The glaring hole on this team is LT since we don't have any potential at the position on the roster at this time so I'm good with Reiff as the pick. Chopper won't be happy with it and I do trust his evaluation of talent so that's my concern.
How deep is this draft? Not having a 2nd rounder hurts but isn't a death sentence since we do have a lot of depth and youth at a majority of our roster.
Not a fan of Reiff, but I understand the need for the pick. As I have said before, he always seems to be on the ground which is a big concern for a college linemen. Maybe he is more athletic than I think he is, but he just seems to play very soft. Iowa OTs haven't impressed me lately with Gallery and Bulaga being the most noteworthy off the top of my head. Gallery had to move to OG, and Bulaga is a RT for the Packers. I guess we spent a top 5 pick on a RT before, so spending the 11 pick wouldn't be so bad.
At this point, I think that DeCastro might be the best bet. He is a spectacular prospect that could be a mainstay on our line for 10 years. He is athletic enough to pull, strong at point of attack and plays with a controlled mean streak. I can see him doing for us what Faneca did for the Steelers and Hutchinson did for the Seahawks/Vikings.
The real question is where we pull the trigger on an OT in this draft if we don't snag one in round one. Datko out of Florida St is a top prospect that has fallen due to injury and might be worth a look in rounds 3 or 4. Nate Potter has dropped but has started for a good program for years, and might just need a professional strength coach to build his body for the NFL. Matt Reynolds out of BYU is another guy who has the soft label, but might be worth a look later on.
What is most frustrating for me is that I love the LB crop this year (both ILB and conversion guys), but with our needs on the offensive line, I don't see us being able to really take advantage of it. Maybe if we can sign an OT in the offseason like Demetrius Bell, cut/resign (to a lower salary) Rt Levi BRown, and maybe pursue a top OG like Carl Nicks/Ben Grubbs, we can look to really address our LB corp, but right now, I don't see it happening.
I am really excited about Vinny Curry and Mercilus. I think that they will both be a force at OLB.