2011 NFL Draft - Top 5 Interior OL

The-Mainboard.com 2011 NFL Draft Initial Interior OL.

List is from NFL Draft aficionado, Neal Olson.

1. OT/OG Nate Potter, Boise State
-Potter is an interesting case and should be one of the fastest rising players amongst the national pundits throughout the year if things go right. He moved from left tackle to left guard with Boise State being deeper at tackle than at guard, not to mention Potter's strength to take on collegiate defensive tackles. It is going to be a case to watch throughout the season to see how he develops. I think he is the most talented offensive lineman before the season starts. He has quick feet and agility not to mention the mean streak that other guys just don't possess, which is evidenced by the move to guard. He has been very receptive to the change and has embraced which bodes well for how NFL teams will look at him come April I would imagine. At either position, Potter should be a plus player and the versatility should help him like it did Ryan Clady an ex Boise State standout. The one thing to watch is the holding inside as the move to guard sometimes exploits that, which hampered Mike Iupati a year ago but I think Potter is quicker than Iupati was at this point.

2. OG/OC Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State
-Wisniewski is possibly the best pure interior offensive linemen in the 2011 NFL Draft. Wisniewski is very athletic for an interior line prospect. He moves his feet well and keeps a low center of gravity which allows him to maintain a low pad level. This is a huge advantage for him as he isn't the strongest interior linemen eligible for the draft. He uses excellent technique to have the initial advantage and he keeps it up throughout the play. If he is able to clear the way early in a play, he has an excellent motor which allows him to keep with the play and move to the second tier of a defense and open up further holes for his running back up field. This should translate well to the next level and make him a valuable prospect to a team later in the first round or early in the second round which may be a steal to get him there. The one thing that I think he has to do at the next level would be to increase his strength. With more NFL teams going to bigger three man fronts, this could expose Wisniewski early on in his career. I am not sure he has the strength to handle a guy like Jerrell Powe or other strong tackles like him. Obviously in a 3-4 setting, he would be allowed help but that is giving into what a nose tackle's job is. However that should come within a few years and he has the frame to increase his strength, so I am not sure it will be a major red flag for teams going into April.

3. OG Rodney Hudson, Florida State
-Like Wisniewski of Penn State, Hudson's biggest aspect is his athleticism from the guard spot. Hudson has one of the quickest set of feet amongst offensive linemen that are eligible for this year's NFL draft. He has great agility and rarely gets beat inside by speed, which for a league that is becoming speed crazy should give him an advantage in that department. He uses his hands well and isn't as much of a grabber like some other top fleet guards have been coming out of the draft in the past few years. The biggest thing to me that is Hudson's problem and something I am not sure he can get up will be the weight concern that some have with him. He is measured in at 285 pounds and that is a big red flag for NFL teams, due to the size of nose tackles these days. 300 may be the magic number for him come February when the NFL combine is held in Indianapolis. If he isn't able to pack on the pounds, he may be one of the biggest fallers of this list as one of the top guards coming into the year last year Anthony Render went from 2nd to 3rd round consideration to being undrafted due to size concerns.

4. OC Kris O'Dowd, Southern California
-O'Dowd enters the year as the top pure center for me among draft eligible prospects for the 2011 NFL draft. Unlike some other linemen this year, O'Dowd has more strength than agility. O'Dowd isn't the quickest nor the fastest center prospect but he is extremely polished using great technique. He has started since his freshman season at Southern California which is a big plus in terms of overall experience at the position. With more teams going towards a 3-4 defensive front, O'Dowd has the most strength among the second tier offensive linemen and could very well be the first off the board among interior linemen come April. The biggest issue with O'Dowd outside of the elite athleticism would be the durability concerns. His career at USC has been plagued with injuries and that probably is the biggest reason why he could slip from the first round as interior linemen are easier to find throughout the draft than offensive tackles. Either way O'Dowd shouldn't fall farther than the middle part of the third round and could very well end up in the first round if he proves that the injuries are behind him.

5. OG/OC Mike Pouncey, Florida
-His brother wound up a first round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 NFL Draft and it wouldn't surprise me if Mike winds up there after a year at a new position. The biggest asset that Pouncey has is his blocking in the run game. He is much like O'Dowd in terms of being big and strong which showed when Pouncey was blocking in the run game. He did a great job at not grabbing and rather driving opposing defensive linemen off of the ball using good leverage and his overall strength. Although his strength is arguably at the top of this class, he doesn't have the agility and overall athleticism that his twin brother had. I think the move to center will help increase his value as that will limit his exposure to speed inside and showcase his run blocking even more than he did at the guard spot. Overall he might be lower than what he should be but I think after a year of center under his belt, he should rise up boards and possibly find himself in the later part of the first round.