2011 NFL Post-Combine Buzz
Who's The No. 1 Off. Tackle?
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Pete Fiutak
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2011 NFL Combine Results
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RBs |
WRs |
TEs
| Cs |
OTs |
OGs
- DEs |
DTs |
ILBs |
OLBs |
Ss |
CBs
2011 Post-Combine Buzz
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The Julio vs. A.J. Battle
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Cam The Entertainer
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The No. 2 RB Is ...
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The No. 3 WR Is ...
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The Slow Little Guys
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The Small School Stars
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The No. 1 OT Is ...
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The Mark Ingram Workout
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The Mediocre Tight Ends
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The New Wave Of Athletic QBs
2011 NFL Combine Position Analysis
- QBs |
RBs |
WRs |
TEs
| Cs |
OTs |
OGs
- DEs
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DTs
| ILBs |
OLBs |
Ss |
CBs
Ask ten different scouts on what the offensive tackle pecking order is and you’ll likely get ten different answers. After the Saturday workout, two things became clear. 1) There are several excellent tackle prospects, and 2), there will be a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure out who’s the best of the lot.
Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo measured a large 6’7” and 311 and he ran fluidly, but he didn’t lift and still has questions about his brute strength. However, his 8’9” broad jump showed many scouts what they wanted to see with his athleticism. The jump was good, but it wasn’t Gabe Carimi’s.
The Wisconsin star came up with a 9’1” leap and a good 31.5” vertical and 5.27 40, but his 29 reps on the 40 weren’t exactly special. At 6’7” and 314 pounds, he moved far better than expected considering the rap on him was his stiffness, and for anyone who liked him before, nothing will change the ranking. If anything, this was a strong enough workout to help the draft status and should solidify a first round spot.
The most athletic of the top prospects was Colorado’s Nate Solder, a former tight end who ran like a much smaller player despite his 6’8”, 319-pound size. His 5.05 40 was better than many of the tight end and his 9’2” broad jump and 32” vertical were great, but he only came up with 21 reps on the bench and didn’t shed his finesse tag. On the plus side, one of the big knocks on his game, his knee bend, might have been shattered as he showed he could get better bend than he did on the field throughout his Buff career.
TCU’s Marcus Cannon, who might project to be a guard instead of a big center, carried his 358 pounds extremely well and ran a terrific 5.26 40. Baylor’s Danny Watkins came up with a strong 29 reps on the bench, Indiana’s James Brewer was big and fast with a good 5.27 40, and Miami’s Orlando Franklin tore off a 5.2 40 and was quick in all the drills.
The one big name missing from the equation was USC’s Tryon Smith. While all the top tackles looked good, but had some flaws, Smith, considered the most athletic of the lot, didn’t work out and will wait for his pro day. He measured a heavy (for him) 307 pounds on his 6’5” frame, and he came up with 29 reps, but he’ll wait to run. It might turn out to be a good strategic move, because it he’s quick, he could rocket up to the No. 1 spot.