Last year, the first pick in the draft received a 4 year contract averaging $9.2m per year. Regardless of position, the first pick this year would receive a similar deal. Assuming you draft Neal and put him initially at RT, how does paying him about $9.2m compare to the top earning 10 RTs in the league (below). Last year, Walker Little signed a 4 year deal averaging $1.9m. From a financial standpoint, paying a starting LT/RT a combined $11.1m per year would be considered a bargain on most teams' cap, and paying a top RT (which I assume he would be for a top 3 pick in the draft) is reasonable for the RT position. On a side note....Wirfs, the previous 13th selection, makes an average of $4.1m. I don't think taking the positionally flexible Neal with the first pick would be bad for Trevor's health (or passing game) or financially unreasonable, even if he initially plays RT. I am more an advocate for taking one of the DEs, but an OT would be OK.

(average annual contract)
Ryan Ramczyk $19.2m
Brian O'Neill $18.5m
Lane Johnson $18.0m
Taylor Moton $17.8m
Braden Smith $17.5m
Nate Solder $15.5m
Jack Conklin $14.0m
Bryan Bulaga $10.0m
La'el Collins $10.0m
George Fant $9.1m

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Last year, the first pick in the draft received a 4 year contract averaging $9.2m per year.  Regardless of position, the first pick this year would receive a similar deal.  Assuming you draft Neal and put him initially at RT, how does paying him about $9.2m compare to the top earning 10 RTs in the league (below).  Last year, Walker Little signed a 4 year deal averaging $1.9m.  From a financial standpoint, paying a starting LT/RT a combined $11.1m per year would be considered a bargain on most teams' cap, and paying a top RT (which I assume he would be for a top 3 pick in the draft) is reasonable for the RT position.  On a side note....Wirfs, the previous 13th selection, makes an average of $4.1m.  I don't think taking the positionally flexible Neal with the first pick would be bad for Trevor's health (or passing game) or financially unreasonable, even if he initially plays RT.  I am more an advocate for taking one of the DEs, but an OT would be OK.   

(average annual contract)
Ryan Ramczyk $19.2m
Brian O'Neill $18.5m
Lane Johnson $18.0m
Taylor Moton $17.8m
Braden Smith $17.5m
Nate Solder $15.5m
Jack Conklin $14.0m
Bryan Bulaga $10.0m
La'el Collins $10.0m
George Fant $9.1m

I don't like Neal, period. I think he's gonna be an average RT at best. If there was someone like Ryan Ramczyk in this draft, I'd be pounding the table for him. I wanted to draft Ramczyk in the 2017 NFL Draft instead of Leonard Fournette, but was told that was too high to select Ramczyk. 

You shouldn't just select a player #1 overall, because you have a huge need at that spot. The quality has to be there and this is a poor draft for OT's. Always take the BAP and this year, that is edge rusher.

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With Little here who I think is going to be a good to great LT, and still having the ability to tag or sign Robinson, I just don’t think you pick Neal at 1. Pass rusher is waaaaay more important. Even if people don’t think Hutchinson or Thibs is as good a prospect as Bosa etc, they’re still the top 2 players in the draft imo. You can get by with an average line (look at the Bengals).

Personally I’d take Hutchinson, play him opposite Allen and let the wreak havoc.

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I go back and forth from day to day when it comes to drafting Evan Neal or one of the pass rushers. In Week 17, it was so great watching Trevor standing back in the pocket with a lot of time to pass and carving up the Colts. The extra time seemed to make a big difference for him.

The problem is that using the first overall pick on a RT seems to be a huge reach. If Walker Little can be depended on at the LT position, I think we would get a lot more value with that first pick by taking Hutchinson or Thibodeaux.

Is there any scenario where we could play Little at LT and move Cam over to RT? Little seems like a natural LT.

One thing I wouldn't mind doing is making a trade with the Vikings. If we could get Adam Thielen, #12, and their first pick in 2023, we could add a very good veteran receiver and also be in a position to draft another good rookie.

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This is something I've been meaning to raise around here. With all the talk of Neal at 1, does that imply we're playing him at LT, and if so, how confident are we that Little plays well at RT? I assume that if we are taking Neal at 1, Cam is allowed to sign elsewhere. That would be overkill aimed at one, maaaaaaaaaybe two spots on the line.

I agree that Little seems more suited on the left. It seems odd that we'd throw in the towel on him before even giving him a shot to prove his worth by taking Neal.

Interested in everyone's thoughts on this.

From what I have heard, Neal can play tackle or guard.  He would be a huge immediate upgrade to our offensive line.  Is he a better player overall than Hutchinson or Thibodeaux?  That's a different argument.  But if you want to help Trevor Lawrence right away, a big upgrade on the offensive line would do that.  

As for all the angst about which position he would take, I remember when the Ravens drafted Jon Ogden, and they came in here to play us his rookie year, 1996, and he was playing LG.  That is the truth- hall of fame left tackle Jon Ogden played left guard his rookie year.  And they came in here and just kicked our [BLEEP] with that offensive line of theirs.  I looked up the game just now, and we did win the game, 30-27, with a big 4th quarter.  The Ravens gave up 3 turnovers.  But I will never forget sitting in the stands watching them get 152 yards rushing on us.  4.2 yards per carry.   I seem to remember a lot of it was right up the middle.  

Ogden played LG, started all 16 games, and was offensive rookie of the year in 1996.  

So that's the case for just taking an offensive lineman and figuring out where you can put him in his first season.  

"Oh, no, what are we going to do with all these offensive linemen?  We have too many guys who can play left tackle."  What a complaint that would be.

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Last year, the first pick in the draft received a 4 year contract averaging $9.2m per year.  Regardless of position, the first pick this year would receive a similar deal.  Assuming you draft Neal and put him initially at RT, how does paying him about $9.2m compare to the top earning 10 RTs in the league (below).  Last year, Walker Little signed a 4 year deal averaging $1.9m.  From a financial standpoint, paying a starting LT/RT a combined $11.1m per year would be considered a bargain on most teams' cap, and paying a top RT (which I assume he would be for a top 3 pick in the draft) is reasonable for the RT position.  On a side note....Wirfs, the previous 13th selection, makes an average of $4.1m.  I don't think taking the positionally flexible Neal with the first pick would be bad for Trevor's health (or passing game) or financially unreasonable, even if he initially plays RT.  I am more an advocate for taking one of the DEs, but an OT would be OK.   

(average annual contract)
Ryan Ramczyk $19.2m
Brian O'Neill $18.5m
Lane Johnson $18.0m
Taylor Moton $17.8m
Braden Smith $17.5m
Nate Solder $15.5m
Jack Conklin $14.0m
Bryan Bulaga $10.0m
La'el Collins $10.0m
George Fant $9.1m

I don't like Neal, period. I think he's gonna be an average RT at best. If there was someone like Ryan Ramczyk in this draft, I'd be pounding the table for him. I wanted to draft Ramczyk in the 2017 NFL Draft instead of Leonard Fournette, but was told that was too high to select Ramczyk. 

You shouldn't just select a player #1 overall, because you have a huge need at that spot. The quality has to be there and this is a poor draft for OT's. Always take the BAP and this year, that is edge rusher.

In my mind, the issue I have with this draft is there is not a slam dunk elite prospect(s) that you typically see in other drafts for the number 1 pick.  My preference would be to move back, where BAP meets the value of the pick, and accumulate additional draft capital.   However, I don't think there is going to be much demand for the top pick, due to the lack of elite players (especially QBs).

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