Here’s the fourth story of our position-by-position NFL draft series. Today, we’ll look at the top offensive linemen.
Something is amiss with this pre-draft process when evaluating the offensive linemen.
Former Georgia standout Jamaree Salyer held Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, in a battle that goes back to a high school all-star game, without a sack in a College Football Playoff semifinal in December.
Hutchinson is considered the potential No. 1 overall selection, while Salyer is projected to go in the second round behind several less heralded players in the NFL draft, which is set for April 28-30 in Las Vegas.
Hutchinson entered that game with 14 sacks, but didn’t get near Georgia’s Stetson Bennett in Georgia’s 34-11 victory in the Orange Bowl. Salyer was listed at 6-foot-4 by the school but measured at just over 6-2 at the combine, pretty much cementing that he’ll be a guard in the NFL.
“I got questions about all five positions,” said Salyer, who played at Pace Academy. “Everybody likes to put me in that box of an inside guy, because of quote-unquote lack of athleticism. But I played in the SEC four years.”
Salyer said he’s given up only two sacks.
“I was called upon to hold my guy down, to do my job,” Salyer said. “I was there. I did it at the highest level that I could. So, I think it’s interesting that people try to knock on my athleticism.”
Salyer believes his time in the SEC prepared him for the NFL.
“It’s a different brand of football, week-to-week,” Salyer said. “It’s physical. I don’t think it’s matched by any conference. The way we lean on each other. The way we get physical in practice, our practice habits, I don’t think any conference can match that.”
Salyer remembers the two sacks he gave up.
“First sack, (Alabama’s) Will Anderson jumped the snap on me in the fourth quarter,” Salyer said. “Great player, made a great football play. I had been doing pretty well against him most of the game. But he jumped the snap. Got his hands on Stetson.
“I was trying to run him around the hoop, but he ended up getting his hands on Stetson, ended up bringing him down in the fourth quarter late in the SEC Championship game.”
His other sack allowed also was against Alabama.
“Chris Harris, another great football player, hit me with a little hesitation move,” Salyer said. “It was one of my first snaps at guard. He ended up beating me inside, and I gave up the sack.”
Hutchinson was not the only player that Salyer shut down. He considers Anderson, South Carolina’s Kingsley Enagbare and Michigan’s David Ojabo as some of the toughest guys he’s faced.
“I think it’s interesting that I played all these great players, rarely gave up a sack,” Salyer said. “I held up my end of the bargain for my team. But it’s always a question of my athleticism. It’s never a question of theirs.”
New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, who played at Georgia, has been working out with Salyer. He went fourth overall in the 2020 draft.
“I got to be close to him because of COVID,” Salyer said. “He actually stayed with us a lot in Athens before he had to ship out to New York. So, I got to work with him a lot more than other guys that I’m younger than. So, I’m blessed to be able to see things from his perspective, talk to him. It was awesome.”
Alabama’s Evan Neal, N.C. State’s Ikem Ekwonu and Mississippi State’s Charles Cross are considered the top offensive tackles in the draft.
“Evan Neal is an outstanding player,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “Obviously, he’s got great size. He has great competitive character. Football is important to him. He loves football and he pays attention to detail.”
Neal believes he can be a Day 1 starter in the NFL.
“You can pretty much plug me in anywhere other than center, and I’ll be able to come in and make an impact,” Neal said. “But I see myself as a left or right tackle.”
All three of the tackles are expected to be drafted in the top 10.
“(Charles) Cross is a veteran left tackle coming out of Mississippi State, where they throw the ball on just about every play down there,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. “They throw the ball all over the yard. He did a great job. He always keeps that frame between the defensive end and the quarterback. Some think he can move over to right tackle.”
Northern Iowa tackle Trevor Penning heads up the next tier of tackles.
“Penning is still raw,” Kiper said. “Cross is more of a finished product as a pass blocker. Penning is a work in progress. He’s got to get more bend. He over extends at times. He’s too aggressive at times.”
Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum is considered the top center in the draft.
“He has short arms,” Kiper said. “That’s the only thing. Otherwise he’s in the middle of the first (round).”
Kiper compared Linderbaum with former Iowa center Marshal Yanda, who also was considered a smallish center back in 2007. He was drafted in the third round and went on to become an eight-time Pro Bowler with the Ravens.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/AJC
AJC’S 2022 POSITION-BY-POSITION SERIES
WIDE RECEIVERS – Falcons need to upgrade weapons | Top 10 WRs
RUNNING BACKS – Position has become devalued in draft | Top 10 RBs
TIGHT ENDS – Chigoziem Okonkwo survived heart condition | Top 10 TEs
OFFENSIVE LINE – Saturday
QUARTERBACKS – Malik Willis now top QB prospect for NFL draft | Top 10 QBs
DEFENSIVE LINE – Monday
LINEBACKERS – Tuesday
CORNERBACKS – Wednesday, April 20
SAFETIES – Thursday, April 21
SPECIAL TEAMS – Friday, April 22
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