NFL Execs Predict Heavy First-Round Lean Toward Offensive Linemen

At a time when teams are trying to bail out of the first round and general managers are unimpressed with the number of true blue chip prospects, there is a growing feeling among decision makers that clubs will end up defaulting to a position group that requires significant depth to staff.

Offensive linemen are always in need, always in demand, and are considered relatively safe in scouting terms; tackles can generally be shifted to guard and there are multiple opportunities to find ways to keep them on a roster. 

All of which is a longwinded way to say that it’s probably time to forget about all of those mock drafts from weeks and months ago and get prepared for far more sound-but-not-spectacular linemen coming off the board at the expense of more glamorous positions.

“There’s going to be a run on offensive linemen in the top 10,” said one general manager, “and there’s going to be a run on them at the end of the first round… I think 10 are going (among the top 32 picks). I really do.”

Vegas Is Under-Selling This Proposition

The draft odds are set at 7.5 offensive linemen, and these could be seven offensive tackles selected alone, to say nothing of interior offensive linemen. 

At this point I’d expect at least three to go in the top 10 and at least 4-5 in the first 14 selections and there are teams throughout the back half of the round, Steelers, Chargers, Eagles, Bears, 49ers, Texans, Dolphins, that have done significant work on OL.

With so many teams holding two selections in the first round, six, a bizarre number, it makes sense for many of them to address their offensive line with one of those picks. 

We continue to hear that top tackles like Spencer Fano (Utah), Kadyn Proctor (Alabama) and Monroe Freeling (Georgia) are very well positioned to exceed initial media expectations, with Arizona, Cleveland, Kansas City, Miami and Baltimore teams that could take an offensive lineman within the first 14 picks.