Top five offensive line prospects for the NFL Draft
Here are the top offensive linemen prospects (with projected round):
1. Greg Robinson*, T, 6-foot-5, 332 pounds, Auburn (first): Robinson is a big, fast and powerful blocker. He seeks to dominate his defender and drive him into the ground. He left school as a third-year sophomore and still has a lot to learn about pass protection. He is the most athletically gifted of the linemen in the draft. "He's a dominant factor when you ask him to move people off the line of scrimmage," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. "He needs to work on his pass-protection techniques. He was still sloppy and had some (holding) issues in pass protection. Obviously, that's something that has to be corrected. … He will be a little bit of a work in progress."
2. Taylor Lewan, T, 6-7, 309, Michigan (first): He's the meanest and nastiest of the top offensive line prospects. "He's right there with Robinson," Kiper said. "You can make an argument that he's better than Robinson. Right now, he is. Robinson may have better upside, but Taylor Lewan, right now is better."
3. Jake Matthews, T, 6-7, 309, Texas A&M (first): Son of Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, who played 19 years in the NFL. May be a bit over-hyped, but is still a super-strong prospect. "Not as good as a lot of people made him out to be, the first-, second- or third-best player in this draft," Kiper said. "He's not. He's definitely in the 8-9 range. (He) does have a huge upside. He's a solid player, who will work as hard as anybody on your roster."
4. Zack Martin, T/G, 6-4, 308, Notre Dame (first): Some scouts believe that he doesn't have the long arms (33 inches or more) or wide-enough wingspan to play tackle in the NFL. NFLDraftScout.com rates him as the top guard prospect. He is light on his feet and maneuvers well.
5. Joel Bitonio, G, 6-4, 302, Nevada (second): He impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl with his work inside at guard and center. He's a nasty and emphatic finisher of blocks. He started at left tackle the past three seasons. He was a first-team all-conference pick in 2013. Arm length is good at 33 7/8 inches.
Underclassman*
Teams in need: St. Louis, Oakland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Carolina.
Need area for Falcons? Yes. All three of the top tackles and possibly Martin could come in and earn a starting spot for the Falcons at right tackle. If one of them develops into a great one, then they could shift him to left tackle after he gets some NFL seasoning. If the Falcons move up in the draft, it could be for Robinson and not South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
Top 5 seniors for 2015 draft: 1. Cedric Ogbuehi, T, 6-5, 300, Texas A&M; 2. Cameron Erving, T, 6-6, 302, Florida State; 3. Tre' Jackson, G, 6-4, 339, Florida State; 4. Brandon Scherff, T, 6-5, 320, Iowa; 5. Laken Tomlinson, G, 6-3, 320, Duke.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
