With the Pro Days winding down and with all the information I have soaked up on the 2011 Offensive Line draft prospects since the combine, its time to finalize the OL rankings. This time around I want to split up the two positions: offensive tackle and interior line, in their respected groups. You don't have to be the most hardcore football fan to know that the Bears need to address almost all the positions along the offensive line, which is why I will add both a mock OT and Interior line pick.
In this week's WCG Draft Board, I am providing you my top 10 OT and interior line prospects going into the April 28th NFL Draft.
Offensive Tackle
1st round
#1 Tyron Smith, USC - No one has seen their stock rise as much as USC LT Tyron Smith. He's projected to be a top 15 pick, but I've seen him mocked as high as pick #9 to the Dallas Cowboys.
#2 Anthony Castonzo, Boston College - Castonzo hasn't had his pro day yet, but if his combine performance told us anything it's to expect a solid pro day workout.
#3 Derrick Sherrod, Mississippi State - Sherrod wowed talent evaluators at his pro day. Sherrod should be the on KC, Colts, Ravens, and Bears radar; teams that are picking near the end of the first round where he's projected to go.
#4 Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin - The stellar workouts from his peers has made Carimi's stock slip a bit. He's still in my opinion the safe choice of all the OT's in the draft because if he doesn't pan out on the Left, he can play on the Right or Inside.
#5 Nate Solder, Colorado - Solder is over-hyped, but for good reason. Of all the tackles in the draft, he has the most potential to be elite because of his measurables and athleticism.
2nd to 3rd round
#6 Joseph Barksdale, LSU - Barksdale played LT at LSU, but scouts project him to be a RT or kick inside at either OG position.
#7 James Brewer, Indiana - Brewer might be the most underrated tackle in this draft. He wowed scouts at his pro day in OT drills.
#8 Benjamin Ijalana - I'm not that high on Ijalana playing tackle at the next level, but most mock draft experts and scouts think he could pan out on the outside.
3rd to 5th round
#9 Marcus Gilbert, Florida - A big RT, Gilbert should be on team's radar in the 3rd round. He's a prototypical Tice lineman at 6-6 330 pounds.
#10 Jah Reid, Central Florida - Reid exploded on the scene based on a stellar pro day. He reportedly looked good in drills and has the size OL coaches like at 6-7 320 pounds.
Mock OT pick for the Bears: Gabe Carimi, LT Wisconsin
Tice was on hand for his pro day, and rumored to have come away impressed of the 4 year Wisconsin starter. I am still in belief that one of the top 5 tackles will fall to us and with the recent performances of Sherrod, Solder, and Castonzo has me thinking maybe Carimi in a Bears uniform in 2011 could be a reality.
Interior Line
1st round
#1 Mike Pouncey, Florida - Pouncey had an impressive pro day going through O-line drills with Mike Tice. He could end up going before the Bears pick, but if he drops to #29, he will get strong consideration.
2nd round
#2 Rodney Hudson, Florida State - Small guard at 299, but is strong for his size and has room to add some bulk without losing his athleticism.
#3 Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State - Pouncey is getting all the hype, which is probably why Wisniewski's stock has fallen a bit. It wouldn't surprise me if 5 years from now he is considered the best Center in this draft class.
2nd to 3rd round
#4 Marcus Cannon, TCU - Cannon is an intriguing prospect because he's really athletic for his size at 350.
#5 Danny Watkins, Baylor - Watkins has the potential to come in and be an immediate impact for any offensive line.
#6 Orlando Franklin, Miami - Played mostly at LT at Miami, but scouts feel his best position is at OG.
#7 Clint Boiling, Georgia - Boiling is a versatile lineman who can play on the outside at RT. He's best at OG with the potential to move to Center if develop properly.
3rd to 4th round
#8 James Carpenter, Alabama - A big lineman who I can see developing into a solid starting RG.
#9 Will Rackley, Lehigh - One of the more underrated prospects in this draft, Rackley fits a power blocking scheme.
#10 John Moffitt, Wisconsin - Moffitt was once considered a late 2nd to early 3rd round prospect, but his lack of strength and him coming out and saying he's best as a OG not C has made his draft stock tumble a bit.
Mock OG pick for the Bears: Will Rackley, OG/OT Lehigh
His height at 6-3 will most likely force him to play inside at the next level, but he's the type of lineman that fits Tice's Power Blocking scheme. The Bears need some talent in the interior line, and Rackley has the ability to step in right away and contribute at either OG spot.