Mike's Second Take on the IOL position ...
Who's stock has risen and why?
Kendrick Green, Illinois (6-4, 315 lbs.) - Green posted numbers at Illinois' Pro Day that demanded a look back at his on-field performance the last three seasons. That's a natural reaction when a prospect that's north of 300 pounds runs a 4.85 40 (that's in the 99th percentile among interior offensive lineman according to Pro Football Focus), posts a vertical leap of 351/2" and manages 9'11" in the broad jump.
After further review, Green is officially intriguing. Against Nebraska he drove a defender 13 yards from the line of scrimmage, give or take a couple, and then finished with a pancake. And when he wasn't blocking with ferocity, Green was captured on camera on sidelines or in tunnels dancing, gesturing, jumping and/or clapping, all of which betrayed the joy with which the 2020 First-Team All-Big Ten and Second-Team All-America plays.
Green, a former football and baseball player and wrestler in high school, arrived at Illinois as a defensive lineman but switched to offensive line after his freshman redshirt season. He started 33 consecutive games, 29 at guard and four at center, in his three on-field seasons for the Illini, but for some reason looks like a center as he prepares to enter the NFL.
That might have something to do with Green having worn No. 53 at Illinois.
Green is Brugler's No. 4 prospect at center.
Other Notes: Wisconsin-Whitewater's Quinn Meinerz (6-27/8, 320 lbs.) isn't just a feel-good Senior Bowl story or even a sleeper any longer, not after a 4.99 40, a 32" vertical and a 9'3" broad jump. "He just cemented it with the numbers he posted," Jeremiah announced. "It's hard to find big guys that can move like him and sink and bend like him. He's going to go in the second round." The Division III comparison Jeremiah mentioned was Ali Marpet, a second-round pick by Tampa Bay out of Hobart in 2015. Marpet started 13 games at guard for the Bucs in 2020. Jeremiah maintained Meinerz, a guard who taught himself center in advance of the draft, is "gonna go higher than Marpet went at 61 (overall),"
Mike's First Take on the IOL position ...
#5 - Trey Smith, Tennessee (6-5, 333 lbs.) - Smith has had to deal with a serious medical issue, blood clots in his lungs, during his time at Tennessee, and the accompanying concerns will have to be satisfied. But his coach at the Senior Bowl, Carolina's Matt Rhule, came away impressed. "He's overcome a lot," Rhule told ESPNU at the Senior Bowl. "He's been really good this week. And you see a lot of power. You see a guy that can win in the pass game and also win up front in the run game. I've been impressed with him." ESPN analyst Todd McShay envisions Smith as a Day 2 pick, assuming the medical checks out.
#4 - Wyatt Davis, Ohio State (6-4, 315 lbs.) - He's a grandson of NFL Hall-of-Fame defensive end Willie Davis. And if you watch one of Ohio State's numerous touchdown runs over the last couple of seasons, it's not hard to spot the running back cutting behind a block from the right guard, No. 52, or blasting through a hole opened by No. 52. Davis earned his two first-team AP All-American designations at guard in Columbus. And he's played with the best, against the best on the biggest of stages. Plug and play.
#3 - Alex Leatherwood, Alabama (6-5, 313 lbs.) - Leatherwood was a guard in 2018 and Alabama's left tackle the past two seasons. His performance during Senior Bowl week and his relative struggles with speed rushers outside gave credence to the theory being bandied about by some that he projects better as a guard. He'd rather be a tackle but he's big and powerful and well-suited to excel at guard should a move inside be forthcoming. He won the Outland Trophy in 2020 and he's done it all against all comers, but given the massive expectations he didn't quite deliver as advertised in Mobile, Ala.
#2 - Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC (6-4, 315 lbs.) - Another left tackle in college who appears destined for guard in the NFL. Vera-Tucker was a guard in 2019 before moving to tackle in 2020's abbreviated, six-game campaign. His competitiveness and athleticism are apparent at either position. Vera-Tucker won the Morris Trophy, which is given annually to the Pac-12's best offensive lineman. It is voted on by the Pac-12's defensive linemen.
#1 - Landon Dickerson, Alabama (6-5, 344 lbs.) - Dickerson won the Rimington Trophy as college football's best center in 2020. The only concern is the torn ACL he suffered in SEC Championship Game (Dickerson attended Senior Bowl week but didn't participate). It's a significant concern, but probably the only concern. Beyond the stuff you can measure and the on-tape ability, Dickerson oozes intangibles. A transfer from Florida State, Dickerson arrived at Alabama and "instantly became the leader of that offensive line," McShay assessed during Senior Bowl week. "He was the Alpha dog and he did it very quickly. The respect they have for Dickerson is unparalleled." Dickerson had this to say to the NFL Network about his philosophical approach to the game at the Senior Bowl: "Really, when I'm on the field I just want to make whoever I'm playing against wish they didn't play football, that's as simple as that."
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