How does Villanova OL Ben Iljana compare to 2010 2nd round pick Vladimir Ducasse?

[cowboyjoe]

Ben Ijalana, at 6-4 and 320 pounds - all right, those NFL people, meticulous to an extreme, have officially measured him at 6-3 5/8 - definitely has the look of a future pro. More importantly, he has the resume: He started all 53 games during his four seasons at Villanova, twice was an FCS All-America left tackle and was a cornerstone of the Wildcats' 2009 national championship squad. Some mock drafts have him going as early as the late first round, one or two as late as the third, but most of the deep thinkers who predict such things view him as a second-round talent, comparable to former Massachusetts tackle Vladimir Ducasse, who went to the New York Jets in Round 2 of the 2010 draft.

Mark Ferrante, Villanova's assistant head coach and offensive line coach, said there are differences between Ijalana and Ducasse, who is projected to start at right tackle for the Jets in 2011, provided the lockout ends and there is a season.

"The last time I personally saw Ducasse play was against us when he was a freshman and a sophomore," Ferrante said. "But what the scouts are telling me is that Ben is more athletic. Ducasse is more of an inside mauler. His run-blocking is way ahead of his pass-blocking. Ben's the opposite of that. His athleticism and lateral movement as a pass-blocker are further along than his run-blocking skills. But, really, he's pretty effective at each."



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