Scouting Reports 2015: The Interior Offensive Linemen

The offensive line for this years draft is full of versatility. There are a lot of players that will be asked to move permanently and some who will stay at their positions, but will be valued more than most due to their extreme versatility. That doesn't sound too different from any other draft, but the thing that sticks out with these players, is so many of them are rated so highly. The guard and center position are going to benefit the most from this trait - both of which would be rather thin without the versatility - and suddenly it appears we will see a major run on linemen in the first two rounds...

Brandon Scherff

6'5" 319 lbs Iowa

POSITIVES:

• Very polished
• Lots of experience
• Very physical
• Versatile
• Good strength
• Strong punch
• Very consistent
• Drive blocks with bad intentions
• Good kick step
• Plays with a nasty streak
• Anchors extremely well
• Plays with great awareness

NEGATIVES:

• Might struggle with speed edge rushers
• Questionable left tackle athletic ability

THE BREAKDOWN: Brandon Scherff is one of the safer picks in this years draft. He's not only safe but extremely versatile. In the NFL his best fit will probably be guard. He has the strength and drive block ability to dominate for years to come. He should be a day one starter at the position, and could very well be in line for a future All-Pro selection, maybe even multiple. There is however a possibility that he is kept at tackle. If this is the case he should probably play right tackle. He might struggle a bit with pure speed rushers. Even so, he would probably still become a very solid tackle.

PLAYER COMPARISON: Zack Martin

Cameron Erving

6'5" 313 lbs Florida St.

POSITIVES:

• Extreme versatility
• Can play all five positions
• Has a very good kick step
• Regroups with ease
• Anchors well
  
• Unbelievably good driver blocker
• Plays extremely low
• Has great get off
• Uses his hands to slow rushers
• Very experienced
• Very good blitz pick up

NEGATIVES:

• Played inconsistent
• Forgets technique against good rushers
• Questionable strength
• Does not use hands often enough
• Will slide off blocks
• Drops his hands to his waste or throws them out wide

THE BREAKDOWN: Cameron Erving is an extremely versatile player. He can play any position on the line. Although he's not as good at some as others. I think that's the big thing that separates him from Brandon Scherff. Once he gets engaged and driving it's over for the defender. The big issue with Erving, is he can slide off of blocks a little too easily at times, due to his inconsistent hand usage. He often times would let his hands get to low, or get out of control and have them to wide. The good news is his flaws are things that can be easily corrected by playing with better footwork, which will bring control.

PLAYER COMPARISON: Ryan Khalil

Ereck Flowers

6'6" 339 lbs Miami

POSITIVES:

• Only 20 years old
• Very physical
• Engages and never lets go
• Run blocks a player into the ground
• Very violent hands
• Athletic
• Extremely strong
• Can get to the next level quick
• Stops bull rushers in their tracks
• Very good at washing linemen down

NEGATIVES:

• Only 20 years old
• Very raw
• Very poor technique
  
• Plays too high
• Forgets to move his feet
• Hands get wide too often
• Often drops his head upon contact
• Inconsistent pass blocker
• Does not turn his hips with the rush
• Uses his arms to block with pure power

THE BREAKDOWN: Ereck Flowers is that rare prospect who has a positive trait that also happens to be a negative trait. His age is a huge positive because it's a constant reminder that he has so much more room to grow, and he's already a good lineman. But the down side to that is his age is another reminder of how inexperience he is. He basically has a lot of potential, but he's a long way away from tapping into all that he's capable of. I think he best projects as a guard in the NFL. He might have future All-Pro potential there. He's a very physical player with both grown man and weight room strength. He struggles to block good pass rushers often due to poor technique. On the other hand, he can be absolutely abusive in the run game.

PLAYER COMPARISON: Orlando Franklin

La'el Collins

6'4" 305 lbs LSU

POSITIVES:

• Uses his hands extremely well
• Drives his feet upon contact
• Very good puller
• Athletic
  
• Good kick step
• Slides with ease
• Plays low
• Scheme versatility
• Gets to the second level fast
• Anchors well
• Fires off the ball
• Specializes in washing down
• Great open field blocker

NEGATIVES:

• Inconsistent pass blocker
• Inconsistent physicality
• Often drops his head upon contact
• Whiffs against good rushers
• Struggles with speed rushers too often
• Inconsistent technique

THE BREAKDOWN: La'el Collins is another player that could be moved inside. I think this is his best fit, and he could flourish from day one. He'll most likely see some major struggles out there on the island as a tackle. He often struggles with speed rushers. He doesn't anchor as well as you would want your tackles to anchor. He has to play physical all the time rather than part time. When he approaches the game with a physical attitude he's nearly unbeatable. The best part of his game is his get off in the run game. He fires off the line quick, beating his assignment, by making contact before he can get out his stance. He could play right tackle as well, but I don't see a successful future at left tackle. Could become a mainstay at either RT or inside at guard sooner than later.

PLAYER COMPARISON: Joel Bitonio

Rank	Player	Projected Round	Ceiling
1	Brandon Scherff	Top 12	All-Pro
2	Cameron Erving	1-2	All- Pro
3	Laken Tomlinson	2	10 yr Starter
4	La'el Collins	1	Pro Bowler
5	Reese Dismukes	2	Pro Bowler
6	Ereck Flowers	1-2	Pro Bowler
7	A.J. Cann	2	Solid
8	Hroniss Grasu	2-3	10 yr Starter
9	Ali Marpet	3-4	Solid
10	B.J. Finney	3-4	10 yr Starter