From the FanPosts -Joel
Hey guys, NN here for a little offensive line discussion. Sorry I haven't made a post in a while I've been a little busy with things that you won't care about. I have a prediction, maybe more of a hunch, that the Chiefs may very well go offensive line at No. 23 this year.
Now take a moment to go down to the comments section and spew your anti-guard hate propaganda. I'll wait...
Done? OK. Well, right as you were cutting me off, I was about to say that the Chiefs may very well not be taking a guard. At least not someone listed as one ... yet!
Enter Andy Reid's history of drafting non-center offensive linemen:
Doug Brzezinski-G-Did not play T in college
John Welbourne-G-Played T in college
Bobbie Williams-G-Played T in college
Jeremy Bridges-G/T-Played T in college
Shawn Andrews-G/T-Played T, but mainly G in college
Trey Darilek-G-Played T in college
Adrian Clarke-G-Did not play T in college
Todd Herremans-G-Played T in college
Calvin Armstrong-T-Played T in college
Winston Justice-T-Played T in college
Max Jean-Gilles-G- Did not play T in college
Mike McGlynn-G/C-Played T in college
Mike Gibson-T/G-Played T in college
King Dunlap-T-Played T in college
Fenuki Tupou-T-Played T in college
Danny Watkins-G-Played T in college
Dennis Kelly-T-Played T in college
Hmmmmmmmmmm ... is that what one might call a trend?
And don't think it's any different for Mr. Dorsey in Green Bay ... In fact, it's notably more drastic.
What does this tell us? It tells us that it may very well be unlikely that David Yankey or Xavier Su'a-Filo are in the mix, but maybe Zack Martin is on their radar. But why stop there? Who is to say many of the other later round left tackle prospects aren't in the mix as well? It's a hopeful fix at right guard and competition and depth for Donald Stephenson and Eric Fisher. It's a can't lose situation.
Antonio Richardson
Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
There's nothing scouts love more than a huge, strong offensive lineman that finishes. The football world is filled with 6'5-plus, 325-plus pound guys who could add a little beef to your line. The problem with guys that big as that as a general rule they are lazy. When a huge guy comes along and plays to the whistle, people are willing to overlook a lot of flaws, notably slow feet. 6'6, 381-pound Leonard Davis was the No. 2 overall pick in 2001 because he was a guy who was willing to give some extra effort to put a guy down. He, along with other first round behemoth finishers like 6'7, 396-pound Aaron Gibson, 6'4, 366-pound Shawn Andrews (listed above, chosen by Big Red himself) and 6'7, 360-pound Mike Williams were taken way higher than they should've been considering their flaws (and ultimately ended up being killed by speed rushers and doing much better at guard) for the simple reason that they didn't wimp out towards the end of plays.
Even prized OT Greg Robinson, my favorite player in this draft, has massive flaws. He's huge and athletic and is as much as a finisher in the run game as anyone, but Auburn runs all of seven plays. Passing is an afterthought and he holds like a motherf*cker. But, he is unanimously a top five pick.
"Tiny" Richardson is another guy that fits in that category. 6'6, 335 pounds, a massive wingspan and despite that was one of the top performers at the bench press (lower body is better for run blocking, but nothing gets you pancakes quicker than moving a guy off balance by manhandling him up top). He plays to the whistle, and is a genuinely strong man who can take over a game and dominate defenders in the run game, and he's more athletic than you may think. While he has been burned by speed and counter rushes by guys like Jadeveon Clowney and Kony Ealy, he's impossible to bull rush and in close quarters he is a pile driver if there ever was one. Sounds like a Pro Bowl right guard to me.
A weird, very random comparison popped in my head when watching some film. Very few of you may even remember this guy. In the 1987 NFL Draft the Raiders selected Mizzou offensive tackle John Clay with the 15th pick. He was very similar to Richardson and reportedly weighed 330 pounds back when the average OL was around 275. A truly massive specimen that was surprisingly nimble and had a penchant for putting guys to the ground with explosive drive blocking, notably down blocking. I got the idea in my head when I was watching a Mizzou game from 1985 and then I couldn't unthink it. I wonder if anyone even remembers John Clay ... I sure don't. I wasn't even alive when he was playing.
Taylor Lewan
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dirty? Yes. Scumbag? Perhaps.
But the dude is a good player. He brings attitude to the line and his athleticism for a man his size cannot be understated. It's wishful thinking to say he falls to the Chiefs but it's not impossible. A guy of his athleticism and tenacity in a zone blocking scheme is a recipe for domination.
Cyrus Kouandjio
Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
Part of Alabama's annual offensive machine for three years now, he has been a mainstay on the nation's best offensive line since he was a sophomore. Personifying Alabama football as perfectly as possible; big, strong, aggressive, and killer technique. He's not as pretty as Lewan or Jake Matthews or as brutal as Robinson or Richardson, but he moves people out of the hole in the run game and generally keeps defenders away from his QB. He can be beat by quick outside rushes, but that is neutralized by playing inside.
Morgan Moses
I've had a mancrush on Moses since WAYYYYYY before he was being considered as a potential first-round pick. He's a man with a massive frame, with a tight end's feet and anacondas for arms that ensnare defenders and vault them away from the ball. He plays with an overpowering style, often gaining the upper hand over defenders with a thunderous punch that locks the defender far away from his body, and moving him wherever he wants to take them. If the Chiefs can nab a second, this would be a perfect pick. Hell, I wouldn't even be opposed to No. 23, but that's me.
Billy Turner
A fourth-fifth round prospect, Turner was more or less my inspiration for this article. 6'4, 315-pound FCS All-American offensive tackle from the perennial powerhouse Bison, Turner's most distinguishing characteristic is his "McDaniel factor" (named after the legendary Randall McDaniel, the king of the pancake). There's always that guy on the football team who in drills and in practice simply lights up his opponent. That guy is Turner. He makes some absolutely gorgeous blocks in his games.
It appears the Chiefs front office has taken notice. Almost every possible time the Chiefs could have met with Turner, they have. I'm beginning to think this guy fits the archetype of a Reid / Dorsey offensive lineman. Big, maybe a little raw, former OT, and ferocious as it gets. Do not be surprised if the Chiefs take this guy day three.