Here comes the Offensive tackle rankings for the 2018 NFL Draft, featuring some very solid prospects and some intriguing ones.
1) Connor Williams, Texas
Williams uses his hands very well on pass protection and he has an excellent base. He is rarely out of position, which is the foundation to a blocker maintaining his equilibrium and keeping a center of gravity. The Longhorns left tackle very rarely loses balance once he is engaged with a defender, which allows him to sustain blocks long enough for backs to get through the hole. Williams never quits on a play and plays through the whistle. He is very athletic and can get speed rushers off of the QB. He plays with aggressiveness. The Texas product struggles sometimes with counter moves by the pass rusher. There have been questions about his overall strength, but I haven’t noticed anything worrisome.
2) Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
McGlinchey is a very technical tackle, has solid footwork, and good hands usage. This prospect is a very good pass blocker and has improved greatly his run blocking abilities. Mike has impressive upper body strength. He is a 3-year starter and had gotten better every year. McGlinchey seems lost sometimes on running plays. Lacks lower body strength to drive defenders backward on running plays and can be occasionally beat by speed moves against bendy defenders. An example of this is the last play against Georgia that eventually cost them the game, Davin Bellamy just beats him on a speed move outside and hits the QB forcing a fumble. He seems to lack the athleticism necessary to be an elite left tackle. The Notre Dame Star projects to be a starter at LT, although he might be a better RT. Although he doesn’t have the highest ceiling, he will be considered a safe pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
3) Orlando Brown Jr., Oklahoma
Brown is massive, he is too big, too strong, too mean and he knows it, he plays with that edge. He has a very good punch you will not see anyone bull rush him. The son of Zeus (Orlando Brown Sr.) is a recovery blocker thanks to his length and strength. He kicks slide well thanks to his enormous strides but he struggles with lateral movement. Brown can still learn a lot on technique and footwork, but his physicality gets him by against most defenders. His enormous size comes with a disadvantage though, his pad level is too high, in college no one was strong enough to use that against him, but in the NFL some defenders will drive him into the quarterback’s lap if he doesn’t fix it, therefore he may be better suited to play RT.
4) Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan
Okorafor stands at 6’5″ and 330 pounds, which is the prototypical size for a left tackle. Size and speed are skills that cannot be taught. He has very quick feet in his pass sets. Okorafor shows great athleticism to climb to the second level of defenses and engage linebackers. An area where Okorafor needs to improve is with his hands, he sometimes misses his initial punch. The Western Michigan anchor is a better pass blocker than a run blocker and has a very high ceiling, but he has some work to do if he wants to start day one.
5) Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
Crosby is a long-armed prospect with ideal size who possesses the raw strength to be a quality starter in the pros. He is a great pass blocker, rarely allowing a hit on the QB and a fierce run blocker, opening lanes for his RB. The Oregon product isn’t a great athlete and struggles to move his feet quickly. He needs to work on his bend which impacts his overall balance. Some scouts project him to play guard or RT in the NFL. One knock on him is that the Oregon offense masks his weaknesses, with a quick rhythm offense, the combine will prove whether he can play LT.
6) Kolton Miller, UCLA
7) Jamarco Jones, Ohio State
8) Desmond Harrison, West Georgia
9) Ike Boettger, Iowa
10) Brandon Parker, North Carolina A&T
Honorable Mention: Brian O’Neil, Pittsburgh
Eric Kirschenbaum is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
For more 2018 NFL Draft rankings check: https://www.couchriderreport.net/2018-nfl-draft-quarterback-rankings-scouting-reports-top-prospects/