Source: Athletic
Scouts analysis Of OL, (T)
Some who we'd consider at #8 or on a trade back.
Tristan Wirfs, Iowa (6-5, 320): His 4.87-second clocking tied Ball State’s Danny Pinter for the fastest 40. “I think he’s the first (offensive lineman) taken,” said one scout. “Him moving on the floor at the combine is one of the best I’ve ever seen for an offensive lineman. Just moving around naturally. Bend, body control, light on his feet. You don’t see that on tape. He got beat a lot on inside moves where it doesn’t look like he redirects very well. I thought he would be a Pro Bowl guard, not really an elite tackle. But seeing him move at the combine, he looked like an elite, elite left tackle.” Started at right tackle for the Hawkeyes but also made a few starts on the left side. “Played right tackle so you’re a little bit skeptical,” a second scout said. “Powerful guy. Things that stood out were his strength and his toughness.” His arms measured just 34 inches.
Jedrick Wills, Alabama (6-4, 312):Teams have had marginal success drafting Crimson Tide offensive linemen during the Nick Saban era. “We weren’t as firm on him as some of the other ones,” one scout said in reference to the other leading tackles in the draft. “He’s a pretty good athlete. Pretty strong. Shows some nasty. He played right tackle there but he looked like he can play left tackle.” One scout brought up Jonah Williams, the Alabama left tackle in 2017 and 2018 who was the 11th pick last year. “Jonah Williams is an all-star compared to this guy,” he said. “Awful. He’s upright. He’s a stiff guy.” He ran 5.06 seconds. “I’m not crazy about him but people love him,” said a third scout. “Every time I watched him, I didn’t see a really good athlete. Worked out well. I just don’t see the movement, finish, talent of a first-rounder. I do not think he could play left tackle.”
Andrew Thomas, Georgia (6-5, 315):His arm length of 36 1/8 inches tied for second longest among offensive linemen. “There’s not one negative about him,” one scout said. “He’s my third-best player in the draft. The guy’s just special, and he’s big, too. There’s a big difference between him and the rest. He’s more like (Jonathan) Ogden than (Walter) Jones or (Willie) Roaf. He’s not as good an athlete as Jones or Roaf. He’s tougher than both those guys were. He doesn’t have Ogden’s height.” He ran 5.17 seconds. “In any other year you’d say, ‘5.22 at 315, that’s killer,’” another scout said. “He’s patient. He redirects. He positions easily in the run game and stays on players. Light on his feet.”
Mekhi Becton, Louisville (6-7 1/2, 357): He made a dramatic improvement in 2019 and interviewed well in Indianapolis, too. “He came out of his shell,” said one scout. “Just being able to talk ball, being a kid you liked. I’m shocked if he doesn’t go top 10. He’s probably gained the most steam of the group.” Becton a sensational 5.11-second 40-yard dash at 364 pounds. His arms measured 35 5/8 inches and his hands were 10 3/4 inches. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said another scout. “For years, other scouts used the term ‘dancing bear’ that I never liked. That’s what this guy is. He plays like he’s 200. He knows how to use his hands and he knocks people on the ground.” Said a third scout: “He tries to maul you right from the start with his punch. After that, if the play extends a little bit, he does a lot of watching and not a lot of effort moving his feet to stay on people. In pass pro, he’s so big and so long it takes so long to get around him.”
Ezra Cleveland, Boise State (6-6, 311):He played left tackle but switched sides at times and also worked some as a tight end. “He’s athletic enough to play the left side and play guard,” said one scout. “He did the bench 30 times. He’s probably a riser. Sometimes people go up there on tackles just because they’re so hard to find. He’s a junior. He’s from Boise out west. Not a ton of people know a ton about him. He had a really good combine.” He ran 4.94 seconds and his 30 reps on the bench press led the leading linemen. “He’s very efficient,” another scout said. “Plays on his feet. Very balanced. Quick. Didn’t surprise me the way he worked out. He’s just not a power strong guy. More athletic, quick, position, crafty, which I like.
Josh Jones, Houston (6-5, 319): He had a big week at the Senior Bowl. “He stood out athletically (in Mobile),” one scout said. “His performance (during the season) was a little inconsistent. Thing that will hurt him, he’s not as clean of a kid as some of these other guys.” He ran the 40 in 5.28 seconds and his arms measured 33 7/8 inches. “Not an elite athlete but a good athlete,” another scout said. “Uses his length well. Knows how to play. Gets on guys. Top 50.”
Isaiah Wilson, Georgia (6-6 1/2, 350):He renounced his final two years of eligibility. “He is one tough, nasty guy,” one scout said. “He’s the right tackle but I guess you could play him on the left and get by. He needs to learn to use his hands more. He’s strong and really nasty.” He ran the slowest 40 of the top linemen at 5.37 seconds. His arms measured 35 1/2 inches. “I think people are asleep on him,” a second scout said. “He could play on the left side. He’s enormous. He’s just not as clean of a package as Thomas. Thomas is a cleaner kid. But there’s film of Wilson where he looks every bit as good.
Austin Jackson, USC (6-5, 322): He surprised some personnel people with his decision to enter the draft a year early. “I couldn’t believe it,” said one. “One word I’d put on him is soft.” He started at left tackle. “He probably should have stayed in another year,” said another scout. “If he stays in, he’s a shoo-in top-20 pick next year. He still has a chance to go first round this year. Arrow’s really up. He’s starting to fill out more and get stronger. Pass pro’s really good. Like natural pass pro guy. Will need to get better as a run blocker.” He ran the 40 in 5.08 seconds and his arms measured 34 1/8 inches. “I don’t like him but there’s plenty of people that do,” a third scout said. “He’s only 20. He’s very weak and just kind of an average athlete. Just a short-area, position blocker.”
