woodbuck27
04-24-2007, 12:18 PM
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/PKR01/704240576/1989
Posted April 24, 2007
NFL draft preview: Top-rated O-linemen often turn into busts
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
In the last seven NFL drafts, seven left tackles have come off the board among the first 10 picks.
That list includes players who have been solid or better: Chris Samuels of Washington, Jordan Gross of Carolina, and a rookie last year, D'Brickashaw Ferguson of the New York Jets.
But it also includes several who have thus far been more failure than success: Bryant McKinnie of Minnesota; Robert Gallery of Oakland; Mike Williams, who was drafted by Buffalo but is not on an NFL roster currently; and Leonard Davis, who was drafted by Arizona and signed with Dallas this offseason.
This year, at least one and probably two tackles will go among the top 10 picks, and the University of Wisconsin's Joe Thomas probably will be the first. He has a chance to go in the top five, and many scouts consider him as sure a thing as there can be in a draft, though they're by no means unanimous in that verdict.
"He's as solid as solid can get," said the college scouting director for an AFC team.
"For a guy to play at the level he played coming off the knee (injury in January 2006) is remarkable. The guy's a better-than-average run blocker — he's not a dominant run blocker, but to be a left tackle, he blocks good enough. Excellent pass blocker.
"He's got great balance, good recovery, he's athletic. He's the type of guy you can turn the protection the other way and leave him out there one-on-one with the other team's rusher, which is rare these days."
Thomas, who attended Brookfield Central High School, rates better than Penn State's Levi Brown on many draft boards, because he's a pure left tackle, where Brown was a college left tackle who might be more of a right tackle in the NFL.
Thomas is Wisconsin's highest-rated offensive lineman since Paul Gruber was the fourth pick by Tampa Bay in 1988. He probably would have come out for last year's draft but tore the anterior-cruciate ligament in his right knee while filling in for an injury-plagued defensive line on a goal-line play in the Capital One Bowl.
Eight months later, he was in the Badgers' starting lineup.
"The amazing thing is this kid played (eight) months post-op of an ACL," another scout said. "He played a little tentative early, but he came on. I think he has a lot of ability."
No doubt, it's dangerous to call any player a sure bet to be good in the NFL — Gallery looked like a sure thing as the No. 2 pick in 2004, but so far he's been a bust. But Thomas and Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson are considered the most sure things in this draft, and there's a good chance Thomas will be a top five pick — perhaps he'll land at No. 4 if Detroit trades back from the No. 2 spot with Tampa Bay. Some scouts say Thomas compares favorably to Ferguson, who was the No. 4 pick overall last year, and the other recent top 10 tackles who have fared well. Thomas is 6-feet-6½ and 311 pounds.
"He's a more solid prospect than Ferguson based on body size," another scout said. "Ferguson was a guy that built himself up to 300-and-whatever at the (scouting) combine, 315 (pounds), but he's really a natural 285 or 290-pound guy.
"(Thomas) is more like Gross than he is like Gallery. He's more of a flexible athlete than Gallery. Gallery had really good static strength and speed and power, but in terms of being a flexible athlete, that wasn't his strength. (Thomas) is a little more, I don't want to say dominant, than Gross, but he's more well-rounded than Jordan Gross was. Jordan might have had a little more nasty to him as a run blocker, but in terms of his overall skill set, he rates a little higher than Gross does."
Posted April 24, 2007
NFL draft preview: Top-rated O-linemen often turn into busts
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
In the last seven NFL drafts, seven left tackles have come off the board among the first 10 picks.
That list includes players who have been solid or better: Chris Samuels of Washington, Jordan Gross of Carolina, and a rookie last year, D'Brickashaw Ferguson of the New York Jets.
But it also includes several who have thus far been more failure than success: Bryant McKinnie of Minnesota; Robert Gallery of Oakland; Mike Williams, who was drafted by Buffalo but is not on an NFL roster currently; and Leonard Davis, who was drafted by Arizona and signed with Dallas this offseason.
This year, at least one and probably two tackles will go among the top 10 picks, and the University of Wisconsin's Joe Thomas probably will be the first. He has a chance to go in the top five, and many scouts consider him as sure a thing as there can be in a draft, though they're by no means unanimous in that verdict.
"He's as solid as solid can get," said the college scouting director for an AFC team.
"For a guy to play at the level he played coming off the knee (injury in January 2006) is remarkable. The guy's a better-than-average run blocker — he's not a dominant run blocker, but to be a left tackle, he blocks good enough. Excellent pass blocker.
"He's got great balance, good recovery, he's athletic. He's the type of guy you can turn the protection the other way and leave him out there one-on-one with the other team's rusher, which is rare these days."
Thomas, who attended Brookfield Central High School, rates better than Penn State's Levi Brown on many draft boards, because he's a pure left tackle, where Brown was a college left tackle who might be more of a right tackle in the NFL.
Thomas is Wisconsin's highest-rated offensive lineman since Paul Gruber was the fourth pick by Tampa Bay in 1988. He probably would have come out for last year's draft but tore the anterior-cruciate ligament in his right knee while filling in for an injury-plagued defensive line on a goal-line play in the Capital One Bowl.
Eight months later, he was in the Badgers' starting lineup.
"The amazing thing is this kid played (eight) months post-op of an ACL," another scout said. "He played a little tentative early, but he came on. I think he has a lot of ability."
No doubt, it's dangerous to call any player a sure bet to be good in the NFL — Gallery looked like a sure thing as the No. 2 pick in 2004, but so far he's been a bust. But Thomas and Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson are considered the most sure things in this draft, and there's a good chance Thomas will be a top five pick — perhaps he'll land at No. 4 if Detroit trades back from the No. 2 spot with Tampa Bay. Some scouts say Thomas compares favorably to Ferguson, who was the No. 4 pick overall last year, and the other recent top 10 tackles who have fared well. Thomas is 6-feet-6½ and 311 pounds.
"He's a more solid prospect than Ferguson based on body size," another scout said. "Ferguson was a guy that built himself up to 300-and-whatever at the (scouting) combine, 315 (pounds), but he's really a natural 285 or 290-pound guy.
"(Thomas) is more like Gross than he is like Gallery. He's more of a flexible athlete than Gallery. Gallery had really good static strength and speed and power, but in terms of being a flexible athlete, that wasn't his strength. (Thomas) is a little more, I don't want to say dominant, than Gross, but he's more well-rounded than Jordan Gross was. Jordan might have had a little more nasty to him as a run blocker, but in terms of his overall skill set, he rates a little higher than Gross does."