After rereading this top 5 before publishing it, it feels like I’m really ragging Tyler Booker, I don’t mean to come off like I don’t like him. He can be a good starting OG in the league for a decade plus. However, I don’t think he’s going to make a major difference over other guards in this class. He gets and A+ rating as a person and a leader from everyone at Alabama but a guard can only help so much. The difference in how much better your offensive line would be between taking Booker in round one or a guy like Emory Jones late in round two is negligible. For every Quentin Nelson in round one there is Chance Warmack, never overdraft a guard.
Interior Offensive Linemen
1. Tyler Booker (Alabama): Booker is a very large human at 6’5 325 lbs. and he plays with elite power. He is what is known as a people mover. His main weakness is that he’s probably limited to playing guard, he isn’t athletic enough to move to center or tackle. He’s also a little heavy footed and while he will be a really good guard, that’s his ceiling. The mock drafts that have him going in the upper half of round one seem crazy to me. For a guard to go that high, you have to have Quentin Nelson like ability, Booker isn’t that.
2. Grey Zabel (North Dakota St.): Zabel is upholding the new tradition of North Dakota St. putting offensive linemen into the NFL. He could be this year’s version of Graham Barton from last year too. Zabel played LT at North Dakota St. but most teams think he moves inside and smart teams see him as a center. He went to the Senior Bowl and played both guard and center. The center class this year is bad so he should be the first one off the board if a team wants him to play there. I think he goes late round one and starts at center next season ala Graham Barton last year for Tampa Bay.
3. Donovan Jackson (Ohio St.): Jackson has been a good prospect for a number of years now and this year he got even better. He’s always been a guard prospect and a really good one but this year he was forced to play LT when the Buckeyes lost their top two LTs. He stepped in and played quite well while OSU made a run to the National Championship. He’s not a LT prospect for the NFL but his value went up after his excellent play this year. Donovan Jackson is exactly why you don’t draft Tyler Booker in round one, you can get Jackson somewhere on day two and he can be just as good at guard as Booker.
4. Emory Jones (LSU): Jones has started at RT for several years and he’s been good. He could potentially play RT in the NFL but most teams see him as an OG. He went to the Senior Bowl and struggled early playing RT, then was awesome at OG. He could be an All-Pro guard. He’s another guy who proves you shouldn’t reach for a guard in round one and just get a guy who can be just as good on day two.
5. Wyatt Milum (West Virginia): Milum is another guy who played OT in college but will move inside in the NFL, it’s a major theme of the offensive line guys in this draft. Milum went to the Senior Bowl too and played some OT but mostly OG. He was better at OG but didn’t have a standout week. He’s a day two pick for sure but it’s going to be as an OG.
*Other player of note: Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona): There are some massive players at OG and Savaiinaea is one of the biggest. He’s 6’6 330 lbs. and has played both LT and RT but most teams will love him at guard. He’s a behemoth and will dominate on the inside. He could play RT and someone might give him a shot there so he may go higher than some anticipate.
The Hott Read 