Need a Guard? There's Nothing to See Here
by trigrdan | 4 years ago | 0 Comments
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Lombard, IL – Message to all MOF coaches, if you need a guard in next year’s draft – rethink your plans! Better resign your guard now or hope to gain one via the FA market. This year’s class is straight trash!
The following guards should not be drafted – LG Dorian Byron, RG Daniel Hutton, LG Brandon Fowler, LG Doug Calhoun, LG Nasir Wiggins, RG Deveon Burke, RG Kurt Picard, RG Kevin Peerman. All of these guards will be rated 62 or under OVR. With the exception of Fowler (RBK 75-77) and Peerman (PBK 72-74), they will all have RBK and PBK grades below 70. There is nothing that you can do with these guys so don’t waste a pick!
RG Gerald Irwin is a strange one. He is not as bad as the previous guys mentioned, coming in at 66 OVR, but his grades are not very good. Irwin does not excel at anything with his highest skill rating being 76-77. I’m not quite sure why he is considered to have 5th round talent (maybe more balanced than many of the others), but I would not reach for him early. 6th/7th round seems about right.
RG Larry Ryans is what I would consider a one-trick-pony. With an OVR rating of 64 he will not do much for you on a consistent basis. However, if you are a team that struggles in goaline situations, this may be the guy for you. A power lineman out of Michigan, Ryans boasts a 78+ rating in both LBK and IBL. Down at the goaline, this is exactly the guy you need. Whether its an extra offensive lineman, or a package sub, Ryans may be able to payoff for you as a late round flier.
These next couple of guys have limited potential and probably shouldn’t be drafted as well, but they do have a couple of decent ratings. First thing you notice is their size – both guys are 6’5” or taller and tip the scales at 330+. LG Trent Bass (OVR 66) has a good IBL rating of 82-85 to pair with a LBK of 72-74. My biggest concern with Bass is that his RBK and PBK will be 71 or lower – definitely not a starting caliber guard. LG Bryan Lynch (OVR 66) is in the exact same boat as Bass. Lynch has the same IBL and LBK abilities as Bass and will have similar RBK and PBK as Bass. Both guards have mid-5th round talent and should be treated as such. They will both be serviceable backups in the MOF, but should not be a part of your starting lineup.
There is one decent talent at LG and that is Luke Baker. The 6’3” 324-lb Washington State product projects as a late 1st round pick, but I’m thinking that is pushing it a bit. With an OVR rating of 73-74, Baker appears to be a nice talent on the surface but, as Draft Insider’s does, let’s dig a little deeper. Baker has incredible run block finesse, topping out in the 86-89 range. Baker also boasts a lead block rating of 82-85 and an IBL of 75-77. With that being said, I’m a little cautious that his RBK and PBK are currently unrated – meaning that both will be 75 or lower. I’d be willing to bet that his RBK is better than pass block and may make him a decent agile guard who will do well on pulling plays. I also believe that his PBK ability will be a liability on the field and may make him an easy pass rush target. Again, projected to go in the late first round, I would caution against it as he is not the complete player that you are looking for.
We will finish off the offensive line with a two-part write up on all projected tackles to be drafted. Hopefully there is some promise out there for us – but don’t hold your breath.