2021 Draft Preview: Interior Offensive Line

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March 12, 2021

By Noonefromtampa

In this draft preview, we’ll take a look at interior offensive line position in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. That means we’re covering the center and guard positions. This past season the Washington Football Team extended Chase Roullier at center and spent a draft pick last year on Keith Ismael to back him up. At guard, Brandon Scherff was franchise tagged this week, while Wes Schweitzer beat out Wes Martin at the left guard spot last season.  Saahdiq Charles played two snaps at left guard before being hurt, but whether he stays there or moves back to tackle is unknown. David Steinmetz is the other backup at guard.  Therefore, it is very likely that WFT takes a guard prospect in the 2021 draft.

Top 25 Prospects

Here are the top 25 prospects covering most of the names you will see during the draft weekend ranked from best prospect on down:

Prospect College Position Hgt Wgt
Alijah Vera-Tucker USC OG 6’4″ 315
Wyatt Davis Ohio State OG 6’4″ 315
Trey Smith Tennessee OG 6’6″ 330
Creed Humphrey Oklahoma OC 6’5″ 320
Josh Myers Ohio State OC 6’5” 312
Ben Cleveland Georgia OG 6’6″ 335
Deonte Brown Alabama OG 6’4” 350
Landon Dickerson Alabama OC 6’6” 325
Drake Jackson Kentucky OC 6’2” 292
Jimmy Morrissey Pitt OC 6’3″ 305
Trey Hill Georgia OC 6’4″ 330
Quinn Meinerz UW-Whitewater OG 6’3” 320
Aaron Banks Notre Dame OG 6’5″ 330
Jack Anderson Texas Tech OG 6’5″ 315
Tommy Kraemer Notre Dame OG 6’6″ 317
Sadarius Hutcherson South Carolina OG 6’4″ 320
Michal Menet Penn State OC 6’4” 305
Matt Allen Michigan State OC 6’3” 300
Ryan McCollum Texas A&M OC 6’5” 300
Jack Wohlabaugh Duke OC 6’4″ 305
Calvin Ashley Florida A&M OG 6’7” 335
Drew Dalman Stanford OC 6’3″ 300
Baveon Johnson Florida State OG 6’3” 307
Jean Delance Florida OG 6’4” 316
Michael Saffell Cal OC 6’2” 290

Who is going where?

The issue with the draft and the offensive line positions is that players frequently change positions when they move to the professional level. Left tackles become right tackles, right tackles become guards and guards become centers. It’s just the nature of the beast where a best player on a college team is only a good player at a “lessor” position in the NFL.

If you missed the offensive tackle preview and which of those players who may change positions, you can find it here.

The top projected guard is Alijah Vera-Tucker, who played tackle at Southern California. Most draft evaluators are projecting him moving inside to guard. He is probably the only first round pick at the interior line position. The other top picks at guard Davis and Smith and the top centers Humphrey and Myers all project to be drafted in the second or third rounds.

Notes on Few Key Players

Alijah Vera-Tucker – Although he played left tackle for the USC Trojans, he is projected to move to left guard in the NFL. He has good size and excellent athleticism. Vera-Tucker played in 25 games, starting 13. His experience at multiple line positions also adds value to his stock.

Wyatt Davis – A multi-year starter for the Buckeyes, Davis is a mobile and powerful blocker. Davis was a unanimous All-American in 2020 and is the grandson of Hall of Famer Willie Davis.

Trey Smith – Played both tackle and guard for the Volunteers. He started 22 games the last two seasons, but has a medical red flag. He suffered from blood clots and had to sit out half of the 2018 season. He has limited athleticism but is powerful blocker and plays smart using his leverage well.

Creed Humphrey – A three-year starter at center for the Sooners, Humphrey is smart and stout in play. He has not allowed a sack the last two seasons. He also has the athleticism to get to the blocks on the next level which is important for centers in most run blocking schemes.

Josh Myers – A solid two-year starter for the Buckeyes. He has struggled at times against elite level players, so he may need to work on his techniques to excel at the next level. He is also limited athletically so he can have trouble reaching blocks ta the next level.

Ben Cleveland – Cleveland has started over 20 games for the Bulldogs, mainly at right guard. 2020 was a breakout season for him, during which time he performed consistently at a high level. Although an ankle sprain limited his practice time at the Senior Bowl, he has been moving up teams’ draft boards.

Deonte Brown – Brown is a multi-year starter for the Crimson Tide but has struggled with maintaining his weight. The weight issues most likely move his draft stock down some, but should he benefit from the professional weight and conditioning program he may be an excellent choice for some team.

 

Sources: tankathon.com