With no bonafide top-end talent to choose from this will be a case of preference. Depending on the type of blockers teams prefer, not to mention specific position needs, things could change from one evaluator to another. Peat has a great balance of size and strength and easily could be the top offensive lineman taken. Pitt's T.J. Clemmings showed good feet and strength as well. Flowers is a good athlete for the tackle spot, while Erving has the versatility to play any of the three positions. South Carolina's A.J. Cann also shouldn't be overlooked.
Over the next few weeks the Patriots.com/Patriots Football Weekly staff will break down the prospects for the 2015 NFL draft by position. Today we take a look at the offensive line.
Overview
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In recent years the top of the draft has been littered with offensive tackles. Five tackles were taken in the first round in each of the last two seasons with three going in the top 11 last year and four in the top 11 in 2013. Three of the first four picks in 2013 were tackles. Five guards also went in the first round in those two drafts with two of them top-10 picks. This season will see an end to that trend. While there certainly will be some first-round offensive linemen selected, few mocks have them going in the top five and only some have some in the top 10. Iowa's Brandon Scherff, Stanford's Andrus Peat and Miami's Ereck Flowers are at the top of the list for tackles, but Scherff will likely move to guard in the NFL. Florida State's Cameron Erving and LSU's La'el Collins also have drawn first-round consideration.
Top of the Crop
With no bonafide top-end talent to choose from this will be a case of preference. Depending on the type of blockers teams prefer, not to mention specific position needs, things could change from one evaluator to another. Peat has a great balance of size and strength and easily could be the top offensive lineman taken. Pitt's T.J. Clemmings showed good feet and strength as well. Flowers is a good athlete for the tackle spot, while Erving has the versatility to play any of the three positions. South Carolina's A.J. Cann also shouldn't be overlooked.
Potential Patriots
Former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia has been heavily involved in the scouting process and he has a great relationship with Florida State's offensive line coach Rick Trickett. Not coincidentally, Trickett has several pupils worthy of consideration. Erving is the most talented but Tre Jackson may be the best fit for guard, which appears to be the Patriots biggest need. Josue Matias also factors into the guard mix and could be on the Patriots radar. Duke's Laken Tomlinson is extremely athletic for the interior and could be worthy of a look. The FSU guys have to be considered front-runners if New England goes in that direction.
Keep an eye on
The offensive line, specifically the interior, figures to be an area of need for the Patriots. If they don't go in that direction early there are still some guys that might make sense. TCU's Tayo Fabuluje is enormous at 350-plus pounds and may need to move from tackle to guard in the pros. His athleticism is intriguing for a man his size. Alabama's Arie Kouandijo has good power and played for Bill Belichick protégé Nick Saban. Oklahoma's Adam Shead showed good pass protection skills and hand placement. He could be a nice pick in the later rounds. The same could be said of South Carolina tackle Corey Robinson, who displayed good mobility and strength. Given Wisconsin's tremendous pedigree when it comes to offensive lineman, keep an eye on Kyle Costigan down the stretch.Â
Potential Patriots
Former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia has been heavily involved in the scouting process and he has a great relationship with Florida State's offensive line coach Rick Trickett. Not coincidentally, Trickett has several pupils worthy of consideration. Erving is the most talented but Tre Jackson may be the best fit for guard, which appears to be the Patriots biggest need. Josue Matias also factors into the guard mix and could be on the Patriots radar. Duke's Laken Tomlinson is extremely athletic for the interior and could be worthy of a look. The FSU guys have to be considered front-runners if New England goes in that direction.
Keep an eye on
The offensive line, specifically the interior, figures to be an area of need for the Patriots. If they don't go in that direction early there are still some guys that might make sense. TCU's Tayo Fabuluje is enormous at 350-plus pounds and may need to move from tackle to guard in the pros. His athleticism is intriguing for a man his size. Alabama's Arie Kouandijo has good power and played for Bill Belichick protégé Nick Saban. Oklahoma's Adam Shead showed good pass protection skills and hand placement. He could be a nice pick in the later rounds. The same could be said of South Carolina tackle Corey Robinson, who displayed good mobility and strength. Given Wisconsin's tremendous pedigree when it comes to offensive lineman, keep an eye on Kyle Costigan down the stretch.Â
