NFL Draft 2016: Ranking the Top 10 Offensive Linemen
Aug 30, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive linesman Taylor Decker (68) blocks Navy Midshipmen defensive end Paul Quessenberry (45) during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Navy Midshipmen 34-17.Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The 2015 NFL Draft featured seven offensive linemen in the first round. Who are the top linemen for next year’s draft?
NFL and college teams alike will always agree that you can never have enough depth on your offensive line. As a result, these unheralded but valuable assets fill up the draft boards every year.
And as next year should be no different, there are lots of offensive linemen with something to prove this season.
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As the years go by, drafting offensive linemen has become a little bit more difficult. All of the different systems teams run in college make it tough to tell if a player was great or just a product of a system.
However, by and large, it doesn’t take a five-year old to figure out if an offensive lineman can play at the next level when it comes to raw potential. It just takes expert analysis to see if that performance has translated onto the field.
After all, offensive line play is very much a team-oriented part of football, and other members of a line can either elevate your play or bring you down.
Outside of the physical factors that determine where the linemen are drafted, this year’s batch of offensive linemen includes many players who are one of the few returning starters to their unit, which will help prove just how good they are.
We can also analyze the history of offensive linemen coming from certain programs to see how good they will be at the next level. And of course, their play on the field counts for the most.
Here are the Top 10 offensive linemen to watch out for this year for the 2016 NFL Draft.
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