2021 Draft Board: Interior Offensive Lineman

Go check out my 2021 Quarterback Draft Board article if you want to get more background information on how this all works. I’m just going to jump right into the top five and the board.

TOP FIVE GUARDS

1) Rashawn Slater (Northwestern)

Analysis: Slater is very talented, not just in his blocking abilities, but also athletically. His reported 4.88 forty should show that (though it seemed like everyone was running fast when the first pro days were going). His arms measured in at 33” which is below the preferred 33.25” for an Offensive Tackle, and that’s why he’s on my Guard list instead. I still think he should go decently high, especially if a team has needs at both spots, Slater could try out for Tackle and if he isn’t able to make it work he can move inside, no harm no foul.

2) Alijah Vera-Tucker (USC)

Analysis: He had a solid pro day testing session. His 36 reps on the bench matched Samuel Cosmi at the top of the board for the Guards, but that’s about the only area he really went above and beyond. The good news is, the rest of his numbers didn’t hurt him in any way, so his tape can do the actual talking. And that’s the reason he’s able to snag the #2 spot on my top five.

3) Samuel Cosmi (Texas)

Analysis: There were two Guards this year who had athletic test results that have turned into a 100% success rate in the pros, Cosmi is one of the two. He played Tackle at Texas, but like Slater his arm length (33”) will likely force him inside, though again I’d be willing to try him at Tackle first if I were the team drafting him. There were also questions about his technique playing outside against technically sound pass rushers, a move inside to Guard could help minimize his deficiencies in that area.

4) Quinn Meinerz (UW Whitewater)

Analysis: Meinerz is the other Guard who’s athletic test results were a part of that 100% success rate in the pros. Crazy to think that the guy out of the dinky little DIII school with the big ol’ belly (not sure what I’m talking about go look for video of him at the Senior Bowl), put up the crazy pro day numbers that he did (4.95 forty, 32” vert, 111” broad, 4.47 short shuttle, 7.33 3-cone). He’d be on my radar toward the end of the first round if I were a team with a big need at Guard, and there’s no way I’d let him make it through the second round, regardless of the level of talent he played in college.

5) Wyatt Davis (Ohio State)

Analysis: One of the leaders on that Ohio State Offensive Line that performed so well over the past few seasons. He was unable to perform at his pro day and that’s why I let the two who blew their tests out of the water (Cosmi and Meinerz) slide in front of him. I wouldn’t disagree with him being the third Guard off the board though.

Sleeper: Brenden Jaimes (Nebraska)

Analysis: Jaimes was a Tackle at Nebraska, but his short arm length measurement moved him over to Guard (similar to Cosmi and Slater, but Jaimes’ arms were shorter than theirs). Jaimes had a solid starting career for Nebraska and his athletic testing results suggest that a move inside to Guard should benefit him as a pro.

TOP FIVE CENTERS

1) Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma)

Analysis: Humphrey’s freshman year he played on a loaded Oklahoma Offensive Line and I remember watching a game about mid-season where the announcer said that Humphrey was the best player on that O-Line despite being just a freshman. That stuck with me. It seemed like every time I watched an Oklahoma game after that Humphrey was a rock in the center of it (well almost every one, there were times he struggled against Alabama later that same year). He’s been my #1 Center since before the 2020 season kicked off and he’s not going anywhere now.

2) Josh Myers (Ohio State)

Analysis: Myers was the other major focal point on that Ohio State O-Line. He was phenomenal enough to make a run at the #1 spot on this list. But unlike Humphrey, Myers wasn’t able to perform at his pro day making it difficult to assess his athleticism.

3) Drew Dalman (Stanford)

Analysis: After originally being unable to perform at his pro day due to COVID, he held a follow-up pro day and blew the tests out of the water (5.05 forty, 33 reps on the bench, 33” vertical, 109” broad, 4.51 short shuttle, 7.33 3-cone). His weight was a little bit of a concern (299 pounds), but it doesn’t hurt him in my factors, and those 33 reps on the bench should help alleviate some of the concerns over his upper-body strength. I also love the types of guys David Shaw recruits and what he is able to do with them at Stanford.

4) Landon Dickerson (Alabama)

Analysis: A lot of people have Dickerson ranked number one at this position because of his talent, but you can’t rank them based on talent alone. The major factor working against Dickerson is the fact that he suffered two ankle injuries and two knee injuries during the five years he was at Florida State and Alabama. I’ve said it in the past and I’ll say it again, your best ability is availability.

5) Jimmy Morrissey (Pittsburgh)

Analysis: Morrissey is a lesser talked about commodity at the position. He’s smart, and he managed to start all four years at a power five conference school. But the thing that really helped boost him up my board is the fact that the Vertical Jump and Short Shuttle are the two tests that help point to success at Center the most, both of which Morrissey put up pretty good numbers (31” Vertical at 303 pounds, and a 4.47 short shuttle).

Sleeper: Ryan McCollum (Texas A&M)

Analysis: His athletic testing was a little troubling (he did just barely enough to avoid being removed from my draft board) but a lot of Texas A&M’s success from this past season was thanks to their Offensive Line. And that shows in the number of players you’ll see on each of my O-Line Draft Boards (4). McCollum played a big role in that at the pivot.

SURPRISING LEFT OFF

Jalen Mayfield, Liam Eichenberg and Brady Christensen are three names who have been spoken of highly at the Tackle position. All three of them were removed from my Tackle board and put on my Guard board after their arm lengths came in under 33.25” (Mayfield - 32.63”, Eichenberg - 32.38”, and Christensen - 32.25”). Christensen came super close to making my top five at Guard, but I ultimately decided to stick with Wyatt Davis. Mayfield and Eichenberg did not come close.

OG DRAFT BOARD
* = Player has a factor that has led to a 100% success rate (so far)

My Guard Draft Board

C DRAFT BOARD

My Center Draft Board

REMOVED FROM DRAFT BOARD

For each position there are players who either had a red flag in their college production or athletic testing (or both) that led to them being removed from my draft board. These are referred to as negative factors and can lead to one of two labels: Depleted or Empty. In order for a player to receive a Depleted label, they had to have a negative factor that significantly decreased the chances of success in players who had that same factor from 2009-2018. In order for a player to receive an Empty label, they had to have a negative factor that led to zero successful players who had that same factor from 2009-2018. There were two Centers and four Guards removed from my boards.

Adrian Ealy (Oklahoma) - Empty

Deonte Brown (Alabama) - Empty

Drake Jackson (Kentucky) - Empty

Jack Anderson (Texas Tech) - Empty

Jake Curhan (California) - Empty

Michal Menet (Penn State) - Empty