getting out of his stance and he doesn't always kick out wide enough to force pass rusher to go through him rather than right around him. We still think Williams has what to takes to start at right tackle in the NFL but he will have to be protected at times within blocking schemes because he won't always match up well. He is not a franchise left tackle by any means, while Bulaga has shown the quickness in his sets to hold his own on the left side in the NFL. Davis and Bulaga are virtual first-round locks thanks to their overall skill sets, but a potential fall from the top 10 to the later portion of the first round could cost Okung a whole lot of money. As for Williams, he could still come off the board in the first round because teams are so intent on finding quality tackles, but we see him as an early-second rounder at this point. Also keep an eye on Maryland's Bruce Campbell and USC's Charles Brown, both of whom are expected to show well at the combine and in individual workouts and could challenge Williams for the No. 4 spot among offensive tackles. --------------- PhilFree __________________ [/SIGPIC]
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