The Sports Quotient’s annual Draft Preview series returns! Over the course of the 10 weeks leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft, we will take a look at the top NFL prospects at each position. This fifth week, the focus is on offensive linemen. Our first O-line prospect is Jason Spriggs out of Indiana.

College Career

Jason Spriggs began his college career with a bang. In 2012 he started all 12 games for Indiana at left tackle, a true freshman record for an offensive lineman. Spriggs also led the team with 80 knockdowns and gave up just two sacks in 961 snaps.

Spriggs continued to impress through 2013 and 2014, his sophomore and junior seasons. He started 22 of 24 games at left tackle, only missing two starts his junior season because of a head-to-head collision that sent Spriggs to the hospital during a loss to Michigan State.

During his senior season Spriggs moved from left tackle to right guard. He started all 13 games for Indiana, recorded a team-high 79 knockdowns, and allowed just one sack in 475 pass attempts. Spriggs also earned All-American honors and was the first Outland Trophy semifinalist in Indiana University history.

Pros

At 6'7'' 307lbs Spriggs has the build of an NFL lineman plus a long reach. Durability is perhaps his best asset, as Spriggs started all but two games during his four-year career at Indiana. Moreover, Spriggs shows the following strengths according to his draft profile on NFL.com: has elite lateral movement, adjusts well in open space, shows patience, is athletic, has strong tools to slow pass rushers, and carries out efficient backside cutoff blocks.

Cons

The largest concern surrounding Spriggs is his strength. As mentioned earlier, he has the build of an NFL lineman, but Spriggs' height takes weight away from the inner half of his frame. As a result, he can be moved off his spot and struggles against power rushers on the defensive line. This being said, Spriggs performed very well in the bench press at the scouting combine. His 31 repetitions currently ranks fourth best among linemen prospects.

Grade

During early player evaluations, Spriggs was projected as a late first-round or early second-round selection. However, due to his strong performance at scouting combine, the offensive lineman looks to have secured a first-round pick. Among all linemen prospects, Spriggs was a top 4 performer in the bench press, 40-yard dash, broad jump, and 20 yard shuttle. He ranks first in the 40-yard dash and broad jump, and perhaps more important: Spriggs showed exceptional footwork during lineman drills.

Best Fit

It is hard to project where players will fall in the NFL draft, especially offensive linemen who are always a need for NFL teams. I see Spriggs being drafted in the late first round by a team with a struggling front five. Certain organizations come to mind: Green Bay at No. 27, Kansas City at No. 28, or Cleveland at No. 32. The Browns recently lost tackle Mitchell Schwartz and center Alex Mack during free agency. If Cleveland selects a quarterback at No. 2 overall, which is heavily expected, it would be prudent to fill vacancies at the offensive line in order for a young quarterback to succeed.