CN:OTs Rise: The Case for an Offensive Lineman in the 1st -- and in the 2nd Too

[cowboyjoe]

OTs Rise: The Case for an Offensive Lineman in the 1st -- and in the 2nd Too
http://www.cowboyszone.com/2011/04/ots-rise-case-for-offensive-lineman-in.html
Posted by Rafael at Saturday, April 02, 2011

In recent years, offensive tackle has become a sexy position on draft day. In 2008, seven of them were taken in the 1st round. This year, another seven offensive tackles and perhaps eight offensive linemen could hear their names called in the first round -- one in every four picks.

With Dallas needing an offensive tackle and some quality interior line depth for a unit which has four starters aged 32 and over, can the Cowboys afford to go for any position besides offensive line in the first round? I took a look under the hood of last year's Cowboys draft, with a tremendous assist from reader and all-around Cowboys blogs regular Theebs, who produced several high-quality stills and clips from last year's Cowboys war room. They allowed me to reconstruct Dallas' board in toto for the early rounds and show how much the offensive line positions appear to be pushed.

 

[ThreeandOut]

Based on recent history, I'm not holding my breath that the Cowboys would take an OL in the 2nd round. While I wouldn't go so far to say the Cowboys don't assign 2nd round grades to offensive linemen, I do think that it is very rare that they assign this grade.

The article alludes to the fact that the Cowboys view players with a first round grade as immediate starters or key contributors in their first year. Players with a second round grade should at least be key contributors their first year. Typically, the Cowboys only carry seven OL's on their game day roster. So in order to be in the seven man rotation (assuming you are not starting), a player needs to either be able to play the swing tackle or play both C/G.

I think this grading scale largely eliminates swing tackle from consideration for a second round grade because if you can play LT in your first year, you are likely assigned a first round grade. That means your pool of potential second round graded OL's are limited to those players who can make your game day roster and play both C and G.

IMHO, I think the only way we see the Cowboys select an OL in the second round is if a player they've assigned a first round grade falls to them in the second round. Since this is unlikely, it's all the more reason we need to go OL in round 1 if a good prospect is available.

 

[Dcowboy84]

i never used to be a big fan of drafting o-line high b/c i fell into the trap of wanting flash guys

however if we could grab a great OT and a G/C with our first two picks this year i would be ecstatic.

i was thinking about it more after hearing that Garrett was at the USC pro day and talked to Smith....i began to wonder if Garrett being the head coach now would make it more likely that breaking the long trend of taking o-line in the first would be broken

so i went back to who our last few coaches have been and whether they would have considered linemen that early.

as we go back the last 3 coaches were Wade, Bill, and Campo....all 3 defensive guys

now Campo was just screwed overall b/c he dealt with the trade for Galloway and all those nightmare draft years. then the high first rounders went to help the defense....his last being Roy Williams i believe

then we got to Bill....who also focused on defense, which made sense to help transition us to the 3-4....and of course the year where we traded out of the 1st and got Julius Jones

Wade finally started the move towards offense, but it was the impact players like Felix and Dez, along with more defensive picks in Jenkins and Spencer

last year was the first year i think they would have considered a lineman if Iupati had dropped far enough

so after all that, what's my point?

well with Garrett as HC now it's our first offensive head coach in over 10 years.....he saw what happened to Romo and Kitna....he knows as a former QB that protection is key, and that the line gets everything going. and our guys are all old and decaying except for Free

so even though it's been 31 years, i really get the feeling that Garrett wants to address the o-line with this draft, and he seems like the kind of coach that could accomplish that

 

[ThreeandOut]

so even though it's been 31 years, i really get the feeling that Garrett wants to address the o-line with this draft, and he seems like the kind of coach that could accomplish that

I think the only way we don't go OL in round 1 this year is if we have the opportunity to take Peterson.

 

[28 Joker]

I'd just anchor at 9 and make sure that I left round 1 with Tyron Smith, and then I would get to round 2 and wait for Wisniewski to fall right in my lap.

There is a high probability that all you have to do is just sit your butt down and pick at 9 and 40, and you are going to get the cornerstone to your offensive line and a big boulder with the center Wisniewski.

Don't get cute and help the Dolphins or Chargers build their team and while you draft an inferior player (OT) in round one, so you can get an extra pick among inferior players. You can't fix the defensive line and offensive line in one draft, so you better be able to score some points, run the football, and protect Romo. Fix the offensive line.

What did they say in the 1992 presidential race?

"It's the offensive line, stupid".

I'd take Wisniewski over Brandon Harris, because I think he is a really safe pick and can be a pro bowl player and meets a big time need. No trades, no drama, no "glamorous blondes" with the picks...

I can always come back and draft a CB high next year, but centers are tough to get. I'm taking him.

I think Aaron Williams will be gone by pick 40, and Harris may be gone, too.

Wisniewski should be there, but he states that teams tell him that he could go in round 1 or 2.

This was a great article.

Only the Cowboys draft board would be up in neon lights for the world to see. LOL

 

[garyv]

Tyron Smith or Game Carimi in the 1st Round and Steven Weisnewski in the 2nd Round would make me smile......

Tyron Smith RT
Kosier/Free Agent RG
Weisnewski C
Gurode LG
Doug Free LT

 

[AsthmaField]

I'd just anchor at 9 and make sure that I left round 1 with Tyron Smith, and then I would get to round 2 and wait for Wisniewski to fall right in my lap.

There is a high probability that all you have to do is just sit your butt down and pick at 9 and 40, and you are going to get the cornerstone to your offensive line and a big boulder with the center Wisniewski.

Don't get cute and help the Dolphins or Chargers build their team and while you draft an inferior player (OT) in round one, so you can get an extra pick among inferior players. You can't fix the defensive line and offensive line in one draft, so you better be able to score some points, run the football, and protect Romo. Fix the offensive line.

What did they say in the 1992 presidential race?

"It's the offensive line, stupid".

I'd take Wisniewski over Brandon Harris, because I think he is a really safe pick and can be a pro bowl player and meets a big time need. No trades, no drama, no "glamorous blondes" with the picks...

I can always come back and draft a CB high next year, but centers are tough to get. I'm taking him.

I think Aaron Williams will be gone by pick 40, and Harris may be gone, too.

Wisniewski should be there, but he states that teams tell him that he could go in round 1 or 2.

This was a great article.

Only the Cowboys draft board would be up in neon lights for the world to see. LOL

I would love Smith and Wisniewski out of the first two rounds. We would move on and worry about other positions for the next few years because OL would largely be fixed.

 

[CowboyWay]

i never used to be a big fan of drafting o-line high b/c i fell into the trap of wanting flash guys

however if we could grab a great OT and a G/C with our first two picks this year i would be ecstatic.

well with Garrett as HC now it's our first offensive head coach in over 10 years.....he saw what happened to Romo and Kitna....he knows as a former QB that protection is key, and that the line gets everything going. and our guys are all old and decaying except for Free

Good post. I agree completely.

 

[sonnyboy]

I'd just anchor at 9 and make sure that I left round 1 with Tyron Smith, and then I would get to round 2 and wait for Wisniewski to fall right in my lap.

There is a high probability that all you have to do is just sit your butt down and pick at 9 and 40, and you are going to get the cornerstone to your offensive line and a big boulder with the center Wisniewski.

Don't get cute and help the Dolphins or Chargers build their team and while you draft an inferior player (OT) in round one, so you can get an extra pick among inferior players. You can't fix the defensive line and offensive line in one draft, so you better be able to score some points, run the football, and protect Romo. Fix the offensive line.

What did they say in the 1992 presidential race?

"It's the offensive line, stupid".

I'd take Wisniewski over Brandon Harris, because I think he is a really safe pick and can be a pro bowl player and meets a big time need. No trades, no drama, no "glamorous blondes" with the picks...

I can always come back and draft a CB high next year, but centers are tough to get. I'm taking him.

I think Aaron Williams will be gone by pick 40, and Harris may be gone, too.

Wisniewski should be there, but he states that teams tell him that he could go in round 1 or 2.

This was a great article.

Only the Cowboys draft board would be up in neon lights for the world to see. LOL

Good Article, good post.

No problem with Smith at 9 if the team really likes him and sees him as a furture All-Pro guy.

As I've said at least a few times, I have two mandates for a top 10 pick:

They need to be a player I view as a future All-Pro type
They should play a higher impact position: QB, RB, WR, OLB, CB, NT.

As a rule of thumb, I don't care for OL in Rd One. Certainly not in the top 20 picks. Because I view All-Pro offensive lineman as somewhat of a wasted resource.

Now OL as a group is probably 2nd only to QB in its impact on the game. But more so than any other group, it's only as strong as it's weakest link and a star in the group can't help that weakest link.
And on top of that, they suffer more injuries on average than any other group.

So for me its' more important to go into the season with 8 offensive lineman you feel good about, than having even one you feel great about.

Over time I'd spend more picks between rds 2-7 on the OL because you're never getting a sure 1st rd guy and depth is critical.


Now all this is just a rule of thumb. You're current situation always dictates your direction. And since our need at OL is so great, a 1st rd pick OL we feel great trumps all that.

In the final analysis a trade down, given the opportunity, has to be our best play.

We have three older starting interior lineman, no real legit resrve LT and no one we really feel good about starting at RT.

So for me, I'm trying to draft three players, to fill those three roles, by the end of round 2.

 

[Avery]

I think Tyron makes too much sense to pass up the closer we get.