NFL 2021 Draft Prospects: Part IV: Linemen

–John Turner

Now we discuss the Big Dudes in the Trenches. Gotta have good fat boys if you want to win at the next level. The artists formerly known as the Washington Redskins won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks but they had The Hogs. The 2007 Patriots won all but one game with Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Steve Neal, and Nick Kaczur. With Anthony Munoz and company the Cincinnati Bengals ran for over 2000 yards each season from 1985 to 1990. Someone at the NFL archives should strip the rushing title from Emmitt Smith and hand it over to The Great Wall of Dallas. Art Shell and Highway 63 himself Gene Upshaw helped John Madden and The Autumn Wind simply Just Win Baby. Back to back Super Bowl runs by Denver were pretty much led by Mark Schlereth, Tom Nalen, and company. So as you can see, there’s been no shortage of great line play on some of the best teams ever assembled. The do everything from making running lanes a little wider for running backs to give quarterbacks just a little bit more time to throw, allowing for better accuracy and more yards per carry.

For the last 10 years we’ve seen on average 13 linemen go in the 1st round each year. Of course it’s not only the offensive lines that that are responsible for all the Ws. This year we saw the Washington Football Team win their division with a 7-9 record and many like myself would argue that it was the quartet of 1st rounders in Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat, and Chase Young that led the charge. The Fearsome Foursome had two guys that now have golden jackets in Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. The New York Sack Exchange with Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko. Ed Jones and Randy White have to get some credit for The Doomsday Defense. How good was that late 80s to early 90s Eagles defense without Jerome Brown, Mike Pitts, Clyde Simmons, and Reggie White? From The Purple People Eaters, to The Steel Curtain, to The Monsters of Midway there’s nearly a dozen of Hall of Famers to choose from and about a half dozen Lombardis and nine Super Bowl appearances.

So now let’s take the opportunity to dive right in to the trenches, shall we?

Penei Sewell didn’t play this past season for the Oregon Ducks since he opted out. However there’s no question he was far and away the highest ranked prospect for this draft based off his 2019 campaign alone. His strength is in pass protection so anyone needing a guy on the blind side drafting near the top isn’t likely to pass on the guy as he is about as close to elite in that category as one can be entering the draft. Bengals anyone?

Christian Darrisaw has been a mammoth at left tackle for the Virginia Tech Hokies the last two seasons. He’s got size and strong movement capabilities. He should be a day one starter at left tackle for whoever picks him… ahem Washington. Alijah Vera-Tucker is another player who has shot up the draft board with his strong play at left tackle however due to his size and strength it’s likely we see him moved to gaurd. Samuel Cosmi, Jalen Mayfield, and Alex Leatherwood are some other guys I’d look to remember the names of as I believe most will become very wealthy men at the next level. There’s been an average of 4 offensive tackles taken each season in the 1st round the last 10 years, and I don’t think 2021 will buck that trend.

Penei Sewell	OT	6’6″	330	Oregon
Christian Darrisaw	OT	6’5″	314	Virginia Tech
Teven Jenkins	OT	6’6½”	320	Oklahoma State
Samuel Cosmi	OT	6’7″	313	Texas
Spencer Brown	OT	6’7½”	319	Northern Iowa
Dillon Radunz	OT	6’5″	299	North Dakota State
Walker Little	OT	6’7″	315	Stanford
Jalen Mayfield	OT	6’5″	319	Michigan
Liam Eichenberg	OT	6’5½”	305	Notre Dame
Josh Ball	OT	6’7⅝”	304	Marshall
Greg Eiland	OT	6’8½”	339	Mississippi State
Myron Cunningham	OT	6’7½”	299	Arkansas
Brenden Jaimes	OT	6’5″	330	Nebraska

Wyatt Davis is coming out of Ohio State. If our memory serves us correctly, they’ve produced a ton of yards from the running game the last few years, so it shouldn’t be a shock to see him at the top of most draft boards. He is going to be an absolute mauler in the run game at the next level. Deonte Brown is a big bad man. Looking to run the guard trap… look no further. He’s not exactly the guy you ask to pull for the Counter Trey but he’s going to win the battle of Power O 10/10.

Wyatt Davis	OG	6’3½”	315	Ohio State
Trey Smith	OG	6’5″	333	Tennessee
Alijah Vera-Tucker	OG	6’4″	315	USC
Alex Leatherwood	OG	6’4⅝”	313	Alabama
Tommy Doyle	OG	6’7½”	320	Miami (OH)
Kayode Awosika	OG	6’4″	309	Buffalo
Deonte Brown	OG	6’2⅝”	360	Alabama
Dareuan Parker	OG	6’4″	330	Mississippi State
Scott Lashley	OG	6’6″	308	Mississippi State
LaQuinston Sharp	OG	6’3″	315	Mississippi State
Jack Anderson	OG	6’5″	320	Texas Tech
Zion Johnson	OG	6’3½”	304	Boston College

Rashawn Slater	C	6’4⅛”	308	Northwestern
Landon Dickerson	C	6’5⅜”	344	Alabama
Creed Humphrey	C	6’4″	315	Oklahoma
Josh Myers	C	6’5″	312	Ohio State
Michal Menet	C	6’4″	309	Penn State
Jimmy Morrissey	C	6’2½”	304	Pittsburgh
Doug Kramer	C	6’2″	308	Illinois

Gregory Rousseau is almost a lock to be the first pass rusher off the board. He had 15.5 sacks in 2019 and it’s a damn shame we didn’t get to see him in 2020. The fact that he played receiver and safety in high school tells me I totally expect him to be the new Mike Vrable. Oh, and his teammate Jaelan Phillips ain’t bad either.

Gregory Rousseau	DE	6’7″	253	Miami	90
Joe Tryon	DE	6’5″	252	Washington	89
Jaelan Phillips	DE	6’5″	266	Miami	88
Kwity Paye	DE	6’3″	270	Michigan	87
Carlos Basham Jr	DE	6’3½”	274	Wake Forest	86
Patrick Jones II	DE	6’4½”	264	Pittsburgh	85
Aidan Hutchinson	DE	6’6″	269	Michigan	81
Adetokunbo Ogundeji	DE	6’4″	255	Notre Dame	79
Daelin Hayes	DE	6’3¼”	266	Notre Dame	77
Rashad Weaver	DE	6’5½”	274	Pittsburgh	74
Payton Turner	DE	6’5½”	289	Houston	71
Xavier Thomas	DE	6’2″	265	Clemson	68
Dayo Odeyingbo	DE	6’5¼”	279	Vanderbilt	67
Shaka Toney	DE	6’3″	244	Penn State	59
William Bradley-King	DE	6’3¾”	254	Baylor	58
Tariqious Tisdale	DE	6’5½”	294	Ole Miss	49
Quincy Roche	DE	6’3″	239	Miami	48
Marquiss Spencer	DE	6’4½”	289	Mississippi State	30
Chauncey Golston	DE	6’5″	274	Iowa	30
Malik Herring	DE	6’3½”	284	Georgia	30

Christian Barmore… Alabama… power, power, and more power. Say hello to the next poor man’s Aaron Donald. This guy is 3 Technique city. Daviyon Nixon out of Iowa isn’t exactly what I’d consider a participation trophy either.

Daviyon Nixon	DT	6’3″	305	Iowa
Christian Barmore	DT	6’5″	310	Alabama
Levi Onwuzurike	DT	6’3½”	294	Washington
Jaylen Twyman	DT	6’2″	290	Pittsburgh
Osa Odighizuwa	DT	6’2½”	279	UCLA
Jay Tufele	DT	6’2½”	305	USC
Tyler Shelvin	DT	6’3″	346	LSU
Marvin Wilson	DT	6’3¾”	310	Florida State
LaBryan Ray	DT	6’4½”	292	Alabama
Quinton Bohanna	DT	6’5″	364	Kentucky
Devonte Wyatt	DT	6’3″	324	Georgia
Forrest Merrill	DT	6’0⅝”	349	Arkansas State
Austin Faoliu	DT	6’2¾”	292	Oregon
Matthew Butler	DT	6’4″	294	Tennessee

Does your team need a fat boy or two? It’s A Football World, we’re all just passing through.

Next up: Linebackers and Secondary

Feature Photo credit: 247