NFL Draft 2008- Offensive Line

This years offensive line group is an above average group enhanced by junior standouts Ryan Clady and Anthony Collins. Jake Long will likely be the first player selected at this position, and he should go in the top 10. There will be at least three first-round picks with prospects like Clady, Branden Albert, Chris Williams and Jeff Otah all possible first-round selections. This class should have at least eight players selected in the first 100 picks, and the group could produce as many as 12 players who will develop into NFL starters.

Jake Long (Michigan)- Long is a physical player (6'7, 305) who has the skills and collegiate experience to start as an NFL rookie. He is the prototype left tackle. He has an excellent frame, with room to potentially add more bulk. He is a good athlete that slides well laterally in pass protection and can adjust to athletic edge rushers. In the running game he shows the ability to drive people off the ball, and the ability to block on the move. There isn’t much to dislike about Long’s game. Maybe he isn’t an athletic freak or dominant at the point of attack on every play, but he is a complete tackle prospect. He has no weakness, he is not just a finesse guy either, he can move the pile, run block with the best of them and he plays with a mean streak. His experience on both the left and right side will improve his versatility. Michigan running back Mike Hart didn’t run for 1,562 yards and score 14 touchdowns by accident, most of those runs were behind Jake Long. He should provide his quarterback and running back with time and room up front to make plays for years to come. Long could have been a Top 10 pick last season but decided to return for his senior year. He did nothing to hurt his stock this year, and he should be the top offensive lineman selected this April with the growing need and price of quality tackles in the NFL.

Ryan Clady (Boise St.)- Clady has established himself as the clear No.2 line prospect behind Jake Long. Clady decided to forego his senior season with expectations of being an early first round pick, and is expected to fall within the top 15 picks this April. He possesses ideal size (6'6, 310) and when he gets his hands on the defender, he locks him out. He has good foot movement and slides with the defender. Clady has dominated his opposition in the WAC and excelled in individual workouts. He has good technique and has a good initial punch. At his pro day, Clady ran his 40-yard dash in 5.18 seconds, unofficially. He showcased a vertical leap of 31 inches and a broad jump of nine feet. All three efforts would have placed him in the top 10 among lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine. The vertical was better than any offensive linemen's at the event. Clady aims to be the highest drafted player from Eisenhower High School, Ronnie Lott was selected at No. 8 by the San Francisco 49ers in 1981. Clady figures to be a welcomed addition to any team and should pay immediate dividends in pass protection and the running game.

Gosder Chrilus (Boston College)- Born in Haiti, his name is pronounced "GOZ-der SHARE-uh-luss". Cherilus was a four year starter in the ACC, and started 37 consecutive games at right tackle but he moved to the left side as a senior. He hails from a program that is known for producing quality lineman in BC, and has the experience against top notch competition to make a quick transition in the NFL. He has excellent size (6'6, 315) and a huge frame. He has the power and strength to get a great push as a run blocker and can consistently get to the second level. Cherilus is an above average athlete for his size, possessing nimble feet and nice balance. He is a smart player who is stout at the point of attack, and once he locks on, the battle is basically over. Gosder should be an early NFL starter at right tackle where he excelled in college. He does offer versatility in that he played left tackle his senior season. Cherilus should enjoy a long career at RT and provide needed help in the running game and pass protection for whichever team is lucky enough to draft him.

Jeff Otah (Pittsburgh)- Otah is the one pf the prospects in this group that is still oozing with potential. He didn’t start playing football until his senior year in high school. He spent two years at Valley Forge Military Academy before tranferiing to BC as one of the top rated JUCO prospects. He has outstanding size (6'6, 322) with a huge frame and long arms. For his size he is a great athlete with tremendous quickness, light on his feet, while showcasing strength and raw power. He is physically aggressive with a solid initial punch, he displays mobility with good range and has shown the ability to recover when he is beat. At Pitt he received the Ed Conway award given to the most improved player during the spring. Otah is still improving, and if there is a downside for this native of Nigeria, he will need to learn the NFL game as he has only two years experience against D-I competition.
Chris Williams (Vanderbilt)- Williams offers something important up front, he was the unquestioned leader of the Commodore offensive line. While he is an outstanding athlete he will need to improve upon his strength and aggressiveness. Williams has quick feet and good footwork. He has great size (6'6, 315) and a large frame with room to get bigger. He excels in pass protection. While he doesn’t get the biggest push in the running game, his athleticism and awareness allows him to get to the second level on a regular basis. He is football smart with great awareness, he shows versatility having played both guard and tackle against top notch SEC talent. His showing against the SEC is what ranks Williams so high, league coaches named him all SEC first team. Williams will likely be a late first or early second round pick and should develop into a reliable tackle at the NFL level.

Sam Baker (USC)- Father, David, is the commissioner of the Arena Football League. Baker is a finesse blocker and may not be a good fit for every team, but he has an intriguing set of physical tools that could make him a hot commodity on draft day. He has a large frame (6'4, 310) with long arms and still has some potential for growth. He is a true athlete, quick and agile with terrific feet who moves well. He is a smart player, who is technically sound with good awareness. Baker plays with good leverage, and is a natural left tackle with good character and a lot of experience playing against the best competition college has to offer. Baker finished his career at USC as a 3-time All- American first teamer and was name to the Walter Camp All- American first team along with a number of other accolades. Coach Pete Carrol thinks Baker will be a great NFL player: “We get great leadership from Sam. And his tenacity and savvy carry over to the other guys."
Branden Albert (Virginia)- Albert is the top offensive guard in his group and is declaring as a junior. As a three year starter for the Cavs (36 games), Albert was named a team captain as a junior last season. He is a first rate talent, with all the physical tools to succeed. He started a couple of games at left tackle as a junior in place of an injured Eugene Monroe and could possibly play outside at the pro level as well, offering great versatility. He has excellent size (6'5, 310)with a large frame and long arms. Albert excels in pass protection, but also gets a good push in the run game, he is a leader on and off the field with all the intangibles to be that speical player at the next level. He possesses that killer instinct, and combined with his physical strength, speed and athleticism, Albert is truly that rare guard destined to be a first round selection.