Michael Oher is a big man. At 6’5” and 309 pounds that would seem rather obvious, but that’s not exactly what I’m talking about. Oher’s got quite a back story, a fact that hasn’t been lost on we in the profession of sports writing. A novel concerning his life leading up to his college career has not only been already released, but is in the works for becoming a feature film. While the material remains accurate, it seems reports of Oher’s intelligence (according to Oher) were exaggerated. But no worries, like I said, he’s a big guy.

And what is this life that resulted in a bestseller? OK, I’m not going into too much detail here, it’s been repeated in other places ad nauseam and I don’t want to throw up on my keyboard. Oher grew up more or less homeless, the son of a crack addict and a father who was never there. Roaming through schools, forgotten on holidays and birthdays, it wasn’t until he was taken in by the Tuohy family at 16 that things truly started to turn around for him. Living with the affluent Memphis family helped grant him the stability and backing needed to get him into a position to rise to national attention.

As if all that wasn’t enough to leave a man a bit bitter, he learned that his last name was, in fact, not his last name at all. While trying to obtain a drivers license, Oher learned that government records retained the name of Michael Williams, his biological father’s surname. A bit of a surprise for anybody I must say. Oher took it in stride, getting a license as Michael Williams for a time before eventually changing his legal name to Oher (Oher is from his mother’s side btw).

In high school, Oher maintained a solid 0.3 GPA, something I imagine didn’t sit very well with him. Luckily, his performance on the field kept him afloat. His high school stats earned him places on numerous All-American first teams as a an offensive tackle, as well as Rivals.com’s All-American Bowl All-Time Team. Why might you say?

He didn’t allow a sack for the full two years he played high school football. Oh, and you ever hear of a “pancake?” I think you can guess easily enough. Well, Oher racked up 200.

Oher was naturally offered positions at numerous colleges across the country, eventually deciding on Ole Miss. His freshman year he started in 10 games as right guard and was named to the All-American freshman first team by Rivals.com and The Sporting News. He earned the first of his four letters too.

2006 saw Oher improve his game, starting every game (this time at left tackle) and continuing in that position for the rest of his time at the school. His junior year he was a fourth team All-American and was on the SEC first team.

Heading into his senior year Oher was posited on about every preseason All-American first team around. He didn’t disappoint. By the end of his time at Ole Miss, Oher had won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy (for the SEC’s best blocker), was the Southeast offensive lineman of the year, was team captain, and helped the rebels hold opposing defenses to a paltry 1.54 sacks per game. He was also a key reason why Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis had 1,000+ rushing yards for back to back seasons.

For such a huge presence on the line, Oher’s real skill comes from his ability to move that girth around. He also has a real head for the game, keeping defenses guessing by making a great quick move forward to fake the rush on passing plays before dropping back. Overall, Oher’s ready for the NFL, ready for the punishment he’s likely to receive; surely it can’t be worse than anything he’s already endured.

Latest on Oher

Considering the performance of offensive tackles in last year’s draft, 4 in the first round, Oher should definitely be considered a contender for the top ten. However, with the teams up there looking to acquire new defensive and offensive (read quarterbacks and wide receivers) talent, there simply might not be a place for him. He’ll be going in the first round, but could be as low as say, 21 to the Eagles. There still remains a real possibility though that he could still go to St. Louis or Cincinnati (2 and 6 respectively).

Career
Ole Miss Official Michael Oher Page
You want a number associated with Oher? Go here.

News and Commentary
Michael Oher Scouting Report
Quick summation of strengths and weaknesses.
From homeless to the NFL: Oher’s journey to draft unique
Great article about Oher’s past and present.
Big Things Predicted for Oher from the Start
Commentary on Oher’s potential.

Oher says
On his past hardships
“I don’t dwell on anything. I’m not going to feel sorry for myself because I didn’t have a place to stay a lot of time. It is what it is. We’ve got to go through some things in life. Take it and run with it.”
As posted on USA Today

Sources and Links
OleMissSports.com
USAToday.com
Scout.com
SportsIllustrated.com

Granted, the National Football Post also said last week that Tony Gonzalez had cleaned out his locker in Kansas City and was heading to Atlanta via a trade, but I agree with their projection on Oher, who I have going to Cincinnati at No. 7 in each of my last two mocks.

Oher arguably doesn’t have the upside of Baylor’s Jason Smith or even the talent of knucklehead Andre Smith of Alabama. But he flashed outstanding athleticism in college and he has great size at 6’4”, 309 pounds. The only problem is that he uses his strength too much instead of relying on having solid footwork, but a good coaching staff will recognize that and make it a top priority for Oher to work on this summer.

One of the arguments I keep hearing from draft followers is that Oher is slated to go picks 15-20 and that any team that selects him in the top 10 would be reaching. But I’ll say the same thing here as I did in my mock write up on Oher – if he turns out to be a Pro Bowler in two to three years, nobody is going to look back and say, “Well, the Bengals reached for him.”

If the guy can play, he can play, and Michael Oher can play. He’s a lower risk than Andre Smith and he’s worth a long look from teams like the Bengals, Raiders and 49ers, all teams desperate for offensive tackles.

Notable Free Agents: Mike Peterson, LB; Brad Meester, C; Khalif Barnes, OT; Reggie Williams, WR; Chris Naeole, G; Joe Zelenka, TE.

Projected 2009 Cap Space: $15,500,000

Draft Order: 8

Top Needs: OL, CB, LB, WR, RB.

Offseason Outlook: Let the cleansing process begin. The Jaguars have already released long-time veteran running back Fred Taylor, 2008 free agent bust Jerry Porter and disappointing cornerback Drayton Florence. There’s also little to no chance the team makes a play to re-sign middle linebacker Mike Patterson, who was at odds with head coach Jack Del Rio for the better part of the ‘08 season.

The team also made Gene Smith in charge of personnel decisions and Del Rio is expected to take over the defensive playcalls next year, which should turn out to be two sound moves.

In terms of personnel, the team needs to address the offensive line first and foremost and then go from there. The O-line was ransacked with injuries last season, not to mention heartbreak when Richard Collier suffered 14 gunshot wounds in early September, which left him paralyzed from the waist down.

The Jags don’t have to reinvent the wheel because they’re already got the makings of a competitive team. But they need to regroup and rebuild through the draft and a good start would be to get their hands on one of the top offensive tackle prospects that will be available in the top 10.

Even though his talent is unquestioned, Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith is proving with each passing day that he may be too much of a risk to be taken with the No. 8 overall pick. But Virginia’s Eugene Monrore, Baylor’s Jason Smith or Ole Miss’s Michael Oher could be available and could replace Khalif Barnes at left tackle, who is expected to depart via free agency.

Even if Jacksonville fills its need for a left tackle in the draft, don’t expect the team to stop there in terms of the offensive line. If they fail to re-sign Brad Meester, center will become a concern and overall depth along the entire offensive line will need to be addressed after the injuries piled up last season.

If the Jags address the left tackle position in the draft, they could turn their attention to their depleted secondary. As previously noted, the team released Florence after a poor 2008 in which he was benched for Brian Williams, who had to switch from safety. Gerald Sensabaugh (who filled in for Williams when he shifted to corner) isn’t expected back, which means Williams could switch back to safety if Jacksonville can address the cornerback position in free agency. Leigh Bodden (Lions), Domonique Foxworth (Falcons) and Chris McAlister (Ravens) are the top free agent corners.

The Jags could add some depth at linebacker after Patterson jets via free agency, but the starting three is set with middle linebacker Daryl Smith being accompanied by Justin Durant and Clint Ingram on the outsides.

Finally, in their ongoing search for productive wideouts, the Jags will look to add at least two receivers this offseason to compete with Matt Jones, Dennis Northcutt and Mike Walker. Reggie Williams isn’t expected to be brought back after years of underachieving.

The Jags could also could look to bring in a running back to pair with Maurice Jones-Drew, but don’t expect it to be a high priority with the offensive line and secondary holes needing to be addressed first.