Offensive Guards
There were twenty-one OG's taken in the 2020 draft. While just three were taken within the first three rounds, there were eight taken in rounds 4 and 5.
I could see the 2021 draft resemble that of 2020 early on, but I can't fathom that we'll see more true OGs taken this year. Team needs may keep the number respectable, but the talent just isn't there. Even the guys at the top, while good, struggle with consistency.
1) Wyatt Davis | 6'5 | 325 | OG | Ohio State -
Davis has excellent size and plays with commanding strength. In the run game, he does an excellent job in both head up and combo block situations, often bettering the defender in either regard. As a pass blocker, he sits back well into his stance and plays with controlled power. He often shows the ability to let the defender into him, only to use that upward drive as leverage and steering ability against the opponent. At times, he won't be quick enough to pick up T-stunts or loops, failing to pick up his man cleanly. This is something he's gotten better at, however. While not overly quick, he's agile enough to operate in space. All told, he's a very reliable RG.
10/24 - Nebraska - Davis didn't have a bad game, but he did look rusty to me. He was quick off the snap and to get into his defender, showing off a great blend of athletic traits from a strength and quickness perspective. However, he let a few blocks slide off and seemed to regulate the amount of exertion he'd give on one play to the next. There were a few runs where he didn't move his man off the ball, others where he did so commandingly. He did release to the second level well and was a wall in pass pro. I just wanted to see more consistency snap to snap. Ohio State was hit or miss running the ball.
10/31 - Penn State - Davis had a very solid game. While he did show some susceptibility to get beat against the bull rush (allowed 1 sack), he was otherwise very sound. He turned his man off the ball several times in the run game. That guy was Mustipher, and NFL-caliber DT in my book. He was a wall in pass pro, showed good toughness overall.
11/21 - Indiana - Davis had an up and down game. While he did have some very good blocks in the run game, there were three plays where he failed to pick up a blitzer, which resulted in 1 TFL and two near sacks. When he could quickly lock up his man, he was quite effective. When having to deal with moving targets, he was far less effective. There's no way he looked like the Round-1 prospect several are touting him to be.
12/5 - Michigan State - Davis had a solid game, was dominant at times. However, I still saw holes in his play. On the plus side, he was great in pass pro and in the run game when he could go head up or down block at the LOS. However, he was average at best on his skip pulls, also didn't shine when coming off of combo blocks or even first releases to the 2nd level. LBs typically had no problem beating him to the gap or evading his block altogether.
12/19 - Northwestern - Davis landed a quite a few powerful blocks, completely taking his man out of contention to make a play on the ball. He's one reason Sermon had such great room.
2) Trey Smith | 6'5 | 325 | OG | Tennessee -
Smith is a big, powerful dude with a ton of potential. When the mood strikes him right, he exacts dominance against would-be defenders. His sheer size makes it tough for opponents to get around him. With that said, this is a buyer beware situation. Smith lacks ideal quickness, comes with a big medical flag and has motivational issues. He's a frustrating guy to evaluate, because while his potential is obvious, he doesn't play to it nearly enough.
9/26 - South Carolina - Smith really looked the part today. He showed plus strength and leverage in both pass pro and run blocking. While he got a little top heavy on some run plays, he still hemmed his man up and took him out of contention.
10/3 - Missouri - Overall, Smith had a solid game. His technique was bothersome at times, as was him not finishing plays at times. But, when he was on he was on. He showed mauling ability and flashed nastiness at times. He was a wall in pass pro.
10/10 - Georgia - Smith faced maybe his toughest match up of the year when he locked horns with Jordan Davis. I'd say Davis one the bout, but Smith made him earn it. There were a few times where Smith was jacked up and driven back by the big NT. However, Smith too was able to got the upper hand on Davis at times and neutralize him. As a whole, this game didn't hurt Smith's stock in any way, showed that he can hang against the big and powerful.
10/17 - Kentucky - Smith had a very good game. He played with power throughout, really asserted himself in the run game. He drove his defender back on multiple occasions, also did well getting to the 2nd level to hem up LBs. He was a wall in pass pro.
10/24 - Alabama - Smith had a solid game, had to go against NFL prospects all night. He showed good strength and the ability to get the upper hand on defenders multiple times. While not always technically sound, he got the job done.
3) Ben Cleveland | 6'5 | 335 | OG | Georgia -
Cleveland has the size and strength to go toe-to-toe with almost any interior defender out there. He plays with a mauling style, one to where opponents will usually have far more success beating him with quickness than grit. Cleveland will lunge at times, plays through his waist vs. his knees which allows defenders to swoop around him outright or with counter moves. While he is a brute guy, he plays with adequate lateral mobility given his size, shows the ability to pull and play in space.
9/26 - Tennessee - Cleveland had a real nice game. He played with good strength, often washing him man clean out of the play when Georgia ran the ball. He was sturdy in pass pro and occupied his man quite well, allowing no pressure.
10/3 - Auburn - Cleveland had a dominating game. Georgia ran behind he and Trey Hill all night and had huge success doing so. Cleveland showed plus power, routinely moved his man off the ball, sealing him off from making the play. Aside from falling off a few blocks in the run game and pass pro late in the game, he was excellent.
10/10 - Tennessee - Cleveland's play was a bit up and down in this one. While he did land quite a few adequate if not good run blocks, he was spotty on others. On occasion, he'd let blocks slip off and would miss the LB at the second level. He was strong in pass pro, however, stood his ground well.
10/17 - Alabama - In both pass pro and in the run game, Cleveland had a number of excellent blocks. He took Christian Barmore to the task several times, sealed him clean off the ball.
11/7 - Florida - Meh game for Cleveland. He couldn't get a good run push up front, and was off a few times in pass pro. This was his worst outing I've seen thus far.
11/21 - Miss. State - This was another ho hum game for Cleveland. He really looked the part on some snaps, was merely adequate on others. While the defensive scheme did play a part, Miss. State shut down the run game of Georgia.
4) Kendrick Green | 6'3 | 315 | OG/OC | Illinois
5) Robert Hainsey | 6'4 | 302 | OG/OT | Notre Dame
9/12 - Duke - Hainsey had a great game by most accounts. He showed off a very fluid kick slide in pass pro, and played with leveled strength in all regards. He did a very good job of either riding his man wide of the pocket, or sealed him off to create a run lane.
10/10 - Florida State - Hainsey had a very good game, played with a good balance of quickness and power. He routinely took his man out of contention.
10/17 - Louisville - Hainsey looked the part again in this game. While not as dominant, he carried out his blocks, showed power in the run game and was reliable in pass pro.
10/24 - Pittsburgh - Hainsey did have a few hiccups, but as a whole he did quite well. Jones and Weaver were each held without a sack, and while Ian Book took on pressure, it was largely because he didn't step up in the pocket or was being blitzed.
11/7 - Clemson - Hainsey had a great night, as did his whole O-line. Hainsey really stood out in pass pro, consistently rode his man wide of the pocket so Book had a lane to step up into and deliver the ball. He also sealed his man off in the run game.
11/27 - North Carolina - Hainsey had a few hiccups in this contest, as his limited athletic ability prevented him from executing all of his blocking assignments, namely stretch plays, reach blocks. That said, I loved his drive and no quit tenacity. He didn't take a play off and continued to play to his full ability, talent aside. As a whole he was solid and dependable, a player I'd want on my squad.
6) Aaron Banks | 6'6 | 325 | OG | Notre Dame
10/10 - Florida State - Brooks showed a lot in this game. When lined up at LG, he showed plus power in the run game, having no issue mauling guys off the ball with sheer size and strength. In the 2nd quarter, he moved out to LT to relieve Eichenburg due to an eye injury. While Brooks struggled a few times getting wide on arc rushes, he was serviceable. When going back to LG afterwards, he was dominant again, looked much better in pass pro within the interior.
10/17 - Louisville - Brooks had another very good game. He was an absolute mauler in the run game, was great going head up and executing combo blocks. Many big runs came off of him.
10/24 - Pittsburgh - Brooks was rather sublime in his play today. While not bad, he didn't create a push up front as per usual. He lunged a few times, lacked technique.
11/7 - Clemson - Brooks had a real good game, consistently opened up run lanes throughout the contest. He was also quite reliable in pass pro.
11/27 - North Carolina - Brooks let a couple blocks slip off, but he was otherwise real solid. He was good in pass pro and provided a nice push in the run game.
7) Deonte Brown | 6'3 | 364 | OG | Alabama -
Brown is a squat, powerful player with plus lower body strength. He's not real quick, isn't always able to get out of the gate and around the corner real fast on pulls. However, he's an absolute mauler on inside runs, routinely washes guys out and secures run lanes. In pass pro, he's a wall. Unless the defender can beat him off the hip with quickness, not much is going to happen. IMO, no RG performed better against 2019 Auburn DT Derrick Brown than Deonte Brown did.
9/26 - Alabama - Brown had a good outing. He showed off mauling strength, was able to move people in the run game. He was a wall in pass pro, consistently provided protection. While not real quick, he was effective when pulling and hitting his target. He may be playing too heavy, could seemingly drop 5 to 10 pounds and still be mighty effective.
10/3 - Texas A&M - Brown did finish a few blocks, but outside of that he was very good. He moved guys in the run game and was a wall in pass pro. He looked like an NFL starter throughout the balance of this game.
10/17 - Georgia - Brown let a few blocks slip, but as a whole he played with leveled strength and hemmed his man up several times, creating run lanes.
10/24 - Tennessee - Brown left the game in the 2nd quarter with a right arm injury. Prior to that, he was a bit uneven in his play. While he hemmed his man up, he often didn't get a push nor finish blocks. Dickerson looked much better in his stead.
11/21 - Kentucky - Brown had an unbalanced game. For starters, he seemed to put on more weight and didn't move real well laterally. He whiffed on a couple blocks that he routinely makes. That said, when he did land blocks he did so with power and effectiveness. As stated, he missed on others and just didn't look like a Day 2 prospect.
11/28 - Auburn - Brown rebounded today. He played with controlled power and held blocks longer, more efficiently today.
8) Royce Newman | 6'5 | 306 | OG/OT | Ole Miss
9) Alaric Jackson | 6'6 | 320 | OG/OT | Iowa
10/24 - Purdue - Jackson had a very up and down game. While he was adequate with down blocks in the run game at times, he was off on others. In pass pro, he did okay on arc rushes, but was beaten up on bull rushes. When going up against Karlaftis, he usually got beaten.
11/13 - Minnesota - I was a bit up and down on Jackson for this game. On the high side, he was very effective on runs to his side, showed the ability to completely wash his man out wide of the "C" gap. In his pass sets, I was less impressed. He overset at times, left the inside open for counter moves and/or straight lanes to the QB. When latched on, he was effective and showed great ability. He was just inconsistent.
11/13 - Nebraska - Jackson held up pretty well in pass pro, but was dominant in the run game when riding his man wide left.
10) Jack Anderson | 6'4 | 315 | OG | Texas Tech
9/26 - Texas - Anderson looked rather average throughout the balance of this game. While adequate in pass pro and in run blocking, he didn't look like a next-level prospect.
10/3- Kansas State - Anderson played with plus strength and was steady if not good as path a pass and run blocker.
10/24 - West Virginia - Anderson played with resolute strength, was able to create a push at times. However, defenders were able to slip his blocks and make plays on the ball.
11/28 - OK State - Anderson was merely average toady. I didn't see a dominant trait or ability that garnered a draft-worthy garde off of his play today.
11) Tommy Kraemer | 6'5 | 319 | OG | Notre Dame
9/12 - Duke - It was good to see Kraemer suiting up again after battling injuries last year. His play was solid, but didn't stand out in any one regard. He was reliable in pass pro and hemmed up defenders in the run game. More will need to be seen from him as the season progresses.
10/10 - Florida State - Kraemer had a solid game. He like the rest of his O-line teammates controlled the defenders in front of them and created nice run lanes throughout the contest.
10/17 - Louisville - Kraemer was a reliable blocker who looked adequate in both the run and pas game.
12) Sadarius Hutcherson | 6'3 | 310 | OG | South Carolina
9/26 - Tennessee - Hutcherson had a dominating game. In pass pro, he was a sturdy wall of protection, routinely jacked defenders up and kept them at bay. In the run game, he was even more impressive. He played with mauling power and consistently moved bodies of the LOS.
10/3 - Florida - Hutcherson had another impressive game. He had some excellent 1:1 reps against Slaton, a future NFL player as well. Hutcherson handled him better than any other O-linemen I've seen in recent memory. As a whole, he created run lanes for his backs and jacked defenders up well in pass pro. Aside from allowing one sack due to being late on a blitz pick up, he was stellar.
10/17 - Auburn - Aside from Horn, no Gamecock looked better than Hutcherson today. He landed multiple pancake blocks in the run game, was a brick wall in pass pro. He released well to the 2nd level as needed, had some very good seal blocks on LBs.
10/24 - LSU - Hutcherson had somewhat of a down night. While he often matched power with the likes of Glen Logan, he let blocks slide off and didn't finish as he usually does. He was adequate in pass pro, but didn't mirror all that well at times, compromised by quickness.
11/7 - Texas A&M - Hutcherson showed that he could handle against some power players like Bobby Brown. While he wasn't always clean on his blocks, he generally carried out his assignment, hemmed his man up well enough for a play to take form.
13) Josh Sills | 6'5 | 338 | OG | OK State -
Sills is a grad-transfer from West Virginia. He's a big dude who plays with a bullying style, uses his strength and size well to dominate smaller, weaker defenders. While sound in pass protection, his strong suit is run blocking. He will play top-heavy at times and not show enough knee bend, can also be exploited against quickness. When able to execute down blocks or get an advantageous angle on his opponent, he routinely washes the guy out and it's over.
9/19 - Tulsa - Sills had a solid game. While he didn't look real fluid or quick, he was a mauler in the run game and was more than adequate in pass pro. While he let a few blocks slipped and appeared to take a few snaps off, he did his job with effectiveness.
10/24 - Iowa State - Sills had a decent game, not standing out as good or bad. He showed power at times, but looked average overall.
10/31 - Texas - Sills had some very good battles up front, displayed good functional strength and reliability overall. He even kicked out to LT late in the game and showed more versatility than I realized he had. He landed some good blocks in both pass pro and in the run game.
11/21 - Oklahoma - Sills showed great versatility when Jenkins left the game due to an injury and he succeeded him at RT. While he didn't always look smooth or fluid, he did a fine job locking the edge up, showed some good power.
11/28 - Texas Tech - Sills lined up at RT again and held down his assignments well. While he didn't look real fluid there, he performed nicely, did what he need to for plays to develop.
12/5 - TCU - Sills did give up a sack late in the game, but he really did a formidable job at RT. Once again, he's an OG prospect showing good versatility and reliability.
14) Jared Hocker | 6'5 | 325 | OG | Texas A&M
9/26 - Vanderbilt - Hocker had a very nice outing. He showed off very good strength in both the pass and run game. As a run blocker, he took some excellent angles, was very good cutting off defenders on backside blocks. While he slipped up a few times, he was generally very reliable if not dominant.
10/3 - Alabama - Hocker had a good game early on, showing enough power to handle if not control some good players in front of him. However, as the game went on he started to fall off blocks, seemed to wear down.
11/7 - South Carolina - Hocker was rolled up on halfway through the 3rd quarter, but he looked the part on many of his blocks up to that point. He handled strength well in pass pro and returned some of his own. In the run game, he opened up some good lanes, sealed LBs well.
11/28 - LSU - Hocker looked limited athletically at times, but he was very reliable overall and played with some good strength at the point of attack, able to create run lanes.
12/5 - Auburn - Hocker played with controlled power and really opened up some nice run lanes for Spiller. He transitioned well on stunts and was very reliable overall.
15) Connor Olson | 6'4 | 305 | OG/C | Minnesota -
10/24 - Michigan - Olson had a decent game considering the front he faced. While he missed or got beat on a few blocks, he was able to get the upper hand at times and show good play strength. While he didn't display great feet, he didn't look limited in carrying out his responsibilities.
10/30 - Maryland - Minnesota opted to run the ball all night, totaling 50 carries on the night. Olson carried out his assignments well in this regard, was able to provide a push up front and create run lanes.
11/13 - Iowa - This is the best I've seen Olson look in a while. He was stationed at RG, played with good strength. While some run plays stalled at the LOS, he was seldom the reason for as much. In 1:1's, he generally controlled his man and got him out of the play-hole. On combo blocks, he established his initial block well and did a good job sealing off target #2. He was solid in pass pro, but the run game was the focus in this one. Many gains came off of his backside.
11/20 - Purdue - Olson was very steady today. While he never wowed in any one series, he carried out his blocking assignments adequately, but not as well as we've seen prior.
16) Navaughn Donaldson | 6'5 | 345 | OG | Miami
17) Stewart Reese | 6'5 | 345 | OG | Florida
9/26 - Ole Miss - Reese really underwhelmed. He looked slow and stodgy and whiffed on some blocks, slipped off on others. He looks like he's too heavy and needs to drop weight to be more mobile, effective.
10/3 - South Carolina - More of the same from Reese, as he showed power at times but was simply too slow, couldn't move quick enough at times.
10/31 - Missouri - No change.
999) Cade Mays | 6'5 | 328 | OG | Tennessee
10/3 - Missouri - Based on just this game alone, I'm not sure Mays can stay at OT. He was great in the run game on down blocks, really moved bodies when locked on. However, he didn't look real fluid or even comfortable in pass pro. His kick slide left a lot to be desired, and he was too quick to bend at the waist.
10/10 - Georgia - Mays more than looked the part when able to latch onto his man and use his sheer size and strength. However, he was too slow defending the arc rush from his RT spot.
10/17 - Kentucky - Mays showed very good versatility in this one. He played all over the O-line, taking reps at RT, RG and LT. While he held his own at the OT spots, he shined at OG. He played with good leg drive in the run game, was stout in pass pro.
10/24 - Alabama - Mays had a good game. He went up against some NFL talent and never looked overwhelmed. While he didn't always land clean blocks, he hemmed his defender up a number of times.
999) Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu | 6'5 | 325 | OG | Oregon
11/14 - Washington State - Aumavae-Laulu had a very good game. He started off at RT, and looked very fluid there despite this not being his natural position. He mirrored well and showed a good punch with strong latch strength. He then kicked inside to OG where he was for some of the game, and looked even better. Oregon ran Verdell behind him multiple times, and this OG was a true road-grader. While he continued to play with plus strength, he had very good foot quickness given his size. He looked the part of a starting NFL O-lineman today. His mean streak was controlled yet apparent.
999) Zion Johnson | 6'3 | 300 | OG | Boston College
9/19 - Duke - Johnson started at LT and did a decent job playing out of position. He operated with a wide base and showed good athleticism in the pass and run game. While I don't see him as an OT, you could see the transferable skill set through his blocking technique and movements. He had several good blocks where he cleanly washed his man out of the play. In pass pro, he couldn't always stay with defenders running wide, but hiq QB did him no favors by not stepping up into the pocket to throw.
10/3 - North Carolina - BC opted to pass the ball in this one and that play doesn't suit Johnson real well. He showed strength but looked far from polished.
10/10 - Pittsburgh - Johnson again played out of position at LT. He was exposed on wide arc rushes, but he posted up in pass pro pretty well otherwise. He was adequate as a run blocker, but not especially strong.
10/31 - Clemson - Johnson struggled mightily at LT, clearly out of position.
999) Myron Cunningham | 6'5 | 293 | OG | Arkansas
9/26 - Georgia - While Cunningham didn't look like he can stay at the LT position he played at in this contest, he performed serviceably and looked like he could be an ideal OT to OG convert. He displayed a nice balance of strength and ability.
10/17 - Ole Miss - Cunningham looked good from his LT spot. He displayed fluid feet and the ability to post his man up. He was adequate, not dominant.
999) Marquis Hayes | 6'4 | 330 | OG | Oklahoma
9/26 - Kansas State - Hayes had a sold game. While his technique was a bit sloppy at times, he generally locked his man up and was adept in both the pass and run game.
10/3 - Iowa State - Hayes had a good game. More times than not, he handled his man well in the run game, was able to create lanes. In pass pro, he walled of his man, protected his QB.
10/24 - TCU - Hayes was solid today. He provided good pass pro and created run lanes for his RB. His play never stood out in any one regard, but his reliability was proven.
11/21 - Oklahoma State - Hayes was a bit up and down i this one. While he landed some real good blocks in the run game at times, he looked rather limited when pulling and failed to deliver a pop. He was generally very sound in pass pro, however.
999) Ben Petrula | 6'5 | 310 | OG | Boston College
9/19 - Duke - Petrula manned the RG spot and showed some power when he was able to lock onto his man. That said, he looked rather one-dimensional. He didn't show much fluidity and if he didn't land his block at the onset he didn't do much.
10/3 - North Carolina - Average game for Petrula. BC didn't run the ball much, opted to pass. He was adequate in pass pro, didn't stand out.
999) Kevin Jarvis | 6'3 | 321 | OG | Michigan State
10/24 - Rutgers - Jarvis manned the RT spot, and while he didn't look bad, he didn't look overly adept or comfortable there. He often didn't get a push on the DE or prevent him from setting the edge. He was reliable in pass pro, not special.
10/31 - Michigan - Jarvis took his lumps at RT. Considering this isn't his natural spot, and that he went against the nation's best DE tandem, he didn't do half bad. He showed some athleticism and was mighty tough trying to ward off the stellar DEs. He's a tough kid who I could see developing into a starter talent someday.
12/5 - Ohio State - Jarvis didn't look good nor bad in this contest, rather average with run and pass blocking.