Thanks for the info. I don't want to portray myself as an O-Line expert - I just read scouting reports to try to get an idea who *might* be good. I've read your posts about liking Brian O'Neill, and I remember Eotab saying he likes converted TEs at LT (Doug Dieken!).
O'Neill's scouting report on NFL.com:
Brian O'Neill 6-7 305
Overview
O'Neill's athleticism helped him win honors as Delaware High School Defensive Player of the Year (five sacks, 13 pass deflections, also 33 receptions, 614 yards, and eight touchdowns as a tight end) in football and the state's basketball Player of the Year award. His talent came as no surprise since his father was a running back at Dartmouth and his mother a swimmer at Northeastern University. O'Neill was a tight end during his redshirt season in 2014 and the following spring but moved over to offensive tackle before the 2015 season. He played in all 13 games, starting the final 12 (one at left tackle, the rest at right tackle). O'Neill continued his improvement on the line, starting all 13 games at right tackle and earning second-team All-ACC from league coaches. Injuries on the line caused him to move to left tackle for his junior season, where he started all 12 games and garnered first-team all-conference honors. Pitt coaches used O'Neill' athleticism as an offensive weapon as a rusher (two scores, one on a lateral and the other on an end-around) and passer (0-for-2). He won the satirical "Piesman Trophy" in 2016 for one of his touchdowns.
Analysis
Strengths Good arm length. Athletic and fluid as a move blocker. Good lateral quickness and able to race ahead of the pack on pull blocks and screens. Redirects weight and works feet into position to square second level blocks. Accelerates into down blocks and runs feet through contact. Makes subtle weight shifts to keep defender centered during his block. Stays connected to his blocks for the long haul. Plays with adequate lift and hip roll at point of attack. Fires out of his stance into initial kick-slide. Has ability to slide and mirror defender around the arc when technique is right. Nimble feet and good reactive athleticism to recover when beaten around the edge. Quality "snap and find" talent on End/Tackle twists.
Weaknesses Linear build lacking core strength. Technique will go on vacation at inopportune times. Struggled during Senior Bowl reps to maintain his pass pro posture. Tends to defaults to a "nose-over-toes" approach with too much waist-bending. Hands take too many outside tracks to the target. More grabber than puncher. Oversets and opens the inside path. Lack of play strength could be debilitating on the next level. Panics and forgets his footwork. Gets caught on balls of his feet and can be walked into pocket in pass pro. Makes initial contact before working his feet into position as lateral blocker. Doesn't have enough upper body strength to seal and finish some backside reach blocks. Allows defenders to rip through his edge.
Draft Projection Round 2-3
NFL Comparison Jake Fisher
Bottom Line O'Neill has good length and is a terrific athlete, but his inconsistencies at the Senior Bowl practices will be hard for teams to get out of their minds. What might be even more troubling is the way he seemed to panic and lose technique in certain matchups. O'Neill is a classic zone scheme blocker, but teams may take a look at him as a move guard with tackle potential rather than locking in with him as a blind-side tackle. O'Neill needs to get thicker and stronger or swing tackle could be his ceiling.
-Lance Zierlein
It seems like most of the tackle prospects in the 2018 draft are being projected to be RT or else OG - Crosby, Rankin, Orlando Brown, and above, O'Neill. That would seem to leave Connor Williams, Texas or Kolton Miller, UCLA:
Connor Williams 6-5 320
Overview
Williams joined the Longhorns after being named a second-team 6A All-State pick by the media as a high school senior. Even though he was "just" a three-star recruit coming out of the north Dallas suburbs, Williams proved himself a worthy starter at left tackle for all 12 games as a freshman. He was a freshman All-American pick by multiple outlets, as well as an honorable mention All-Conference selection by Big 12 coaches. Williams' strength in the run game and elite agility in pass protection made coaches, NFL scouts, and media outlets name him one of the best tackles in college football in 2016. He earned consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-Conference accolades after starting 11 of 12 games at left tackle. His junior season was marred by injury, however; Williams started just five games (first three games, final two regular season games) at left tackle due to a left knee injury. He sat out the team's bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Analysis
Strengths Leader in locker room and voracious worker in weight room. Carries good lean muscle mass. Outstanding technician from before his first college snap. Works for centered blocks. Good redirect and is fluid in pre-strike movements. Snaps hips for additional anchor when base blocking. Generally smooth with lateral footwork and slide sets. Works his tail off to gain position and secure playside blocks. Efficient in space and capable of making adjustments to moving targets. Sticks to blocks with powerful hands for long engagements. Quality finisher with some mean. Outstanding hand placement. Understands target points on defender's frame and shoots hands into them like a marksman. Pass sets with plus mirror and body control. Footwork and eyeballs are seamless on E/T or T/E stunts. Sees and responds. Has a good feel for quarterback depth and rarely oversets pocket. Has late hip sink and anchor when rocked by initial contact.
Weaknesses Lack of length could be a concern as NFL tackle. Doesn't have length to catch -- needs to punch. May need to carry hands higher in pass sets to expedite punch-timing. Gets too straight-legged and bounced back into pocket by initial bull move. Core strength appears to be average. Has a habit of defaulting to punch-and-lean against rushers with power. Opens himself up to push/pull moves. His 2017 tape was disappointing relative to previous seasons. Lower body looked tighter. Overall lateral quickness and mirror quickness looked a little off this year even before injury. Had trouble getting to cross-face blocks that he was making previously. Drive leverage was inconsistent this year. Edge rushers had more success than expected. Inside post was a little soft against counter moves.
Draft Projection Rounds 1-2
Sources Tell Us "I heard all about how good he was last year and then I turned on the tape and what I saw wasn't a first-rounder at all. I can go back to 2016, but who is he now? I have to know who he is and who he's going to be in three to five years. Scouting is projecting." -- NFL team personnel executive
NFL Comparison Jake Matthews
Bottom Line Williams has been a personal favorite since studying his freshman season, but his 2017 tape didn't match his previous body of work. Williams seemed to lose some lateral quickness and had troubles holding up at a high level in protection. A move to guard or center is a possibility depending on how his arm length measures out. Williams is a plus run blocker with plug-and-play technique across the board. If he regains his 2016 form, he will be a good NFL starter. If not, he'll be an average NFL starter.
-Lance Zierlein
<Sigh> Another projection to C/OG ... Kolton Miller anyone?
Kolton Miller 6-9 310
Overview
Bruins coaches paid Miller the ultimate compliment when they moved him to the most important position on the field: left tackle. Protecting quarterback Josh Rosen was the top priority, so placing Miller on the passer's blind side showed confidence in him. He repaid them by starting all 13 games at the position, garnering second-team All-Pac-12 recognition. Miller was coming off a shortened sophomore season where he started five games at right tackle before missing the rest of the year with a foot injury. He played in 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2015, starting five games at right tackle. Great things were expected from Miller in Westwood after they signed the four-star recruit who was named an All-Sacramento Metro pick as a senior.
Analysis
Strengths Well proportioned with good height and length. Plays with high effort level each snap. Strong desire and hustle to win lateral positioning as move blocker. Understands angles for reach blocks and second level work. Uses timing and positioning to prevent premature engagements. Possesses good power in his hands. Uses strong upward thrust in his punch to mitigate lack of bend and create a leverage point into his initial contact. Wide base in his pass sets. Tape shows ability to self-fix punch timing and hand placement in-game. Drops a late anchor when driven back into the pocket. Quick to turn his attention to changing rush threats against twists and blitzes. Has necessary foot quickness and athletic ability to mirror counter spins and inside charges. Catches and slides them out of the picture.
Weaknesses Segmented mover and lacking desired level of fluidity from a left tackle. Not a natural bender and plays with perpetually high pad level. Height may be a hindrance in handling traffic around the edge. Stiff hips in kick-slides rob him of lateral quickness to mirror and punch edge racers. Invites defenders into his frame when playing with slow, wide hands. Gets pogo-sticked into the pocket by speed-to-power charges. Average body control and contact balance as run blocker. Powerful opponents can yank him off balance with pulls and sheds. Needs more consistent latch and finish with his hands.
Draft Projection Rounds 2-3
Sources Tell Us "His tape tells you exactly who he is. He's big and he's got decent length but he's an average athlete and he will always be up and down depending on the guy across from him. I think he'll start but I don't see anything special. Some scouts like him a lot more than me so I don’t know." -- AFC area scout
NFL Comparison Jeremy Trueblood
Bottom Line Miller is an exceptionally tall tackle prospect who lacks the flexibility in his hips to drop his pad level and play with better leverage and a stronger base. His lateral movements in his pass slides are segmented and there are reps that he has to completely break from his technique to chase edge rushers to the corner. Miller has the frame to add more mass and he may need to make the move to the right side as a pro. He has the physical traits to become an average NFL starter, but I see pass protection concerns in his future.
-Lance Zierlein
Not a great year for LT, apparently, and really not a great year to lose Joe Thomas either.
