Centers are not considered a priority position in the draft. Offensive tackles (especially left tackles) are considered the hardest position on the line to fill which is why they get taken in the first round. Centers? You have to be all-world to make the bottom of the first round.
From what I can tell, Nick Martin is not the problem up front. Last year, we drafted Rankin from Miss St. in the third and tried him all around the line. Davenport was an attempt to get a very raw LT late in the draft and coach him up and he has become what you usually get when you take a very raw talent and try to coach them up. Inconsistent.
The OL learned how to trap block for Miller but, otherwise, I wasn't impressed. When I have mocked, I typically get two OLs before getting anything else. There are several capable OTs in the draft and one or more should be available at #23. Andre Dillard of Washington St. helped his cause at the Senior Bowl and is now thought to be LT material. Greg Little of Mississippi would be another good choice. Dalton Risner of Kansas St. and Michael Deiter of Wisconsin are valued both for their talent and ability to shift line positions. They're both expected to be guards at the next level. Cody Ford of Oklahoma is another guard-tackle prospect.
Offensive linemen aren't sexy choices like quarterbacks and wide receivers but it is no coincidence that the Oilers' best years on offense correlated with the top draft picks of Mike Munchak, Bruce Matthews, Harvey Salem and Dean Steinkuhler. The rumor was that Bud Adams had linemen drafted because they were cheaper to sign but they can also provide a formidable wall that makes your skill position players better.
We've reached for other teams' cast-offs on the line for too long. It's time to draft our own studs. I'll climb off the soapbox now. Thanks for bringing up the subject.
|