The offensive linemen and tight ends worked out Saturday in Indianapolis. Here is a brief overview:
The Real McCoy: Wisconsin OT Joe Thomas looked outstanding on Saturday. He has everything a team looks for in a prospect and if the draft were tomorrow, I’d bet my savings that he doesn’t slip past Detroit at #2. USC center Ryan Kalil was impressive too, showing great movement throughout drills and intelligence in interviews…I’ve been hearing that Miami TE Greg Olson is the most overrated prospect in the draft. Are you freaking kidding me? Olson ran in the high 4.4’s, caught everything in site and looks every bit a first-rounder. After watching him Saturday, the Bears would be crazy to pass on him if he’s still available at #31 (assuming of course they don’t fill that need in free agency).
Stock Dropping: Surprisingly, scouts are dumping on Penn State OT Levi Brown after he ran an unofficial 5.39 40, suggesting he might even drop out of the top 15. To me, that’s a load of crap, especially after what a productive senior season he had at PSU and how good he looked at the Senior Bowl. He’s fluid in his movement, doesn’t get pushed around much and can play either left or right tackle…Some scouts have Arizona State TE Zach Miller rated ahead of Miami’s Greg Olson, but he wasn’t sharp Saturday. He looked sloppy running selective drills and made the cardinal sin of dropping a pass in one exercise.
Sleeper Watch: Texas Tech OG Manuel Ramirez is an absolute monster. He’s 6-foot-4, 335lbs. and did 40 reps in the bench press Saturday. This guy plays with a mean streak, is incredibly powerful and is strong at the point of attack. The potential problem is that his learning curve might be higher than some linemen, because Texas Tech doesn’t run a pro-style offense…Western Oregon TE Kevin Boss made a couple of nice catches Saturday, adjusting his weight well and running great routes. He’s a little lean, but he’s tall (6-foot-7) and has great hands.
Buyer Beware: Scouts have raved about Arkansas OT Tony Ugoh being a “sleeper”, but he didn’t look good to me in the Senior Bowl and he pulled up lame after running a good 40-yard dash (4.99). He gutted out the rest of the combine on a bad hamstring, which was noble, but he doesn’t look very aggressive and seems to just be going through the motions…Iowa TE Scott Chandler is an interesting prospect. He is 6-foot-7, has excellent hands and runs fluid even for being so tall. The problem is he is an ex-wide receiver and often blocks like one, which isn’t good for a tight end. He’s worth a look in later rounds for teams lacking a red zone threat, but some may overvalue him.
