The NFL Scouting Combine is less than a week away and after breaking down the offensive skill positions last week, it is time to evaluate the top-3 tight ends and hog mollies in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
This year's draft is loaded with talent along both the offensive and defensive line with as many as six linemen being selected in the first 10 picks. As for the tight end position, there isn't a sure-fire first round pick like there has been in recent years, but it is a very solid group from top to bottom and teams will be able to find good value at the position towards the latter part of the draft.
Here is a look at the top-3 tight ends, offensive lineman, defensive ends and defensive tackles in the 2008 NFL Draft. Check back next week for this year's top linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties.
Tight Ends
1) Fred Davis, Sr., USC - Davis was the go-to receiving option for the Trojans this season. He was a security blanket for the USC quarterbacks on underneath routes, with his excellent route-running ability. Davis lacks ideal height, measuring in at just over 6-foot-2, his in-line blocking is adequate, not great, but he has the athletic and pass-catching ability that teams covet from the tight end position that could ultimately sneak him into the bottom of the first round.
2) John Carlson, Sr., Notre Dame - Carlson had a dominating junior campaign with Brady Quinn as his quarterback but in 2007, like the rest of the Irish, he had a bad year. He seriously considered entering the draft last year and probably would have been a late first-round pick. Now, following a down year, he will need to have an outstanding workout to have any hope of getting back to that point. Aside from being a good receiving threat, Carlson is also a good blocker and after teams look at the tape from his junior year, he will probably end up being picked in the middle of the second round.
3) Martellus Bennett, Jr., Texas A&M - Bennett Jr. made a bad decision coming out early as he probably would have entered his senior year competing for the top spot at his position. At this point, he is a distant third behind Davis and Carlson. An outstanding collegiate player for the Aggies, his size (6-foot-7, 255 pounds) immediately jumps out at you when you watch him. The problem is, that doesn't translate to the field as a dominant blocker and while Bennett has good receiving skills, he isn't as fluid of an athlete as he is hyped to be. He will probably come off the board late in the second or early third round.
Offensive Line
1) Jake Long, Sr., Michigan - He stayed in school last year despite being a definite first round pick and it paid off. Now Long is certain to be picked in the top-5 and is even in consideration by the Dolphins for the No. 1 pick. He proved this past year that aside from being a dominant run blocker he can neutralize the opposition's best pass rusher, allowing only one sack all season to the second-best defensive end in this class, Ohio State's Vernon Gholston.
2) Ryan Clady, Jr., Boise State - An outstanding pass blocker for the Broncos, he is what NFL scouts love in a left tackle. Blessed with the agility and quickness to keep up with speed rushers off the edge, Clady needs to improve his strength and bulk. Right now he is best suited for a zone-blocking team like the Denver Broncos but he has a lot of upside and the latest he will go is the 13th pick to the Panthers.
3) Chris Williams, Sr., Vanderbilt - An under-the-radar guy with casual fans, Williams has all the tools it takes to be a very good left tackle in the NFL. He has great size (6-foot-6, 320 pounds) and the athletic ability to be efficient in the run game and shut down pass rushers. After his workout at the Combine, don't be surprised if Williams ultimately comes off the board in the mid-to-late first round range.
Defensive End
1) Chris Long, Sr., Virginia - One of the top-3 players in this entire class. Long is everything you want in a football player. He comes from great bloodlines with his father being Hall-of-Famer Howie Long, but Chris has made a name for himself on the gridiron. The prototype 3-4 defensive end who can shut down the run and clog up lanes while also bringing heat on the quarterback, Long is more than capable of playing in a 4-3 on the strong side. His motor is non-stop, and combine that with his amazing strength and athletic ability and you have a guy that should not fall out of the top-4 in this draft.
2) Vernon Gholston, Jr., Ohio State - Great off the edge, Gholston can play as a defensive end in a 4-3 or be an outside linebacker in a 3-4. He was a monster for the Buckeyes this season and was the only player to get a sack on Jake Long. With the versatility that he brings to the table and the excellent workouts which are expected from him, Gholston should go, at latest, to the Patriots who own the seventh pick in the draft.
3) Phillip Merling, Jr., Clemson - Another under-the-radar guy from the major college ranks, Merling is a steady all-around performer who can get to the quarterback and has the size to stop the run. He was overshadowed by last year's No. 4 overall pick Gaines Adams who played on the other side of him last season but Merling is a big-time player who should hear his name called in the middle of the first round.
Defensive Tackle
1) Glenn Dorsey, Sr., LSU - Dorsey is a beast. He has everything you want in a standout defensive tackle. Dorsey can collapse the pocket and stop the run while bringing great leadership and intangibles to his team. He has been dinged with injuries throughout his senior season and career but if he stays healthy he is about as sure a pick you are ever going to find at the defensive tackle spot. He will not fall out of the top-3.
2) Sedrick Ellis, Sr., USC - Ellis is a very close second to Dorsey. He is a sparkplug in the middle of the defense, is almost impossible to block and knows how to get after the quarterback. His speed and quickness for a big guy is amazing. If it were any other year, Ellis would be securely in the top-5, but with Dorsey in the mix, he will still go the top-10 just not as high.
3) Pat Sims, Jr., Auburn - A relative unknown, many experts have North Carolina's Kentwan Balmer here, but he was a one-year wonder who never lived up to his ability before this year and was still inconsistent at times. Sims on the other hand is a solid all-around defensive tackle who can bring some pressure from the inside while also being stout against the run. Look for him to come off the board in the late first or early second round.
Mike Mauro's NFL Draft column runs every Friday. He can be reached at Michael.Mauro@UConn.edu.
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