2020 NFL Draft Best Individual Skill Sets: Cornerbacks
April 17, 2020The Cleveland Browns got some new threads: WFNY Roundtable
April 17, 2020Ever heard of the saying, “A quarterback is only as good as its offensive line?” I haven’t but it sounds good, right? All things considered, how can the world’s most talented passers throw the ball well when they have T.J. Watt and Calais Campbell breathing down their necks?
That is the single most important question that faces the Cleveland Browns just days away from completing perhaps the final piece of the puzzle to make this engine run. The Browns have new uniforms and a playoff-ready roster but they don’t have a left tackle.
One of the greatest rookie quarterback campaigns in NFL history? Check. Star wide receiver that is healthy? Check. Another star wide receiver that played better than said receiver last season? Check. Highest paid tight end in NFL history? Check. One of the best running backs in the game and his backup led the league in rushing as a rookie? Check. All-Pro left guard and right tackle? Check. A good center that has worked with the quarterback every snap he’s taken? Check. Protecting that quarterback’s blindside? One big, glaring need.
Luckily for the Browns, this is the best year to find one of those coveted left tackles. The catch: Which one of those pass protectors is the best in their class and fits best in Cleveland?
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has six offensive tackles rated in his top 50 prospects with Louisville mammoth Mekhi Becton leading the way. ESPN’s Todd McShay has four tackles figured to be first-rounders, headlined by Jedrick Wills Jr. of Alabama. Then, there is NFL Combine superstar Tristian Wirfs from Iowa and former Georgia Bulldog Andrew Thomas — who each could become the best of all.
I am not going to tap into my inner-Mel Kiper Jr. and pretend that I have seen every one of these guys play and grade them out accordingly. However, I was interested to find out which one of these prospects is bound for success based upon a school. Shall we commence?
There’s only one way to start and that is with Alabama. Since 2010, the Crimson Tide have had *81* players drafted. To keep things simple, I am going to just consider players that have been selected since 2000. Over the past 20 years, Alabama has had 17 offensive linemen drafted, 10 were offensive tackles. The most recent draft pick was Jonah Williams, he went No. 11 overall and spent the 2019 season sidelined by injury, so we will not be able to judge him.
Then, there is Cam Robinson (34), Austin Shepherd (228), Cyrus Kouandjio (44), D.J. Fluker (11), James Carpenter (25), Andre Smith (6), Wesley Britt (164), Shawn Draper (156) and Chris Samuels (3), as the other nine draft picks. Fluker, Carpenter, Smith, and Samuels were all first-rounders — This year’s prospect, Jedrick Wills Jr., is a first-round caliber player, based upon consensus from NFL Draft evaluators.
Fluker has played seven seasons, his first two as a tackle with the San Diego Chargers. Since then, he made the transition inside to guard and has played just one game at tackle since. As a rookie Fluker graded out by Pro Football Focus as the 48th ranked offensive tackle. The following season was slightly better but he ranked within the top 10 in sacks, hurries, and pressures allowed. Fluker flunked as an NFL tackle.
Much like Fluker, Carpenter did not last long at tackle either. Carpenter spent eight games at right tackle as a rookie before permanently making the switch to left guard. During his stint at tackle, he finished six spots from the bottom in PFF’s Pass Blocking Efficiency, which measures pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed. No luck so far, Bama.
Now, we look further back to a familiar AFC North foe. Andre Smith was drafted sixth overall in 2009. Since then, he has built an 11-year NFL career (and counting) at right tackle, with the occasional fill in on the left side — most of which came last season. His career has been decent but never Pro Bowl-caliber. From 2011 to 2014, he finished in the top 25 in pass-blocking efficiency. So, I say we finally have a winner. In his prime, Smith was a good offensive tackle, playing to the caliber the Browns could absolutely use in 2020 and beyond.
To continue with the positive trend, Bama’s Chris Samuels was their highest drafted offensive linemen at No. 3 overall in 2000. He was elected to six Pro Bowls in his 10-year career before retiring due to a neck injury suffered in 2009.
Then, there are the two second-rounders that have struggled to become consistent NFL players due to injuries. Kouandjio spent five years with the Bills and Broncos before heading to the CFL. Robinson played basically all of 2017 but finished as one of the worst graded tackles in the NFL. After missing all but one game in 2018, the same was true in 14 games played last season.
Britt, Draper, and Shepherd were all essentially practice squad players with minimal playing time in games.
So, out of the 10 offensive tackles drafted out of Alabama over the past 20 years, Samuels was the only Pro Bowler and Smith was above average for four seasons. Williams was injured so he gets a pass but otherwise, the Crimson Tide are batting .500 with their first-round pick offensive tackles. Overall, not great but not horrible either. So, will Wills Jr. have a Samuels-type career or grade out equally to Fluker and Carpenter? Time will certainly tell.
Do the Browns risk drafting a right tackle and attempt putting him on the left side? It is not ideal and Alabama’s history of developing offensive tackles says the Browns may be better suited looking towards a monster from the ACC… or not.
Louisville certainly is not offensive linemen U but they have had eight O-Linemen drafted since 2000, five of them were tackles. Their highest offensive tackle drafted was Jamon Brown in 2015 by the Rams at 72 overall. In 2018, Geron Christian was selected two picks later by the Redkins. Byron Stingily (175), George Bussey (170) and Breno Giacomini (141) were the Cardinals’ other three draft picks.
Brown (6-foot-4, 340 pounds) kicked inside to guard and Christian has only played a handful of games. Last season, Christian made two starts but only played a combined 35 snaps. In Weeks 13 and 16, Christian played 74 snaps but allowed a sack, a quarterback hit, three hurries, and five pressures.
Stingily survived three games at right tackle but was out of the NFL two years later. Bussey hardly had a career at all. Giacomini was probably the best Lousiville alum of them all.
In 2012 with the Seahawks, 2014 and 2015 with the Jets, and 2017 with the Texans, Giacomini started every game at right tackle. His best season was in 2014 when he finished as the 46th rated offensive tackle — call it average. However, he finished the top 20 in quarterback hits, hurries, and pressures.
Although Mekhi Becton is unworldly, Louisville’s track record for offensive tackles has been awful. Hopefully, he becomes the outlier, especially if he is the pick at No. 10. If it gets down to Becton or Wills Jr., I am giving Louisville the upper hand for the sole fact that Becton is a beast and uncomparable to the other former Cardinals.
Well, what about Georgia? They have two offensive tackles that could go in the first round. Andrew Thomas is rated the best of the pair by the majority of teams but Isaiah Wilson could have more upside. Wonder how those that have came before them fared? Glad you asked.
The last offensive tackle to be drafted out of Georgia was Isaiah Wynn at No. 23 in 2018 by the Patriots. John Theus (145), Cordy Glenn (41), Ken Shackleford (190), George Foster (20), Jonathan Stinchcomb (37) and Jonas Jennings (95) are the other six Bulldog tackles to be selected since 2000.
Wynn spent 2018 sidelined and only played eight games in 2019. He finished 39th in pass block efficiency. It would be unfair to say how he will do over his career but for what it is worth, his ranking last season was four spots better than Greg Robinson and 38 better than Chris Hubbard.
Before Wynn, Georgia’s last first-round pick was Foster. After being tutored his rookie year, Foster spent the next two seasons starting every game then 13 the following season. He was traded the following season to Detroit and his career vanished from there. He actually spent the 2009 offseason with the Browns but did not make the cut. By all accounts, Foster was an average offensive tackle but not valuable enough to help a team succeed.
Glenn has a breadth of experience protecting quarterbacks in the NFL. He has started 95 games in his NFL career between the Bills and Bengals. From 2013-16 he was rated as a top 25 tackle by PFF, including the sixth-best grade in 2015. No Pro Bowls for Glenn but if the Browns had a tackle of this caliber blocking Mayfield, I would certainly say they’d be in good shape.
Sticking with the theme of good offensive tackles that is what Stinchvomb was with the New Orleans Saints. After missing the entire 2005 season with a knee injury, he returned to start every remaining game of his career and was a Pro Bowler in 2009 on the New Orleans Super Bowl team.
Theus and Shackleford were backup/practice squad caliber players which is not surprising given their draft positions. Jennings, a third round pick, started 75 games in his NFL career but battled injuries and was inconsistent.
In 1999, Georgia had two offensive tackles in Matt Stinchcomb (18) and Chris Terry (34) drafted and that is around where Thomas and Wilson project. Neither Stinchcomb or Terry were Pro Bowlers but Terry lasted two more years than his teammate.
If 1999 serves as a prime example of how Thomas and Wilson turn out on the NFL, the Browns are likely better off looking in another direction if they want a Pro Bowl tackle. But if Cleveland wants a player the caliber of Glenn, Georgia has shown they can produce tackles that play along time in the NFL.
There is one school with a top prospect that churns out pros at O-Line.
Doesn’t Iowa just sound like a school that breeds offensive linemen? Well, it basically is just that. Over the past two decades, the Hawkeyes have seen 16 offensive linemen drafted — seven of which were offensive tackles. Now, a few of those tackles made the switch to guard and their resumes speak for themselves.
In 2015, Brandon Scherff (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) was selected fifth overall by the Redskins and has already reached the Pro Bowl three times and just received the franchise tag to prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent. Back in 2007, the Ravens drafted Marshal Yanda (6’3”, 305) and turned him into a guard. They were rewarded with seven All-Pro seasons and the best guard over the last decade.
Tristian Wirfs (6-foot-5, 320 pounds) is a wildcard in terms of projecting position in the NFL. Ideally, the right tackle seems to be the best suitor considering that is where he sent the majority of his collegiate career. However, he has played a few games at left tackle and it doesn’t seem far fetched to keep him there permanently as a professional. His elite combine numbers and first-place ranking on Bruce Feldman’s college football freaks are unmatched. What is not working in his favor is his 34-inch arms. For example, Scherff measured a 33 ⅜-inch arms-length five years ago. The argument is there that Wirfs will be most successful inside at guard but if he steps in at tackle, Iowa’s history of developing tackles is great.
The last true tackle to be drafted out of Iowa and translated to the same position in the NFL was Riley Reiff, the No. 23 pick in the 2012 draft. Although he does not have the Pro Bowl or All-Pro accolades, he is one of the most under-appreciated tackles. Inconsistency has been his kryptonite in the NFL but when he is playing well, the numbers are there. In 2015 he graded out as PFF’s 21st offensive tackle and 17th in 2014. Recently in 2018, he checked out 25th and as a rookie in 2012 was the third-best graded tackle in the NFL.
Much like Reiff, the No. 23 pick in 201o, Bryan Bulaga does not have the luxury of Pro Bowls and it is a bit of a red flag that the Packers allowed him to walk in free agency but he still has had a good NFL career. Last season, he was graded as the No. 16 tackle by PFF. Inconsistency has plagued his career but by all accounts, most NFL teams would absolutely use his services. It is why the Los Angeles Chargers just handed a 31-year old a three-year, $30M contract.
The highest Hawkeye picked ever was Robert Gallery by the Raiders at No. 2 overall. The former unanimous All-American spent seven years with the Raiders and never reached a Pro Bowl. He struggled to transition to the NFL and is probably best regarded as a bust.
Rounding out the offensive tackles drafted out of Iowa since 2000 is sixth-rounder Pete McMahon and fourth-rounder Andrew Donnal. McMahon bounced around the NFL and never stuck. Aside from playing 16 games in 2016, Donnal has only played a total of 15 games in the other four years of his NFL career combined.
Although it seems like these Iowa boys succeed more at guard, Buluga and Reiff, who were both former first-rounders, show it is possible for Hawkeye tackles to succeed in the NFL. Neither of those guys tested as Wirfs did at the NFL Combine. Based on his college track record alone, Wirfs is the safest pick at tackle in this year’s draft.
As we know, if Browns Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta has any say in this year’s draft plans, there could be an argument to trade down. So what if the Browns do just that? Or if they select Isaiah Simmons, Jeffrey Okudah, Derrick Brown or someone else at No. 10? The after effect would absolutely be the Browns targeting an offensive tackle at No. 41 or selecting another prospect out of the big four depending on which spot they traded down to.
There are another four prospects that are in the second tier of this year’s offensive tackle draft class. We mentioned one in Georgia’s Isaiah Simmons. The other three Ezra Cleveland (Boise State), Andrew Jackson (USC) and Josh Jones (Houston) have been projected anywhere from being a top 25 pick to falling out of the top 50.
Boise State has had almost a hand full of tackles drafted recently. Included in that group is former No. 12 overall pick Ryan Clady. The other three, Matt Hill, Nate Potter, and Charles Leno were all tabbed fifth round or later.
Clady had a tremendous NFL career, earning four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro honors. He and Ezra Cleveland measurables are nearly identical. Clady and Cleveland are both 6’6” and are only separated by five pounds at their NFL Combine weigh-ins. Leno, the 246th pick in the 2014 draft, has started 78 games for the Bears and was a Pro Bowler in 2018. Potter and Leno were your prototypical NFL backups that did not earn longevity. Not bad, Boise.
USC has had a multitude of players drafted over the last 20 years. Among them are eight offensive tackles. Tyron Smith and Matt Kalil are the most recognizable names being two Top 10 draft picks. Smith has been the best left tackle in the NFL and Kalil had a Pro Bowl season in 2012, his rookie season.
Comparing Jackson to Sam Baker (21), Winston Justice (39), Jacob Rogers (52) and Charles Brown (64) is probably best, considering picks 20-65 are the ballpark for Jackson.
Baker and Brown were average linemen that were irreplaceable. Baker and Justice combined to start 104 games throughout their careers but Justice had one outstanding year. Both were above average in pass-blocking efficiency in 2010. Then, when starting all 16 games in 2009, Justice had the 12th best pass-blocking efficiency in the NFL. Brown started in 14 games in 2013 and finished middle of the pack in pass-blocking efficiency. Rogers only made it two games in his NFL career.
It is worth noting that former Trojan offensive tackle Chuma Edoga was drafted by the Jets at 92 overall and started in eight games. However, he was one of the worst pass-blocking tackles in the NFL.
Overall, Jackson’s floor seems to be an average starting tackle based upon his predecessors. He will also need to develop, as he will be 20 years old when drafted.
Let’s end this case study on Josh Jones. Houston has had only one tackle drafted since 2000 and that was former Patriot Sebastian Vollmer (58). He started 80 games in a New England uniform and was a top 25 offensive tackle in the NFL in pass-blocking efficiency in seasons he started at least 15 games. I’d say the Browns could use a guy like Vollmer.
In summary, if the Browns want to draft the best offensive lineman with the No. 10 overall pick based upon his school, Wirfs seems like the best selection. If the Browns wait to draft an offensive tackle, history tells us that Houston’s Josh Jones or Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland are great picks if they turn out to play to the caliber of Clady or Vollmer.
Georgia and Alabama have each produced their fair share of good offensive tackles but it looks like the Browns are better targeting Wirfs if he’s still there at 10. If Wills Jr. turns out to be an Andre Smith level player or Thomas/Wilson becomes comparative to Cordy Glenn, the Browns are in good hands. But what if they turn out to be more like Foster or Fluker… not good.
USC is a decent choice but there have been no sure things besides one of the best this decade in Tyron Smith. Other than that, they have had some good and some bad but not great. Staying away from Louisville looks like the best option unless Becton can become an outlier.
I, personally, like Browns going with Wirfs but I think he is unavailable at 10. If I had to pick another at 10, Wills Jr. is probably my best next option based on history but I don’t love it. Perhaps the Browns will be better off drafting Cleveland or Jones when it is all said and done.
Drafting in the NFL is very difficult, which is why teams gather every ounce of information at their disposal. I wonder if they’d ever thought about the way these guys turn out from certain colleges? Hopefully, they do because there certainly is information available.
Time will certainly tell and let’s hope the Browns have a pass protector on Baker’s blindside for years to come.