ESPN: McShay: OT Campbell living up to expectations Most top OT and TE prospects impressive

[bubba9497]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft10/insider/columns/story?id=4947302

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OT Campbell living up to expectations

Most top OT and TE prospects impressive

By Todd McShay

Scouts Inc.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tape measures and scales will not be traded in for stopwatches and footballs at the NFL combine until Saturday, but that doesn't mean there isn't buzz being generated. Here are our observations after Thursday's weigh-in sessions for tight ends, offensive linemen and specialists. Here are some of our observations:

Campbell, Iupati already impressive

Maryland OT Bruce Campbell is inconsistent on film but figures to wow scouts with his upside, and he started doing so Thursday. Campbell is one of the few 316-pound human beings in this world who can be described as "shredded." He's expected to be among the leaders in the standard 225-pound bench press Friday and to clock a sub-5.00 in the 40-yard dash Saturday.

Idaho OG/OT Mike Iupati came in a close second in the offensive line's best-in-show contest. Iupati is not as defined at Campbell but carried his 331 pounds well on a 6-foot-5 frame.

Bulaga measures up

One of the big questions as the premier offensive linemen were sized up was just how long the arms of Iowa OT Bryan Bulaga would be. Arm length is one of the most scrutinized physical attributes for offensive tackles because short arms make it easier for pass-rushers to get into their frame and get around them.

Concerns were eased a bit for Bulaga, who exceeded expectations with 33¼-inch arms. For comparison purposes, first-round pick Eugene Monroe measured in at 33⅞ inches a year ago and fared just fine as a rookie for the Jaguars.

Bad start for Davis

Rutgers OT Anthony Davis is currently the highest-rated tackle on our board, but he looked sloppy and soft in the middle during weigh-ins. It's a disappointing start for a player looking to solidify his status in a very competitive class, and coming in out of shape will only add to off-the-field concerns Davis is sure to be grilled about in interviews.

Seniors back on the radar

We got our first look since bowl season at the top two senior offensive tackles in the 2010 class, and Oklahoma State's Russell Okung passed the eyeball test a little better than Oklahoma's Trent Williams. Okung looked athletic at 6-5 and 307 pounds. Although Williams certainly didn't embarrass himself, he looked a little fleshier at 6-5 and 315.

Saffold moving up

Indiana OT Rodger Saffold isn't in the first-round discussion, but his stock is on the rise. After a strong showing at the East-West Shrine Game, Saffold weighed in here at 316 pounds and measured 6-4⅝. He carried the weight well and is looking to move up in the second round with a strong showing at the combine.

Tight ends show well

We thought Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham would win the weigh-in among tight ends, but Arizona's Rob Gronkowski stole Gresham's thunder. Gronkowski checked in taller than we expected at 6-¼, has long arms at 34¼ inches and has 10¼-inch hands. Size isn't an issue, either, after he weighed in at 264 pounds. In fairness to Gresham, he looked good, too, at 6-5¼ and 261 pounds.

USC TE Anthony McCoy might not have elite measurables, but he looked athletic at 259 and 6-4½. Although McCoy didn't catch the ball as well as expected at the Senior Bowl, there's a lot to like about his 10⅜-inch hand span.

Penn State's Andrew Quarless and Pittsburgh's Nate Byham also caught our attention Thursday. Quarless is a talented underachiever, and the combine is a perfect venue for him to showcase his athleticism, and his 6-4⅝, 254-pound frame is impressive. It could be the start of a big week for him. Meanwhile, Byham looked trim at 6-4 and 262.

What's next?

The pace picks up a bit Friday when the skill position players (quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers) get into the mix with their measurements and some of the big fellas (offensive linemen and tight ends) hit the bench press.

Be sure to check in frequently between now and Tuesday because we will keep the results flowing in our daily NFL draft blog and put a bow on each day with our combine buzz, which will feature more in-depth analysis after we've collected and compared the day's information.

[Annonymous Source]

Thank you for the post, normally cant read.

They are saying what I have known for a while, that this is one of the deepest drafts in memory at O-Line. There are probably 10-15 linemen that will be taken in the first two rounds alone, and they all seem to deserve the spot. I think if we take 2 then we will be in good shape in a couple of years along the line.

[DGREENHULK]

Great info thanks..If we screw around and fool ourselves into thinking we could get one of these stud Left Tackles in the 2nd we will miss the boat. Take the best Tackle on the board in the 1st and move on.

[Kindred]

or trade our 4th for 2 lower 1st's and snag 2 of them to hedge our bets. After all, people keep harping that top oline's were not drafted high.

[MartinC]

Idaho OG/OT Mike Iupati came in a close second in the offensive line's best-in-show contest. Iupati is not as defined at Campbell but carried his 331 pounds well on a 6-foot-5 frame.

The above quote caught my eye. I saw this guy play a couple of times last year and he is excellent. Great in pass protection for a guard and a beast as a run blocker with the ability to pull as well as drive block.

I think he will stay at guard personally and be a multi year pro bowler. I would love to have him and plug him into one of our guard spots. I think he is talked about as a low 1st or early 2nd round pick depending on if teams see him as a guard or tackle.

Clearly we are not getting him at #4 but if he was there when we pcik in the 2nd round we could do a lot worse. If we have decided to stick with Campbell for now a draft of Okung in the first and this guy in the second would transform our line.

[Brett81]

This is just going to turn into another one of "those" threads that ends in trade back, get more picks, and draft 7 OLmen with all the picks...isn't it? Or somehow it will become a worthless discussion about JC. I think the JC crap has hijacked a record number of threads.

Well, let's ruin another thread then.

[Brett81]

If we have decided to stick with Campbell for now a draft of Okung in the first and this guy in the second would transform our line.

Sure would, it would transform the Skins line into a work in progress. One draft will not fix everything, and 2 drafts probably won't either. I just want solid guys drafted, at whatever position deemed necessary, and pray for no busts.

[BALLz]

Unfortunately for Campbell, his expectations also include him getting hurt at some point. Hopefully he doesn't live up to that one.

[Commander Adama]

Mike Iupati still dominant as ever. If we don't get Sam Bradford, we need to trade down a couple times and get Mike Iupati. A lot think he can easily transition to the LT spot. If not you'll still get a perennial pro-bowler of a Guard.

[CommDownMan]

Great info thanks..If we screw around and fool ourselves into thinking we could get one of these stud Left Tackles in the 2nd we will miss the boat. Take the best Tackle on the board in the 1st and move on.

Davis has been talked about as a top guy. With talk of coming in out of shape (compared to the other guys), why don't you think he'll drop? Not saying it's a lock.

Okung, Campbell, Iupati, Bulaga, Davis, Williams and Brown are 1st or high 2nd round projections. There is a good chance one slides to #37 IMO.

edit: To clarify I am not saying Okung or other top rated guys will be there, but a few in the list could be).

[CommDownMan]

Clearly we are not getting him at #4 but if he was there when we pcik in the 2nd round we could do a lot worse. If we have decided to stick with Campbell for now a draft of Okung in the first and this guy in the second would transform our line.

More and more I see him creeping up in mocks. While not gospel, it seems there is a good bit of buzz right now. He is one I don't see dropping.

[tex]

or trade our 4th for 2 lower 1st's and snag 2 of them to hedge our bets. After all, people keep harping that top oline's were not drafted high.

let them harp. the redskins got Samuels in 2000 with the 3rd pick of the first round and that worked out great. like others have said, take the best LT on the board with the 4th pick to live long and prosper. love to grab that stud guard with the 2nd round pick but it might be better to grab a CB there.

[SkinsHokieFan]

With such a deep class, trading a pick from 2011 to move into the 2010 draft is not a bad idea.

If we are able to come away with 3 players (QB, 2 OL) in the first 2 rounds, that would be an excellent start

[Going Commando]

or trade our 4th for 2 lower 1st's and snag 2 of them to hedge our bets. After all, people keep harping that top oline's were not drafted high.

but top left tackles are. Walter Jones was a 6th overall pick, Orlando Pace was a 1st overall pick, Jonathan Ogden was a 4th overall pick, and Tony Boselli was a 2nd overall pick. More recently, Chris Samuels was a 3rd overall pick, Joe Thomas was also 3rd overall, and Jake Long went 1st overall. The studs usually go very high.

Contrary to what people keep saying, the top 10 IS good value for a left tackle and the same is true for this year's class. Mike Mayock has FOUR offensive tackles going in the top 9. He has 6 in the first round. Then he's got one more capable of going in the first that will probably end up in the second round. So if we are hoping for a LT after 4, Vladimir Ducasse will be our only hope and he might not even be available at 37. Even if he was, he's a pretty gigantic project.

Let's just get our LT with our high draft pick where we can get the pick of the litter.

[Going Commando]

With such a deep class, trading a pick from 2011 to move into the 2010 draft is not a bad idea.

If we are able to come away with 3 players (QB, 2 OL) in the first 2 rounds, that would be an excellent start

Next Year is a better QB class anyway, why not just wait until then to draft one? If you trade a 2011 first straight up it only brings you a second round pick. Mayock is projecting that all 7 of the starting caliber tackles will be gone by the then.

[MartinC]

Sure would, it would transform the Skins line into a work in progress. One draft will not fix everything, and 2 drafts probably won't either. I just want solid guys drafted, at whatever position deemed necessary, and pray for no busts.

It would still be a work in progress but if we drafted Okung and Iupati (and assuming they are both as billed of course) plus pick up an NFL calibre RT in free agency together with Dock and Rabach that would give us a solid NFL calibre line. That's a tansformation based on what we saw last year.

Then you replace Rabach the year after and maybe upgrade RG/RT and at the same time your two rookies have a year of experience and are that much better. Suddenly your solid line is starting to become one of the better ones in the NFL.

All thats said I think if Bradford checks out medically and looks good in workouts he will end up being the pick. Then the O'line is certainly a two year fix at best.

[Going Commando]

Bruce Campbell has the longest arms in the class. I doubt he'll actually be the top performer on the bench working with such a disadvantage like that. His arms are over 3 inches longer than Bryan Bulaga's. I expect Jared Veldheer to put up the huge numbers of reps (30+) since he's got shorter arms and is talked about as a workout warrior.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

but top left tackles are. Walter Jones was a 6th overall pick, Orlando Pace was a 1st overall pick, Jonathan Ogden was a 4th overall pick, and Tony Boselli was a 2nd overall pick. More recently, Chris Samuels was a 3rd overall pick, Joe Thomas was also 3rd overall, and Jake Long went 1st overall. The studs usually go very high.

Contrary to what people keep saying, the top 10 IS good value for a left tackle and the same is true for this year's class. Mike Mayock has FOUR offensive tackles going in the top 9. He has 6 in the first round. Then he's got one more capable of going in the first that will probably end up in the second round. So if we are hoping for a LT after 4, Vladimir Ducasse will be our only hope and he might not even be available at 37. Even if he was, he's a pretty gigantic project.

Let's just get our LT with our high draft pick where we can get the pick of the litter.

left tackles for every playoff team this season:

DAL: flozell adams, 2nd rounder

PHI: jason peters, undrafted

GBP: chad clifton, 2nd rounder

MIN: bryant mckinnie, 1st rounder

NOS: jermon bushrod, 4th rounder

ARI: jeremy bridges, 6th rounder

NWE: matt light, 2nd rounder

NYJ: d'brickashaw ferguson, 1st rounder

SDC: marcus mcneil, 2nd rounder

BAL: jared gaither, undrafted/supp 5th round

CIN: andrew whitworth, 2nd rounder

IND: charlie johnson, 6th rounder

so of the 12 teams in the playoffs, 2 of them had 1st round LTs, the majority of them had 2nd rounders, and there were 5 guys that werent even 1st day picks or drafted at all.

yet the majority of the QBs were all 1st rounders. hmm?

[DGREENHULK]

JSHARRIN55 my point would be why gamble and wait until 37 and hope one of them falls? and then be forced to pick one of the left overs if one doesn't ...Now at 4 we can get the BEST or TOP rated Tackle on the board. And then if you want to look at RT or G in the 2nd with the 37th pick go for it....that's all I was saying.

[ntotoro]

All hail the king, baby!

[CommDownMan]

JSHARRIN55 my point would be why gamble and wait until 37 and hope one of them falls? and then be forced to pick one of the left overs if one doesn't ...Now at 4 we can get the BEST or TOP rated Tackle on the board. And then if you want to look at RT or G in the 2nd with the 37th pick go for it....that's all I was saying.

It's all on how the team grades players and wants to go. I'm not saying it's what we should do, but if they like a QB (or something else for that matter) then I think we would still have a shot. I think that Charles Brown is there with the 2nd pick and that he would fit Shanny's system well. I think one of Capers, Fox, Veldheer, Beadles could be a 4th/5th rounder that could slide in at RT (might need to be a mid-season or later deal). When FA and the draft are over I want there to be a younger stronger Oline. If they felt Bradford, Spiller, Haden, Berry, Gerald McCoy are a better value at #4 I don't want to feel it MUST be OT at that draft position.

If they do draft a tackle at 4 I'll be more than happy with the decision. If they wait and get an awesome player at 4 I'll be happy too. I still hope we can trade down and get a guy like Iupati and use 37 for someone like Jahvid Best and get another 2nd or 3rd rounder, but that's a different debate

[SkinsHokieFan]

Next Year is a better QB class anyway, why not just wait until then to draft one? If you trade a 2011 first straight up it only brings you a second round pick. Mayock is projecting that all 7 of the starting caliber tackles will be gone by the then.

You don't wait to draft your QB.

1) It takes a year of development away

2) Will we even be in position to draft a top flight QB? I am hoping that we aren't in the top 5 next season in the draft.

Why waste a year of development?

[CommDownMan]

You don't wait to draft your QB.

1) It takes a year of development away

2) Will we even be in position to draft a top flight QB? I am hoping that we aren't in the top 5 next season in the draft.

Why waste a year of development?

Only if there isn't a guy that I see as a true difference maker. It is a gamble though considering we have no idea where we'll draft next year and most high picking teams could use a QB.

[Chump Bailey]

I'm pretty confident that if we do go QB that we can get a quality OT at #37 or even perhaps later.

[[[ghost]]]

Iupati and Campbell would both be fantastic if we could trade down. Campbell has tons of upside and Iupati is simply a mauler. That would be a fantastic foundation for the new OL.