WFNY’s 2016 NFL Draft Coverage: Joe Gilbert’s Top Five Interior Offensive Linemen

The 2016 NFL Draft is less than three weeks away, meaning teams are in full fledge evaluation mode of the 2016 draft prospects. The draft is the biggest event of the NFL offseason, giving teams the chance to improve with an influx of new talent. Starting with the defensive prospects over the past few weeks, I have been releasing my top five NFL Draft prospects at each position. Today, we take a look at the interior offensive linemen group. For reference, here were my top five interior offensive linemen in last year’s draft.

The Browns could be in the market for interior offensive linemen, especially after losing center Alex Mack in free agency. The team could take one anywhere in the draft. The group of interior offensive linemen is a solid group, but not as good as the offensive tackle crop. It possesses quite a few potential starters, either at center or guard. So with that, let’s take a look at my top five interior offensive linemen in the 2016 NFL Draft.

2016 NFL Draft Prospects Rankings: Safeties | Cornerbacks | Inside Linebackers | Edge Rushers | Interior Defensive Linemen | Offensive Tackles | Interior Offensive Linemen

1. G Cody Whitehair, Kansas State

Cody Whitehair is a versatile lineman who has experience playing both offensive guard and offensive tackle. The Kansas State Wildcat is a fluid athlete with the ability to move well on the field. He mirrors rushers well, able to shuffle his feet to keep in front of the pass rusher. He uses his athleticism to block in the second level, staying patient to get to the defender without lunging. He plays with good body positioning, squaring up the defender to block him. The guard has very strong hands to control defenders and keep them engaged. He uses his hands and body positioning to help seal blocks to open holes in the run game. He will not overpower defenders, but he uses body positioning and strong hands to get the defender sealed away from the ball carrier. He uses a wide base to produce a strong anchor. The guard keeps his head on a swivel to keep an eye out for oncoming rushers. He is extremely experienced; starting in 50 games at Kansas State.

However, Whitehair has some work to do on his game. His biggest weakness is his strength. He does not have a lot of power or strength to overpower defenders and gain ground on the defender. He can get bull rushed by a stronger rusher, causing him to get pushed back and get off balance. His shorter arm length contributes to him getting pushed back at times because he can allow defenders into his body. With his strong hands, he can get a little too grabby, which can lead to penalties being called. But, Whitehair has the athleticism, hands and body positioning to be a productive offensive guard in the NFL.

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2. C Ryan Kelly, Alabama

Ryan Kelly is the best center in the draft with great experience at a high level. The Alabama star is a solid athlete who can move well in the trenches. He has the ability to mirror rushers in pass protection. He can move his feet well, always moving his feet to drive though blocks. His athleticism allows him to get to the second level and find defenders to block. His strength is not overpowering, but he has the ability to stand stout at the point of attack, giving little ground. He does really well in getting his body into the correct position to make the block. He seal blocks well, making holes in the running game. He is a smart player who made calls at the line before the play to get his unit lined up. He is a leader, who was a captain at Alabama. The center keeps his head up and consistently looks around for oncoming rushers. But, Kelly is not a perfect player.

He is not an overly strong player, not producing a lot of push in the run. He uses body positioning rather than strength to make holes. He uses arm extension, but he can at times let defenders into his body, which can hurt him at controlling that defender. He has a tendency to lunge when he is trying to go for a block in space. This causes him to fall off blocks and get off balance. He also has a history of injuries that team’s must evaluate. Nevertheless, Kelly is a solid athlete, who knows how to get in the right position to make the necessary block and be a successful center.

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3. C Nick Martin, Notre Dame

Nick Martin may not have the athleticism of the previous two linemen, but he can still get the job done. The Notre Dame alum uses good technique to win as a blocker. He plays with a good wide base and knee bend that allows him to anchor against defenders. He has a solid build at 6-foot-4, 299-pounds that helps him play against the power defensive tackles. He uses good arm extension and hand usage to keep defenders away from his body. He is extremely quick off the snap, getting in position before the defender and making the first contact on the rusher. The center uses all of these assets to be a stout player at the point of attack, who can withstand the power of oncoming rushers. He has solid enough feet to mirror in pass protection. He keeps his head on swivel either when engaged or not, looking for oncoming rushers to block. He is a smart player, who made calls at the line of scrimmage to get his team in the right position.

But, Martin has some deficiencies in his game. He is not an overly strong player who will overpower a defender and push him out of the way. He is more stout than overpowering. He does have moments when he can get pushed back by a powerful rusher, pressuring the backfield. He has shorter arms, so he could have trouble at the next level using his arm extension as a tool. He is an average athlete, who will not win with athleticism. In space, he tends to lead with his upper body, sometimes even lunging at a defender, causing him to miss blocks or fall off blocks. But, Martin gets the job done with his technique and intelligence, making him one of the top center prospects in the draft.

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4. G Joshua Garnett, Stanford

Joshua Garnett is a power blocker who can move defenders with his strength. The Stanford Cardinal has great size for a guard, coming in at 6-foot-4, 312-pounds. He plays a wide base which pairs well with powerful lower half to set a strong anchor for blocking. He plays with solid leverage, keeping his knees bent. His best area of his game is his run blocking. He uses his power and strong hands to control blockers and create holes for the running game. When he can latch onto a defender, he is extremely hard to disengage from because of his strength and hands. He has strong punch that can push back defenders. The guard is a tough player who finishes his blocks and plays till the whistle. He has adequate athleticism to mirror in pass protection. He has a lot of experience at pulling and going to the second level to block down field.

But, Garnett has some negatives in his game. The biggest issue he has is lack of quickness and fluidity. This hurts him in pass protection, especially against faster rushers. His average athleticism also can hurt in pulling and getting to the second level because he can be too slow to reach the secondary defenders. He can get beat laterally by rushers because of lack of quickness. Another negative tendency he possesses is his propensity to lean when block. He has the tendency to lean over with arms extended, leaving his feet behind. This can cause him to fall forward and off blocks because his base is not underneath him. He can lunge at defenders in space rather than squaring up the player. But in the end, Garnett will be drafted for his power and his ability to move defenders in the run game.

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5. G Vadal Alexander, LSU

Vadal Alexander is a massive player who could be one of the most powerful offensive lineman in the entire draft. The LSU Tiger is a 6-foot-5, 326-pound lineman who played right tackle last season, but is better suited as a NFL offensive guard. He uses his massive size to exert great power. He can move defenders out of the way to create holes for the running game. In the run game he can be a road grader to run behind. He possesses long arms of 35 1/4-inches, giving him a great asset as a guard. When he can latch onto a defender, he can control the defender with his strong hands and make it very hard for the defender to get away. He has a strong base, size and great length to protect against bull rushes in pass protection. The guard is also very experienced, starting four years on the offensive line for LSU.

But, Alexander has some work to do to become a productive NFL guard. The biggest issue for Alexander is his footwork and lateral quickness. He is not fluid enough to mirror players who are quick at changing directions. Speed rushers can be trouble for him. His footwork is very heavy, making him slow to transition and slide with the rusher. These problems can cause him to have trouble in pass protection, until he can clean them up. In space, he can lunge at defenders rather than square the defender up with his massive frame. He can also improve his hand usage, better utilizing his arm length and hand strength. But in the end, Alexander is a massive lineman who can come in right away be a powerful run blocker in downhill running scheme.

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