FROM WES BUNTING:
This week, the National Football Post is taking a look at prospects who seem to be moving up drafts boards as the big day approaches. In Part II of our On the Rise series, we break down some of the nation’s fastest-rising offensive and defensive linemen.
In addition, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to register for the National Football Post’s “2009 Draft Challenge” for a chance to win a 42-inch flat screen television! Click Here.
OT Phil Trautwein, Florida (6-6, 308)
Trautwein was one of my favorite offensive linemen coming into the 2007 college season. However, he suffered a stress fracture in his foot during his senior year and elected to redshirt and return in 2008. Last season, he anchored the Florida Gators’ offensive line, starting 12 games, and was named first team All-SEC by the coaches and media. He finally looks 100 percent healthy and did a solid job at the Florida pro day, running his 40 in a time of 5.36 and posting a respectable vertical jump of 27 inches.
But it isn’t Trautwein's athletic ability that makes him so intriguing, it’s his impressive first step out of his stance and his surprisingly smooth feet in pass protection. He does a great job redirecting in space and did nicely keeping explosive SEC defensive ends from reaching the edge. Trautwein not only practiced against two former first-round picks while at Florida (Derrick Harvey and Jarvis Moss), he consistently showcased the athletic ability to handle the best pass rushers in the SEC. He still needs to learn to play with better leverage and base strength, but he has the frame, footwork and body control to become one of the surprise left tackle prospects in the draft and to me is clearly a better tackle prospect than his more publicized teammate, Jason Watkins.
OG Brandon Walker, Oklahoma (6-3, 306)
Walker, who was by far the least recognizable name on the 2008 Oklahoma offensive line, is now starting to get his due as a legitimate NFL prospect. His line mates, OG Duke Robinson, OT Phil Loadholt and C Jon Cooper, all possess draftable grades for the 2009 draft, and Walker’s partner on the right side, OT Trent Williams, is one of the nation’s top tackles in the 2010 class. Perhaps understandably, Walker never received much attention from media outlets and was consistently lost in the shuffle on the Oklahoma offensive line.
But he’s an impressive guard prospect in his own right, possessing a nasty initial punch, fluid lateral mobility and good balance in pass protection. He has the athletic ability to pull and get around the edge and does a nice job staying on blocks at the second level. He also had a standout performance at the NFL Combine, running the 40 in a time of 5.09, posting a 34-inch vertical jump and adding 26 reps on the bench. He definitely has the athletic ability to make it in a zone-blocking scheme, but he also showcases the upper and lower body strength to drive defenders off the ball. Walker looks to me like a potential starter in the NFL and has definitely been creeping his way into the latter half of the draft in recent weeks.
C Rob Bruggeman, Iowa (6-4, 293)
It was running back Shonn Greene who stole the headlines last season at Iowa, but ask Greene how much of that was due to the run blocking of first-year starting center Rob Bruggeman. Bruggeman was supposed to start in 2007, but that was before tearing his ACL and MCL during spring practice. He worked his way back in 2008 and was not only named Iowa team captain, he also garnered second team All-Big Ten honors.
He’s a big, technically sound lineman who showcases a thick upper body, good first step and the base strength to drive defenders off the ball. He’s a tough, blue-collar guy who plays with a mean streak and isn’t afraid to do the dirty work inside. Bruggeman has decent footwork in pass protection but lacks the type of athleticism to make up for a false step. However, he ran very well at the Iowa pro day (5.05), benched 225 pounds 32 times, had a vertical of 33 inches and displayed much better athleticism than many scouts anticipated. He’s one of the draft’s top run-blocking centers and could be the next Iowa offensive lineman to go relatively unnoticed but find his way into a starting role in the NFL.
DE Zach Potter, Nebraska (6-7, 279)
Potter is a tall, well-built defensive end who produced 28 tackles for loss over the past two seasons and seems to have a knack for getting his hands up at the right time and knocking down passes. When I first saw Potter on tape, I loved the way he used his length and power to consistently bull rush offensive tackles and shed blocks on the outside. It was obvious he didn’t have the first step to consistently rush off the edge, but he understood his strengths and did a great job pushing the pocket and doing whatever was necessary to irritate the quarterback.
Now, after a strong showing at the Combine, where he ran in the low 4.9 range and showcased good fluidity and balance during position drills, Potter is starting to generate some interest toward the mid/late portions of the draft. He has a long frame and possesses impressive base strength and power on contact. He’s a tough blue-collar kid who understands how to use his hands and does a nice job shedding blocks. He has the makings of a strong base end in a 4-3 scheme who may be able to slide inside and help rush the passer on third down. However, I think he’s best suited to add weight and make the move to the five-technique DE spot in a 3-4. Potter has the length, technique and motor to work his way into any scheme.
DT Vaughn Martin, Western Ontario (6-3, 331)
It isn’t often that a Canadian prospect generates this type of interest among NFL scouts, but Martin has one of the most intriguing skill sets of any defensive lineman in this year’s class. He has timed as low as 4.98 in the 40, benched 225 pounds 33 times and had a vertical jumped of 31 inches, all at 6-3 and 331 pounds. Martin played mostly DT last season but also saw some time at DE and finished the year with 36 tackles, 3½ sacks and 7½ tackles for loss.
However, it’s the potential growth and upside that Martin offers that has teams so intrigued. He has an impressive looking frame and looks closer to 300 pounds than 330. He carries his weight very well and displays natural flexibility and pad level for a guy his size. He’s also a tough, intense player who at times looks to be hitting anything that moves inside without any real direction. But he’s a smart kid who has the intelligence and work ethic to develop under NFL coaching. He possesses an awesome physical and athletic skill set and has the base strength and explosion to play in either a 4-3 or 3-4. He should hear his name called at some point toward the back end of the draft.
Hell, Belichick and Meyer are boys now too, so Trautwein isn't out of the equation either....
What level of play do you think Canadian collegiate level football equates too? Div 2? 1-AA? How many years to ramp up to the pro level?
I play college fantasy and had Joe Ganz so I watched a few Nebraska games last fall.
On defense I watched DT Suh becuase he is their big NFL prospect. But I found myself watching Potter more and more. I really like him. In the Kansas game I watched he had 1.5 sacks and an INT. He kind of reminded me of Kampman a little bit.
Nice breakdown, Wes -
Liking Martin here -
Trautwein butchered the drills at his pro day -
How about Lydon Murtha at tackle - Any thoughts on him moving up draft boards? You spoke a little bit about him in your position rankings 4 about his lack of development -
Thoughts on Louis Vasquez at guard?
Thoughts on Rhyan Anderson at defensive end?
Zach "I'm hoping to be drafted number one" Potter - Gotta love that one! :)
Wes, Thank you for all of your draft coverage this year. Your insight and multiple reports will greatly increase my enjoyment of watching the 2009 draft unfold. While of course most of the attention is paid to the top of the draft, I really appreaciate hearing about the mid and late round prospects as well.
It's really a treat to visit NFP every day and read your excellent player evaluations. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the article Wes, the NFP coverage in the build up to the draft has been outstanding, and I've especially enjoyed reading your articles.
There's a guy I like in the later rounds, Sebastian Vollmer, OT out of Houston, have you any thoughts on him?
beauli7: Good question on the Canadian Football level compared to college. I have never watched a Canadian game, so I don't want to give out any false information. If I had to guess I would say I-AA or DII like you said though. However, Martin was a big time prospect out of HS who was going to play at Michigan State. Here is a funny clip you guys might like Martin getting "tested" out by the Chargers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiYOwnpOTo
BPIMU: I did hear Trautwein did struggle with agility drills, but the guy is never going to test out well. Just looks like a football player to me. Smooth, coordinated, technical. I just think based on pure tape, he could be a solid T in the pros.
Murtha is a very gifted athlete, showed that at the combine. But doesn't play real physical and isn't the type of tough guy you would expect being a Nebraska O-lineman. The OG next to him Matt Slauson is the mad man!
Vasquez is a big framed guy with good base but I don't think he has the lateral mobility to make it. Reminds me a bit of Manuel Ramirez from a couple years ago.
as for Anderson: Former Miami kid, really impressive burst and straight-line speed for a 285 pound frame. I think he needs some work, but you don't find to many kids with his base and burst. Some even think he could lose weight and play OLB in 3-4. I would play him at DE, but an intriguing late round guy all the same.
JayR and BritPat: appreciate the kind words and just trying to help everyone get the best info for the draft.
As for Sebastian Vollmer, he has a tall, long frame, decent feet and quickness, but really struggles playing with leverage and base. I can't see him holding up real well at the point of attack.
Any thoughts on Pannel Egboh from Stanford? He had a monster junior year and looked like a day-1 prospect, and he's got good size & speed. But he had a disappointing senior year...
nice read Wes. its much better now with the guys h/w numbers.
now if you could insert the critical position-specific body measurements as in the arm lenghts of linemen or handsizes of WRs etc into your analysis it would be that much better. IMO
Potter would make good on the kick block unit for sure with the height. That would give him a year or two to develop the weight(or shed) for the system you see him trying to fit with since he's so versatile.
He should be in the fist half of day two given his motor? Mock drafts always let good ones slip but a lot of scouts have seen him he should be a "known-known" in terms of production and potential.
The biggest trouble with true wide zone Big 12 types is trying to project them to smaller splits, pulling, etc. Most of them make it as maulers but which ones possess the kind of game to expand a playbook? The Oklahoma guard could be steal in those terms. See you bringing up Ramirez as one of those from the zone style who hid lateral shortcomings in the system he played. He was one I'd have liked to see develop based on his hand quickness but the feet don't look like a match for that trait.
Great feedback, thanks Wes -
Agreed on Slauson -
Potter somehow reminds me of Brayton, which is not a good thing.
but if he really knows how to take advantage of his size "doing whatever was necessary to irritate the quarterback" etc then that means he can play and has a chance of at least getting drafted. time will tell the rest of the story....
sick call on the UWO prospect Wes, I went to all the home games this year and he's a beast. Go Mustangs.
The top CIS (Canadian Collegiate teams) could compete with middle of the pack Div1AA and top Div2 teams (Last May, one of the worst college teams in Canada beat DivIII Albright College 41-27 playing a mix of Canadian and US rules). Our top athletes are right up there with American players, however, they haven't had the coaching or facilities that the American players have. We also don't come near to playing the same level of competition, at any level. There are only 32 million people in Canada compared to 350 million in the US.
That said, our coaching is coming around and our top players are getting noticed. Some CIS players start in the NFL now (Federkeil in Indy and Idonje in Chicago) and more are getting noticed every year. This year at the CFL combine Jamal Lee a 225 lb running back smashed the combine records for 40 yrd dash (4.39) and vertical leap (44 inches). I'm rooting for Vaughn Martin and Jamal Lee, I hope they get picked up either as late picks or free agent signings, it will do wonders to promote our players. Maybe in the future our best players won't leave Canada to play ball and our game will pick up a notch.
CISfan,
Thanks for the feedback.
Martin is a freak. If he played in the NCAA he'd be a first round pick. Some people say well he'll have to learn etc...he's a nose tackle, we're not asking him to play QB here. The d line is a relatively easy spot to learn, and he will destroy people. Good luck to him.
Wow, the Pats only went and drafted my late round sleeper in the second round. Hope he turns out well.
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Iowa + offensive lineman = on Patriots radar. Ferentz and Co. do a great job of coaching them up! Can he flex out to guard? Good fit for the Pats zone blocking scheme?
I have a hunch they'll take a shot at Bruggeman or Olsen in the late rounds......