(03-31-2021, 08:08 AM)irontrooper83 Wrote: We have all read what Meyer and staff seem to think about the state of our OL and if that is true it appears unlikely they'll decide to address it early in the draft.

By all accounts this is a very good and deep OT class and there are quality OL on the board. 

Looking at our OL situation, even if they say they like the OL, I think they should also start looking at the future.
We have had good interior OL play but as far as I'm concerned our starting OTs were among the worst in the league. That will improve if we manage to be closer in games with less obvious passing situations and better QB play...still I wouldn't bank on them suddenly getting that much better at pass protection when we'll need it.

On top of that, even if they like the OL as it is, most of our OL will hit FA at the end of the season: Cam Robinson is on the franchise tag, Norwell restructured and will be FA at the end of the year, Cann will be a FA, Shatley will be a FA (again, lol), Will Richardson will be a FA, Linder will reach the final year of his deal.
Obviously we can/will resign one or more of them eventually but still at the moment they are going to hit FA.
We will basically have only Linder, Taylor (who hasn't looked good at all) and Bartch who is still developing and that hopefully will take another step this season.

How do you expect the team to go attack the OL position during this draft?

And what would you do instead? Beside the top group of OTs are there other developmental players you are targeting in the mid-lower rounds? Not strictly offensive tackles but guards and centers too.

I agree with you 110%. We must address the O-Line. Personally, I totally disagree with Meyer's assessment of our current O-Line. I believe our OT's, flat out suck! While the OT class as a whole, is pretty good, the LT class is very top heavy and there are a ton of teams ahead of us who will probably snatch up all the good players with their first rounders, so I don't see us selecting a good LT. I do think we address the RT position with one of our 2nd round picks. Jawaan Taylor has been awful, ever since he was drafted and seems to be getting worse. I would LOVE to take Spencer Brown in round 2. I see him as a plug and play RT with tremendous feet and quickness. Something Taylor does not have at all. I believe the team will take either Jalen Mayfield or James Hudson though. I am NOT a fan of either though. Mayfield lacks quickness and Hudson needs to be moved inside to OG. He was terrible in pass protection at the Senior Bowl and looked completely overwhelmed. 

Personally, I would use the #25 and #33 picks to move up in round 1 to get either Slater or Darrisaw for the left side, but if that can't be done, I take Spencer Brown at pick #33 to play RT. I believe he would easily beat out Taylor right away. I'd also look to add a developmental LT in the later rounds of the draft to play swing Tackle. Maybe a player like D'ante Smith of ECU, Josh Ball of Marshall, Jack Snyder of San Jose State or Kayode Awosika of Buffalo. None of them are ready to start, but they have upside and might be ready by 2022. I'd add an OG/C type in the middle rounds to take over for Linder and Shatley in 2022. I really like Ben Cleveland of Georgia, Robert Hainsey of Notre Dame or Kendrick Green of Illinois. In the last round, I might even try P.J. Burkhalter of Nicholls State.

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