Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
TOP FIVE OFFENSIVE LINE PROSPECTS
1 IKEM EKWONU NORTH CAROLINA STATE
He is consistently blasting defenders off the line of scrimmage in the run game to the point that there is almost some degree of guilt watching the poor guys on film. He is still a work in progress in the passing game, though he showed vast improvement this year, and that upward trajectory should continue. Ekwonu’s run dominance would allow him to also excel at guard, but he should be a franchise left tackle.
2 EVAN NEAL ALABAMA
He was able to play several positions throughout his time with Nick Saban and excel at all of them. Neal is incredibly explosive for such a massive human being, though he can sometimes get a bit exuberant and off balance coming out of his stance. His physical gifts are off the charts. He should play tackle in the NFL.
3 KENYON GREEN TEXAS A&M
He was put in the tough position of having to play every spot on the line except center this season, which may have been partly responsible for a rash of penalties that were a bit concerning. Once he settled in at left guard, he looked phenomenal. Green should find a home there early in his career.
4 TYLER LINDERBAUM IOWA
It’s very difficult to find much of a weakness in his game film, particularly this season as he truly started to dominate on a consistent basis for the Hawkeyes. One potential concern could be a lack of versatility. He is likely to be only a center in the NFL and will best be utilized in a zone run scheme that puts him on the move and allows him to take advantage of his athleticism.
5 CHARLES CROSS MISSISSIPPI STATE
He’s higher than this on many lists and could push his way up near the first 10 picks if some team falls in love with him. They very well could. Cross has all the traits, and coaches might salivate over his vast improvement this season. But Mike Leach’s passheavy system isn’t the best for preparing an offensive lineman to play in the NFL, so there will be a real adjustment period.