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By far, IMO, the biggest need this coming offseason is to address the oline. There isn't a single position along our line that couldn't use an upgrade...as far as I am concerned, no ones job should be safe...save a disappointing Bulaga, who may be too expensive to cut ties with...
But there is some good news...this draft has maybe one real star olineman to offer....but a ton of very nice prospects, ready to step in and step up in the NFL...and help a team right now.
So I wanted to create a hub thread to rank, discuss, break down oline prospects in the draft.
Last year was my first year with extensive film study, and QBs were my focus...and it was a blast. No longer will I be wholly reliant on pundit writeups...many of which I believe are just stolen from one another and redressed...
So rank the tackles, or rank the guards...or just go on a rant about your favorite sleeper...or do your own film study and drop some nuggets...it's all about identifying some draft solutions to our oline issues...
I will get started with some new observations I picked up watching film the past couple of days on a couple of prospects...just some quick nuggets/observations...
OT/OG Vera-Tucker= I already got a soft spot for Tweener Slater, so was being lazy about watching this guy...but after noting a few respected members singing his praise, I gave him a look. Currently, I now have him as my #3 overall olinemen regardless of position, behind Sewell and Slater. Like them, he moves exceptionally well, is aggressive and nasty, and plays to the whistle. This is the type of violence I want to bring to our oline...the kind of attitude. I would gladly take Slater and Vera-Tucker 1st and 2nd, and if ultimately neither one sticks at tackle, I wouldn't care, because I would have one hell of an interior oline.
OT Walker Little- Was high on this kid...and still am to some degree...but after being impressed with some of his 18' game film, I finally watched a game on him I didn't like...Notre Dame gave the whole Stanford line fits that year. Remember, thats the game that put Tillery on the map? It wasn't Tillery that was giving Little a hard time, but he didn't have a good game at all. It seemed to not jibe with a couple of other games I watched on him. He was beaten for multiple sacks, and missed/whiffed on several run blocks...it seemed uncharacteristic of his play that year. Bottom line, finding some potential issues on film, coupled with 2 years removed from his last game, I have a 3rd round grade at best on him now...might avoid picking him any sooner than our 3rd comp or 4th, where we would basically be taking a stab at a value steal.
OT Liam Eichenberg- OK....be honest. If TT didn't have a propensity for selecting golden domers, would you have a stale feeling about this prospect? Tagged with the dreaded "lack of athleticism" critique, which supposedly limits his ceiling, he becomes an afterthought in such a deep class...yet when I watch this guy, I see a solid, tech sound OT who actually moves pretty well in pass pro, and has adequate strength to hold up in the pros....I was actually pleasantly surprised, and where as his ceiling may not be quite as high as some second tier prospects, I think his floor is highest....ultimately a very safe pick, and IMO, an excellant pick to understudy/backup Bulaga for a year, before we ship him down the road. I will be watching him close this Friday. But right now, if this guy was there at the top of the third, I call it a steal, and I think he merits second round consideration.
But there is some good news...this draft has maybe one real star olineman to offer....but a ton of very nice prospects, ready to step in and step up in the NFL...and help a team right now.
So I wanted to create a hub thread to rank, discuss, break down oline prospects in the draft.
Last year was my first year with extensive film study, and QBs were my focus...and it was a blast. No longer will I be wholly reliant on pundit writeups...many of which I believe are just stolen from one another and redressed...
So rank the tackles, or rank the guards...or just go on a rant about your favorite sleeper...or do your own film study and drop some nuggets...it's all about identifying some draft solutions to our oline issues...
I will get started with some new observations I picked up watching film the past couple of days on a couple of prospects...just some quick nuggets/observations...
OT/OG Vera-Tucker= I already got a soft spot for Tweener Slater, so was being lazy about watching this guy...but after noting a few respected members singing his praise, I gave him a look. Currently, I now have him as my #3 overall olinemen regardless of position, behind Sewell and Slater. Like them, he moves exceptionally well, is aggressive and nasty, and plays to the whistle. This is the type of violence I want to bring to our oline...the kind of attitude. I would gladly take Slater and Vera-Tucker 1st and 2nd, and if ultimately neither one sticks at tackle, I wouldn't care, because I would have one hell of an interior oline.
OT Walker Little- Was high on this kid...and still am to some degree...but after being impressed with some of his 18' game film, I finally watched a game on him I didn't like...Notre Dame gave the whole Stanford line fits that year. Remember, thats the game that put Tillery on the map? It wasn't Tillery that was giving Little a hard time, but he didn't have a good game at all. It seemed to not jibe with a couple of other games I watched on him. He was beaten for multiple sacks, and missed/whiffed on several run blocks...it seemed uncharacteristic of his play that year. Bottom line, finding some potential issues on film, coupled with 2 years removed from his last game, I have a 3rd round grade at best on him now...might avoid picking him any sooner than our 3rd comp or 4th, where we would basically be taking a stab at a value steal.
OT Liam Eichenberg- OK....be honest. If TT didn't have a propensity for selecting golden domers, would you have a stale feeling about this prospect? Tagged with the dreaded "lack of athleticism" critique, which supposedly limits his ceiling, he becomes an afterthought in such a deep class...yet when I watch this guy, I see a solid, tech sound OT who actually moves pretty well in pass pro, and has adequate strength to hold up in the pros....I was actually pleasantly surprised, and where as his ceiling may not be quite as high as some second tier prospects, I think his floor is highest....ultimately a very safe pick, and IMO, an excellant pick to understudy/backup Bulaga for a year, before we ship him down the road. I will be watching him close this Friday. But right now, if this guy was there at the top of the third, I call it a steal, and I think he merits second round consideration.
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