Three Studs
1. Riley Reiff, Iowa
Riley Reiff is coming out of Iowa as one of the most well-coached kids and interesting players at his position, in my opinion. I know the cliche’ player to talk about here would be Matt Kalil, but I think there’s a lot that Reiff has going for him as well. I think he has a future in the NFL as a right or left tackle, and I believe he will start for a very long time and be productive. He has a great work ethic and has drawn great reviews from some of the best offensive line coaching in all of college football. The all-american is one of the most fundamentally sound and rock solid prospects in this year’s draft. If he winds up falling to a team like the Chicago Bears, it would be a perfect fit.
2. David DeCastro, Stanford
DeCastro can pretty much be penciled in as a Pro Bowler almost every year from here on out unless something happens to him health wise. He is my seventh highest graded prospect in this draft because of his ability to play the pass and run block almost equally as well. If you saw what Stanford was able to accomplish the last couple of years, not only do you point to Andrew Luck’s success, but look at the success of their offensive line and how talented they are. DeCastro is an All-American and a dominant player overall. Guards aren’t valued really highly, but DeCastro could be the exception.
3. Peter Konz, Wisconsin
Konz should be the first center drafted, and he’s an absolute beast. Konz is already really experienced at making calls at the line of scrimmage in a Pro Style offense which they ran at Wisconsin, and he’s a mauler in the run game. Had an injury that caused him to miss a couple of games but came back and started the Rose Bowl for the Badgers. Again, like Reiff at Iowa, Konz can be sure to come into the NFL as one of the most well-coached players at his position.
Overrated?
Mike Adams, Ohio State
The offensive tackle from Ohio State is definitely a talented kid, but he’s got some off-field issues that are probably going to push him to the second round or later. At the Senior Bowl, not many players were getting past Adams in drills, and he has excellent size. However, you can’t ignore what he did off the field and the pattern that’s being created.
Sleeper
Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State
I had the privilege of talking to Osemele Tuesday before the draft, and he’s a guy that most people have fallen asleep on. He’s absolutely huge, can play four different positions on the line, and was a three year starter for the Iowa State Cyclones. He also was a two-time All-American and two-time first team All Big 12 selection. I would love to have this guy on my team. He’s a mauler in the run game and looks like he has the most upside as a right tackle or guard.