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NEWS AND INFORMATION ON THE NFL DRAFT |
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NEWS AND INFORMATION ON THE NFL DRAFT |
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2012 DRAFT PREVIEW: OGs and CsOverview: Most draft years the
interior offensive linemen play a distant - and in many cases a very
distant - poor cousin to the OTs, but 2012 may be something of an
exception as their appear to be relatively strong potential groups at
both OG and C for the upcoming draft. Stanford junior OG David
DeCastro, for example, is a legitimate mid-first round candidate who is
considered to be among the best pure interior offensive line prospect
to come along in a while, while Iowa State OG Kelechi Osemele is a
massive road grader who figures to be part of the late-opening round
discussion this year. And the OG class could be really intriguing if
any of juniors Barrett Jones of Alabama, Miami's Brandon Washington
and/or Larry Warford of Kentucky, each of whom also has at least
early-to-mid-second day credentials, join fellow underclassman DeCastro
in the 2012 draft field. There should also be a number of solid
mid-round type veteran OGs this coming draft year led by senniors such
as Ryan Miller of Colorado,
Cordy Glenn of Georgia, and Kevin Zeitler of Wisconsin. The OG will
also have excellent depth as there are a number of decent prospects at
the position including Al Netter of Northwestern,Nebraska's Marcel
Jones, Trevor Robinson of Notre Dame, David Smith of Clemson and
Rutgers' Art Forst with the size and small-area quickness to play at
the next level.
There could also be a relatively strong C group at the upcoming draft, especially if Wisconsin junior C Peter Konz opts to leave school early and enter the 2012 draft. In fact, Konz has a chance to follow in the footsteps of the Pouncey twins and make it three years in a row that a C is selected in the top 15-20 picks. Meawhile, senior C Michael Bewster of Ohio State and Georgia's Ben Jones have legitimate later-first round size and skills. However, the likely won't be the same depth at C as at OG this year as there is a real drop-ff after the first 2-3 prospects at the position. One problem is that there isn't a lot of real size at the position as most of the second-tier Cs are only in the 300 pounds or less range. There are at least a couple of exceptions though in Phillip Blake of Baylor and Scott Wedige of Northern Illinois, a pair of 315-pounderswho can move the pile. Blake, in particular, could be something of a sleeper; he's a Canadian who has alraedy been drafted by Montreal of the CFL, but would like to folleow in the footsteps of former teammate and countryman Danny Watkins who was a first-round pick by Philadelphia this past April. In fact, this year's interior offensive line class has a distinctly Canadian flavor as UConn C Moe Petrus also hails from north of the border as does Virginia OG Austin Pasztor. Top 20 OG Prospects
Top 10 C Prospects
If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail the Editor, Great Blue North Draft Report. The GBN can also be reached by phone at (613) 692-1088 or regular mail at 320 Shadehill Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2J 0L6. Great Blue North Draft Report Privacy Policy. The GREAT BLUE NORTH DRAFT REPORT is a division of SQUITERLAND ENTERPRISES, Ottawa, Ontario,Canada |