Unplugging for Cavs playoff games, plus NFL draft – WFNY Podcast – 2015-04-21
April 21, 2015Browns draft day hats released (feat. Cleveland’s skyline)
April 21, 2015The 2015 NFL Draft is nearing every day with more speculation and rumors popping up each day. Over the course of the last month or two, I have released my top five players at each position and also my top 20 prospects on my big board. I have now moved my focus to individual skills in the draft.
Each player has a different skillset that defines who he is as a player. But, which players have the best individual skills in the draft? Last week I discussed the best skills of the defensive prospects in the draft. In this edition, I move my attention to the offensive line and tight ends. So, check out the best individual skills of the offensive line and tight ends in the 2015 NFL Draft.
[Best skills of the 2015 NFL Draft: Defensive backs, Defensive Front Seven]
Offensive Tackles
Best Athlete: TJ Clemmings, Pittsburgh
Clemmings has great size and athleticism that is very enticing to NFL teams. He has very good feet to move in pass protection and stay in front of speed rushers.
Best Power/Strength: Ereck Flowers, Miami (FL)
Flowers has great power and strength to control defenders in the trenches. His strength and power really helps in his ability to run block and move defenders to make holes.
Best Run Blocker: Ereck Flowers, Miami (FL)
Flowers uses his power and strength to be a very good blocker in the running game. He has good feet along with tough attitude to finish blocks off until the whistle blows.
Best Technique: La’el Collins, LSU
Collins is not the best athlete, but his technique gives him the ability to be a very good offensive tackle. He uses good arm extension and feet to be a good blocker in passing and running situations.
Best Pass Blocker: DJ Humphries, Florida
Humphries is an athletic tackle with the ability to stay in front of any rusher. He has good length and feet to slide laterally and keep defenders at bay away from his body.
Best Versatility: La’el Collins, LSU
He has experience playing left tackle and left guard in college. His skillset will allow him to stay at left tackle, but he could be moved to right tackle or guard because of his body type and power.
Interior Offensive Linemen
Best Athlete: Cameron Erving, Florida State
Erving played defensive line and left tackle in college, so he definitely has the impressive athletic ability. He showed of his strength, explosion, and short area quickness very well in his athletic testing at the NFL Combine.
Best Power/Strength: Laken Tomlinson, Duke
Tomlinson is a huge guard with the power and strength to maul defenders back. He has strong punch at the line of scrimmage that helps him start to move defenders back and out of the way.
Best Run Blocker: Brandon Scherff, Iowa
Scherff is the best interior offensive lineman on my list because of his dominating run blocking ability. The combination of good initial punch, strength, hand placement, leverage and feet gives him the ability to be a dominant run blocker.
Best Technique: Brandon Scherff, Iowa
Scherff has the technique of an offensive tackle. He uses accurate hand placement, good leverage, fluid feet and just overall very good technique.
Best Pass Blocker: Cameron Erving, Florida State
Erving had the ability to pass block as a left tackle, so his conversion to center will be an easy transition. His athletic ability will allow him to block against both speed and power rushers.
Best Versatility: Cameron Erving, Florida State
Erving showed his versatility in college when he moved from defensive line to left tackle to center. His athletic ability allows him to play every spot on the offensive line.
Tight Ends
Best Athlete: MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois
Pruitt is an intriguing tight end prospect because of his great athleticism. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash amongst the tight ends at 4.58 seconds and was at the top or near the top of every other athletic testing drill at the NFL Combine.
Best Ball Skills: Maxx Williams, Minnesota
Williams has good hands, length, and explosion to go up and grab the ball at its highest point. He can make incredible catches because of his athletic ability.
Best Hands: Nick O’Leary, Florida State
O’Leary has such good hands that he doesn’t even need to wear gloves to catch passes. According to ProFootballFocus, he only had one drop in 49 catchable passes last year.
Best After-the-Catch Ability: Clive Walford, Miami (FL)
Walford has the combination of speed and power to make people miss after the catch. He has the speed to break away and make big plays for his offense.
Best Blocker: Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State
Heuerman was asked to block in passing and running situations in college. He has the combination of strength and athletic ability to be a good blocker in the NFL.
Best Redzone Threat: Maxx Williams, Minnesota
Williams has great ball skills and explosive jumping ability to win jump balls over defenders. His athletic ability allows him to line up on the line or out wide. With his large frame and athleticism, he supplies a huge catch radius for his quarterback to throw to.
10 Comments
still another week to go. these articles are among the few things that are helping me be patient.
I’ve pulled back this year. Maybe it’s because i have so much going on in my real-world life, but I only have the first 4 or 5 rounds laid out so far.
Jeez you’re way ahead of me. I usually get so amped up for the NFL draft that I’m looking at 2nd and 3rd round prospects in mid-February, but this year I hardly even know anyone outside of the top 15-20 guys. I have never felt this negative about the Browns, and I’m not sure why because I like our coach, I love our running backs, and I think our defense is going to be very solid (especially with some d-line and/or edge rushing help from the draft). But just knowing that in the worst case scenario we’re stuck with Josh McCown at QB and in the best case scenario we’ve sold off all of our best draft picks for three years to get Marcus Mariota and hope that he can be a top-10 QB in 3 to 4 years… I just have such a hard time getting into this draft.
Cavaliers for me so much so I really don’t care.
dude – i was kidding. I can honestly say that i haven’t looked at anything beyond the first round, and most of my reading has been cursory. I agree with you about the Browns and the draft.
Also, i think the NFL is being counterproductive by keeping the league in the spotlight all the time. We need a time to detox to build up the desire again, and by constantly shoving the game in our faces, it doesn’t allow for this.
I am fully prepared for the Browns to draft Danny Shelton, DJ Humphries, and Hau’Oli Kikaha and being one of the few people actually happy about it.
That draft sounds pretty amazing, actually. I’d love to see that happen.
I would love it for 2 reasons:
(1) I think it is reasonable to believe that it is the correct course of action based on who I think may be available at those picks.
(2) Just to sit back and listen to the “No QB! No WR! No TE!” crowd.
Not that I would mind Devante Parker at 12 (he’s my 2nd option of potential guys available there), but the gnashing of proverbial teeth can be quite entertaining.
I’d be shocked if a WR was drafted in first round just shocked.
Sign me up