NFL Draft — Offensive Linemen

Athlon Sports’ 2008 NFL Mock Draft and Top 100 prospect database will be unveiled on Friday, Feb. 15. Until then, we will be taking a look back at the past five NFL Drafts — with a position-by-position breakdown of the players taken in the Top 100 and first round, along with a sneak preview of the 2008 NFL Draft class.

Building Blocks

It cannot be repeated enough — games are won or lost in the trenches. And offensively, that means giving a quarterback time to throw and opening holes for a running back to run through.

An offensive line unit that does its job at a high level can make average players good, good players great and great players historic (think a regular season Tom Brady or a rookie Adrian Peterson).

Protecting a starting quarterback’s blindside is one of the most important jobs in the NFL. For this reason, dominant left tackles (for right-handed passers) are deemed to be nearly as valuable as the faces of the franchise they are paid to protect.

On Draft Day, this value becomes clear. There is usually at least one left tackle taken in the Top 10, if not in the Top 5. Along with a championship quarterback, cover corner and sack-artist defensive end, a franchise left tackle is nearly the hardest spot to fill on an NFL roster. A left tackle must have enormous size, overpowering strength and feet so quick they don’t make sense on a man with so much size and strength.

The 2008 NFL Draft offensive tackle class has several first-round candidates, led by Michigan mauler Jake Long. After that, a group including Boise State’s Ryan Clady, USC’s Sam Baker, Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah, Boston College’s Gosder Cherilus and Vanderbilt’s Chris Williams will all try to keep the first round directly in front of them.

	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003
1st Round	3	1	2	2	3
Top 100	9	9	7	5	7

Over the past five years, an average of eight offensive tackles have been selected in the Top 100 picks — which is roughly the first three rounds — of the NFL Draft. Of those, an average of two offensive tackles per year have been first-round choices.

In the mid-1990's, franchise left tackles were can't-miss prospects like Ohio State's Orlando Pace (No. 1 to Rams in 1997), USC's Tony Boselli (No. 2 to Jaguars in 1995) and UCLA's Jonathan Ogden (No. 4 to Ravens in 1996). That was a three-year golden era.

Since then, there have been some swings-and-misses. But nothing to rival the top tackle in the 1989 NFL Draft — Michigan State's Tony Mandarich. Arguably the biggest bust in draft history, Mandarich was taken No. 2 overall by the Packers, ahead of Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders (No. 3 to Lions), Alabama defensive end Derrick Thomas (No. 4 to Chiefs) and Florida State cornerback Deion Sanders (No. 5 to Falcons).

2007	Player, School	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Joe Thomas, Wisconsin Levi Brown, Penn State Joe Staley, Central Michigan	Browns (3) Cardinals (5) 49ers (28)
Top 100	Arron Sears, Tennessee Tony Ugoh, Arkansas James Marten, Boston College Ryan Harris, Notre Dame Marshal Yanda, Iowa Mario Henderson, Florida State	Bucs (35) Colts (42) Cowboys (67) Broncos (70) Ravens (86) Raiders (91)

Thomas was an immediate starter at left tackle, protecting the blindside of quarterback Derek Anderson and paving the way for a 1,300-yard rushing resurgence from Jamal Lewis. After a 10-win season, Thomas finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting (losing 46.5-to-3.5 to Vikings running back Adrian Peterson) and  earned a trip to Hawaii as one of only three rookies invited to the Pro Bowl.

Brown was strictly a pick out of necessity. Desperate for a tackle to keep young franchise quarterback Matt Leinart on his feet for the foreseeable future and unable to pick Thomas, the Cards took Brown. There was even discussion before the draft that Arizona's offensive line staff, led by Russ Grimm, had Brown graded higher than Thomas. But that may have been a P.R. move to prepare the fan base for an inevitable choice.

The 49ers traded up to draft Staley, who was adequate as a rookie but probably not worth the price San Fran paid to move up. Thinking they were only a few pieces away from the playoffs, the Niners traded this year's first-round pick (No. 7 overall) to the Patriots.

Luckily, San Francisco acquired Indianapolis' first-round pick (No. 29 overall) in exchange for last year's second round pick. The Colts selected Ugoh, a raw but athletic project who replaced retired left tackle Tarik Glenn as Peyton Manning's blindside bodyguard.

2006	Player, School	Team (Pick)
1st Round	D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Virginia	Jets (4)
Top 100	Winston Justice, USC Daryn Colledge, Boise State Marcus McNeill, Auburn Andrew Whitworth, LSU Jeremy Trueblood, Boston College Charles Spencer, Pittsburgh Eric Winston, Miami Rashad Butler, Miami	Eagles (39) Packers (47) Chargers (50) Bengals (55) Bucs (59) Texans (65) Texans (66) Panthers (89)

Ferguson has not been a disappointment, but he has not been as dominant as hoped. One pre-draft knock on Brick was a lack of that aggressive killer instinct all great tackles need. That may be a warranted concern for a gentle giant who is well-spoken and well-liked.

Mountain McNeill certainly has the ability to finish off plays with angry authority. Leading the way for L.T.'s record-breaking 2006 season, McNeill earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie and has continued to be an overpowering presence on the line for one of the most talented teams in the AFC.

2005	Player, School	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Jammal Brown, Oklahoma Alex Barron, Florida State	Saints (13) Rams (19)
Top 100	Michael Roos, Eastern Washington Marcus Johnson, Ole Miss Khalif Barnes, Washington Adam Terry, Syracuse Chris Colmer, NC State	Titans (41) Vikings (49) Jaguars (52) Ravens (64) Bucs (91)

Brown has been solid, going to the Pro Bowl after the Saints marched all the way to the NFC title game following the 2006 season.

Barron has started each of his seasons in the league as second-fiddle to former No. 1 overall pick, Super Bowl XXXIV winner and future Hall of Fame left tackle Orlando Pace. But following consecutive season-ending injuries, Pace may not be as hungry for pancakes as he once was. If that is the case, Barron will be leaned on as the main man. If the Rams don't think he's up for the job, there's a chance that Michigan's Jake Long will fall to the Rams at No. 2 overall in this year's draft.

Roos doesn't get much attention in small-market Nashville. But when fans see V.Y. running around on Sunday night highlights, it's not because he's under pressure from his blindside. Roos is one of the top young left tackles in the NFL and will eventually get his due credit from Pro Bowl voters.

2004	Player, School	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Robert Gallery, Iowa Vernon Carey, Miami	Raiders (2) Dolphins (19)
Top 100	Jacob Rogers, USC Max Starks, Florida Travelle Wharton, South Carolina	Cowboys (52) Steelers (75) Panthers (94)

Gallery is the poster child for the new Silver-and-Bleak dynasty. With the second overall pick in arguably the best draft class of the past five years, Al Davis found a way to miss. And considering Gallery's tremendous athletic ability and production upon entering the league, who's to say the fault doesn't lie with the Raiders organization.

One thing is certain — 13 of the 22 picks after Gallery have been to the Pro Bowl. That list includes Super Bowl XL winning Steelers gunslinger Ben Roethlisberger (No. 11), Cardinals jump baller Larry Fitzgerald (No. 3), Chargers trash-talker Philip Rivers (No. 4), deceased Redskins renegade Sean Taylor (No. 5), Browns sonuva-Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow (No. 6), Lions wide-out Roy Williams (No. 7), Falcons fastest man DeAngelo Hall (No. 8), Patriots immovable mountain Vince Wilfork (No. 21) and battering Ram runner Steven Jackson (No. 24) — just to name a few.

The point of that roll call — which left out Jonathan Vilma, Tommie Harris, Shawn Andrews and Will Smith — is that the Raider Nation could not have had No. 1 overall pick and Super Bowl XLII MVP Eli Manning, but they could have had any number of impact players. Instead, they chose supposed franchise left tackle Gallery, who has bounced back and forth from tackle to guard during his disappointing run in Oakland.

No one would be surprised if Gallery moved out of the Bay Area when his contract was up and went on to have a successful second-half of his career. The Black Hole is not just a section of the stands anymore. Then again, the "eye in the sky don't lie" — Gallery is not a left tackle at this point in his career.

2003	Player, School	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Jordan Gross, Utah George Foster, Georgia Kwame Harris, Stanford	Panthers (8) Broncos (20) 49ers (26)
Top 100	Jon Stinchcomb, Georgia Seth Wand, NW Missouri State Wade Smith, Memphis Courtney Van Buren, Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Saints (37) Texans (75) Dolphins (78) Chargers (80)

Nothing to rant about here, but nothing spectacular either. Gross has been a solid starter and will likely test the free agent waters this offseason.

Of the two Georgia tackles taken, Foster has been the more disappointing in two cities, going from Denver to Detroit as part of the Dre Bly trade last offseason. Stinchcomb has been what everyone expected. After struggling with injuries and playing time early on, Stinchcomb became a starting right tackle who has played every game for the Saints the past two seasons.

Bodyguards and Centerpieces

Historically, interior offensive linemen — guards and centers — are not as valuable as the bookends at either side (especially the blindside) of the line. But when rare talent meets team need, there is first-round value in a dominant interior offensive lineman.

Depending on the particular offense, guards need to be powerful run blockers with the ability to pull as oversized fullbacks on certain plays. Obviously, a center must be reliable, intelligent and coordinated enough for the difficult task of snapping the ball, looking up and immediately blocking a 300-plus pound defensive lineman or blitzing linebacker.

The guard and center class is not as strong as it has been in recent years. But USC guard Chilo Rachal could work his way into the mix late in round one.

	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003
1st Round	1 (G) 0 (C)	1 (G) 1 (C)	1 (G) 1 (C)	1 (G) 0 (C)	0 (G) 1 (C)
Top 100	3 (G) 2 (C)	4 (G) 4 (C)	5 (G) 3 (C)	5 (G) 3 (C)	4 (G) 3 (C)

Over the past five years, an average of four guards and three centers have been selected in the Top 100 picks — which is roughly the first three rounds — of the NFL Draft. Of those, an average of one guard and one center per year have been first-round choices.

2007	Player, School (Pos.)	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Ben Grubbs, Auburn (G)	Ravens (29)
Top 100	Justin Blalock, Texas (G) Ryan Kalil, USC (C) Samson Satele (C) Andy Alleman, Akron (G)	Falcons (39) Panthers (59) Dolphins (60) Saints (88)

Grubbs was the road-grader he was supposed to be, stepping right in and opening holes for Willis McGahee's 1,200-yard first year in Baltimore. Satele outplayed Kalil as a rookie, serving as one of the few bright spots on a 1–15 Dolphins team that started the season with an 0–13 record.

2006	Player, School (Pos.)	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Davin Joseph, Oklahoma (G) Nick Mangold, Ohio State (C)	Bucs (23) Jets (29)
Top 100	Deuce Lutui, USC (G) Ryan Cook, New Mexico (C) Chris Chester, Oklahoma (C) Paul McQuistan, Weber State (G) Jason Spitz, Louisville (C) Max Jean-Gilles, Georgia (G)	Cardinals (41) Vikings (51) Ravens (56) Raiders (69) Packers (75) Eagles (99)

Mangold has played better than fellow Jets 2006 first-round offensive lineman, tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Joseph and Lutui were immediate impacts on lines desperately needing help.

2005	Player, School (Pos.)	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Chris Spencer, Ole Miss (C) Logan Mankins, Fresno State (G)	Seahawks (26) Patriots (32)
Top 100	David Baas, Michigan (C) Evan Mathis, Alabama (G) Richie Incognito, Nebraska (C) Trai Essex, Northwestern (G) Adam Snyder, Oregon (G) Nick Kaczur, Toledo (G)	49ers (33) Panthers (79) Rams (81) Steelers (93) 49ers (94) Patriots (100)

Mankins raised eyebrows on Draft Day, as a universal "Who?" was mumbled after the Super Bowl champion Patriots closed out the first round by taking a low-profile guard from Fresno State. But the Pats were right, as Mankins has developed into the top performer on a line that was arguably the best unit in the league until a Super Bowl XLII meltdown against a powerful Giants defensive front.

2004	Player, School (Pos.)	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Shawn Andrews, Arkansas (G)	Eagles (16)
Top 100	Chris Snee, Boston College (G) Jake Grove, Virginia Tech (C) Justin Smiley, Alabama (G) Nick Hardwick, Purdue (C) Stephen Peterman, LSU (G) Sean Locklear, NC State (G) Alex Stepanovich, Ohio State (C)	Giants (34) Raiders (45) 49ers (46) Chargers (66) Cowboys (83) Seahawks (84) Cardinals (100)

Andrews and Snee were both college tackles who were drafted to play guard in the NFL. Andrews is a Pro Bowler and Snee is a Super Bowl champion son-in-law of Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Hardwick also deserves mention, as a Pro Bowl center for the Bolts.

2003	Player, School (Pos.)	Team (Pick)
1st Round	Jeff Faine, Notre Dame (C)	Browns (21)
Top 100	Eric Steinbach, Iowa (G) Al Johnson, Wisconsin (C) Bruce Nelson, Iowa (C) Vince Manuwai, Hawaii (G) Derrick Dockery, Texas (G) Taylor Whitley, Texas A&M (G)	Bengals (33) Cowboys (38) Panthers (50) Jaguars (72) Redskins (81) Dolphins (87)

Steinbach went from Cincy to Cleveland, joining first-round pick tackle Joe Thomas to form one of the league's strongest left sides. After battling injuries as a rookie with the Browns, Faine has stepped up his game since being traded to the Saints in 2006 and was named a Pro Bowl alternate after this season.

Keep checking AthlonSports.com for ongoing NFL Draft coverage:

Safeties Cornerbacks Linebackers Defensive Ends Defensive Tackles Offensive Linemen Tight Ends Wide Receivers Running Backs Quarterbacks 2008 NFL Mock Draft

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