(04-15-2022, 03:10 PM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote:

(04-14-2022, 09:40 PM)I am Yoda Wrote: I just rewatched it, too, based on comments on the board.  Hutch was a non-factor.  Most of the game he was blocked by either McClendon or Salyer one-on-one.  In the first quarter he was blocked one-on-one by a TE.  He came in free twice that I saw.  He could not chase down Stetson Bennett.  Big red flag.

I'm starting to waffle again.  Lol.  Maybe Jags should just choose Neal or Ekwonu at #1  Build Fortress Duval.  Sunshine would be clean in the pocket, breeze blowing through his hair, with no defender within three yards of him.

God No! I saw Evan Neal on multiple occasions last season and he's an average RT at best. He got beat a lot, but Bryce Young was so good and had so much pocket awareness that he could sense the rush and would fire strikes in the nick of time. If Neal didn't have Young as his QB, he wouldn't even be in the first round discussion. He couldn't even beat Alex Leatherwood for the LT job in 2020 and Leatherwood was so bad for the Raiders last season, he had to be kicked inside to OG. 

Ekwonu is a fantastic run blocker, but his pass blocking is way behind. He gave up 3 sacks last season as a member of the ACC conference. Not exactly a "murderer's row" of pass rushers that he faced. I'm sorry, but elite college OT's don't give up that many sacks in a second tier conference. He needs to be kicked inside to OG, where he can work in less space and utilize his strength. This is a very weak OT class. We wouldn't be getting anything better than what we already have at OT.

Lol.  I knew you would have that reaction!  For better or worse, you form strong opinions and do not change them.  But those opinions are at odds with most draft experts who do this for a living that I have read and listened to.  One of them (McShay, I think) said when talking about Neal that he compared him to last year's tackles and next year's top prospects.  His opinion is that Neal is as good as any of them.

I would draft him or Ekwonu with the knowledge that they would be fighting it out with Little and Taylor for RT.  Losers of the RT battle compete with Bartch and each other for swing tackle and LG.  Cam Robinson is the LT of this team for at least this year and possibly longer if they work out a contract.  The resulting O-line would be very solid with serviceable depth.

Jags cannot help that they are drafting #1 in a draft year without truly elite talent.  It is what it is.  They have to make chicken salad of the chicken they're served.

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