2022: Offensive Lineman
Ickey Ekwonu–OT–N.C. State–6’4”-310–Top 5–97
Reminds me a lot of Trent Williams. Guys got serious strength and sticky hands. Big dude, good feet, and a mean streak for finishing blocks. Top tackle in this class. What do you want in a premier offensive lineman? Tone setter who can handle the opposing team’s best rusher in pass protection and maul people in the run game? Then Ekwonu is the man for you. I’d be shocked if he’s not the first offensive player off the board.
Charles Cross–OT–Mississippi State–6’5”-307–Top 10–95
Premier prospect right here. Team’s that are looking for upside are going to gravitate towards Cross because he has the size, elite athleticism, and he’s only 21 years old. Playing all the big guys in the SEC West, Charles held his own and made his mark earning first team SEC honors. With 34.5” arms, he’s not quite as long as Tyron Smith, but they have similar feet. Cross belongs on the outside and should be a stalwart at LT.
Kenyon Green–G–Texas A&M–6’4”-323–1st–92
Green is a tremendous guard prospect. Great size and movement ability, he reminds me a lot of Jahri Evans. At 320 pounds, I want to see more lower body strength but that can come. Green played 4 different offensive line positions in his time at College Station, but left guard is definitely his best fit. Depending on how valuable teams view the guard position, I could see him sneaking into the top 15, particularly in a weak draft.
Tyler Linderbaum–C–Iowa–6’2”-296–1st–91
This guy checks all my favorite boxes on the interior offensive line checklist. Went to Iowa, check. Loves to finish blocks, check. Wrestling background, check. He’s got serious lateral athleticism to boot which is where all the Jason Kelce comparisons come in. Linderbaum is going to be an asset for an NFL team because he’s got so much ability to pull and get out on screens and can do that long looping pass protection the Patriots love to do off a slow playaction fake. But at the end of the day, he’ll only be over 300 pounds after a chinese buffet and that’s going to be a big problem against a 330 pound bull rush. It’s Tyler’s one weakness, but it’s always going to be there, and that bumps him to the end of the 1st for me. Still expect him to be a perennial pro-bowler.
Trevor Penning–OT–Northern Iowa–6’7”-325–1st–91
Mean streak on this kid, Penning really loves driving people into the ground. Depending on where he lands, he might be better on the right side. Reminds me a lot of Garrett Bolles, with sticky hands but great size and movement. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes in the top 10 and has a Mike McGlinchey type impact.
Evan Neal–OT–Alabama–6’7”-337–Top 5–88
If I’m going to draft a tackle in the top 10, I want to know that at the very least he’s not a liability. How many times is Evan Neal off balance? Half the time? Now he’s got every measurable you’d ever want from a tackle including 10” hands, 34” arms, and a two time captain at Alabama. Apparently he was playing closer to 350 pounds last year which is above where he should be, which could account for the balance struggles. But seriously, Neal doesn’t handle space well enough to be a tackle. I loved Andrus Peat when he came into the draft with a similar profile, and he moved to guard faster than you could blink. I think that’s where Neal belongs, and honestly, I don’t think he’s a standout player at that position.
Zion Johnson–G–Boston College–6’3”-312–2nd–86
Stout player in the classic BC lineage of offensive lineman. Should be a very solid player at the next level and needs no development before plugging into the lineup. The only problem with Zion is his ceiling is not as high as some other players and that pushes him to the second round. Zion has the best name in the draft and has a game that is similar to James Carpenter.