This year's crop is much like the glut of defensive linemen: belligerent and numerous. There are a few likely top-10 picks, but the real strength of this year's lineman class will be in its depth into the middle rounds. We'll get you caught up on some of the big names to keep an eye on next week. The offensive linemen will take the field for drills on Saturday, February 23rd, the first day of on-field testing.
Top Prospects
There are a number of players expected to go in the first round, including tackles Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M), Eric Fisher (Central Michigan), D.J. Fluker (Alabama), and Lane Johnson (Oklahoma). Guards likely to go early include Chance Warmack (Alabama) and Jonathan Cooper (North Carolina). Travis Frederick (Wisconsin) and Barrett Jones (Alabama) are the top centers in this year's draft.
Mid-Round Sleepers
At center, keep an eye on Khaled Holmes (USC). Larry Warford (Kentucky) and Justin Pugh (Syracuse) could be solid finds at guard. Tackle is an exceptionally deep class, so much so that Ricky Wagner (Wisconsin), who was graded in the first round before his senior season, might fall into the fifth or sixth round.
Best Names
There aren't as many great names on the offensive line as on defense, but there are still a few. My personal favorites are Oday Aboushi (Virginia), Manase Foketi (West Texas A&M), and Matt Stankiewitch (Penn State).
Most Random School
Has anyone out there ever heard of Azusa Pacific University? Aparently it is a small Christian college in Azusa, California, which is about 15 miles east of Pasadena or 25 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. APU is a member of the NAIA. Luke Marquardt is the school's sole representative, and though he'll likely go undrafted he's an interesting physical specimen, standing 6'9" and weighs 312 pounds.
Player | School |
Aboushi, Oday | Virginia |
Allen, Zach | NC State |
Armstead, Terron | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
Baca, Jeff | UCLA |
Bailey, Alvin | Arkansas |
Bakhtiari, David | Colorado |
Barker, Chris | Nevada |
Becton, Nick | Virginia Tech |
Bond, Travis | North Carolina |
Brown, Braden | BYU |
Cave, Braxston | Notre Dame |
Cleary, Emmett | Boston College |
Cooper, Jonathan | North Carolina |
Devey, Jordan | Memphis |
Faulk, Chris | LSU |
Fisher, Eric | Central Michigan |
Fluker, D.J. | Alabama |
Foketi, Manase | West Texas A&M |
Fragel, Reid | Ohio State |
Frederick, Travis | Wisconsin |
Gaines, Rogers | Tennessee State |
Gilkey, Garrett | Chadron State |
Hawkinson, Tanner | Kansas |
Herman, Eric | Ohio |
Holmes, Khaled | USC |
Jackson, Mark | Glenville State |
Joeckel, Luke | Texas A&M |
Johnson, T.J. | South Carolina |
Johnson, Lane | Oklahoma |
Johnson, Oscar | Louisiana Tech |
Johnson-Webb, Jamaal | Alabama A&M |
Jones, Barrett | Alabama |
Kugbila, Edmund | Valdosta State |
Lonergan, P.J. | LSU |
Long, Kyle | Oregon |
Madsen, Joe | West Virginia |
Mady, Lamar | Youngstown State |
Marquardt, Luke | Azusa Pacific |
Milhim, Stephane | Massachusetts-Amherst |
Mills, Jordan | Louisiana Tech |
Nixon, Xavier | Florida |
Painter, Vince | Virginia Tech |
Pugh, Justin | Syracuse |
Quessenberry, David | San Jose State |
Schwenke, Brian | California |
Stankiewitch, Matt | Penn State |
Thomas, Dallas | Tennessee |
Thornton, Hugh | Illinois |
Tretter, J.C. | Cornell |
Wagner, Ricky | Wisconsin |
Warford, Larry | Kentucky |
Warmack, Chance | Alabama |
Watford, Earl | James Madison |
Watson, Menelik | Florida State |
Weaver, Jason | Southern Miss |
Wetzel, John | Boston College |
Williams, Brennan | North Carolina |
Winters, Brian | Kent State |
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