So again, tell me the games I should scout to convince me of their talent.
Dude, you asked which players you should be looking at, now you want me to list games too? How about do a little research for yourself. If you don’t think they’re good, fine, you’re just disagreeing with paid scouts that all have a consensus on these players being top 100 prospects.
To recap:
I’m saying I’ve watched these players. I don’t like them.
You’re saying, “I’ve read they’re good.”
Surprised to here that. It’s a strong and deep class.
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Correct, I’ve read 4-5 different reports of the top players in the draft all from different people paid to have an opinion on the matter.
You’ve stated you don’t like them…
How about you name me 90 prospects you like better than the tackles I listed.
For most of these guys (haven’t watched them all), I see a bunch of big athletic kids that are lumps of clay. Not much on tape translates to pro style offense.
He apparently thinks otherwise… 
I’ll disagree but I’ll support my stance with this.
Are you familiar with Duke Manyweather?
He’s raving about this kid. He thinks he’s a mauler too. He’s the one who put this clip out.
Here’s is a story about him and a quote on him.
When it comes to the leading expert on NFL Offensive Linemen, you may not know the name Duke Manyweather . In addition to his own athletic accomplishments at Humbolt State and in the Arena Football League, Manyweather is the sole Offensive Line Scouting and Development Consultant
Here’s a little more to support both Duke and Mekhi. There’s a little more video here too.
Here’s a quote from this article on Mekhi.
Turn on the tape and you’ll find moments of pure domination at the point of attack, not just with brute strength and power but also with grace, explosiveness and rare physical qualities for an athlete of this stature.
Listen, when it comes to OL I’m a purist. Traits are nice. But for OL they are weak indicators of success. There is a minimum threshold of athleticism/body type that must be met but after that it’s diminishing returns. I’ve seen too many dudes like Greg Robinson who have all the traits but no feel for the position. OL is about playing with leverage, firing out of your stance, the ability to force your will on 4th and inches.
It’s not the fault of these prospects, but most of them just don’t have the opportunity to get reps in a 3 point stance or practice these “pro style” elements of the game. The spread is so prevalent that a lot of these kids never play in a 3 point stance until they get to the NFL.
So a lot of these kids have sexy traits but I have no idea if they can play OL in the NFL (outside of AZ) based on what they’ve put on tape—which is the best indicator of success.
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That’s a small part of it. Fundamentals, Footwork, Hand placement, power and agility are as well. However certain traits are desirable for a reason. They give the prospect an advantage to win matchups.
Obviously OL, like QB, have a huge amount of busts. I did a study a few years back and linemen drafted in the first two rounds had the highest bust rate next to QB. I think the biggest reason QB’s and OL bust so much is that they often get over drafted based on their measurables and teams think they can coach them up. That’s why I like OL that come from pro style offenses. Their learning curve is shorter. I also believe teams should always be developing OL on their depth chart.
But Mekhi is getting a ton of attention because he has crazy measurables, good footwork, and is just a beast. He’s drawing comparisons to a lot of elite OT’s. If he has a good combine he’s going to shoot up draft boards.
I see all of these qualities as a part of “playing with leverage”.
Aside from that, I take no issue with anything you said. Becton is a mountain of a man with good feet—could very well turn into a stud. Same is true for a lot of the other OTs but like you I prefer guys from pro style offenses because they’re a safer projection to the pro game.
Would be interested on how you rate the top 5 or 10 OT’s and why.
There’s not enough pro-style offenses in college, so if you don’t project traits you end up missing out on guys like Terron Armstead, Jason Peters, Tytus Howard, Duane Brown, Alejandro Villanueva, Trent Williams, Ja’Wuan James, all of whom lacked technique, experience or understanding of the position prior to entering the league. Yes there’s busts, but OT is a super-premium position, and if you hit your set for years.
Your points here are totally reasonable but I don’t have to like them 
Man I hate the Air Raid/Spread…
If the Lions are always trying to upgrade the same positions then their never going to get better as a team.
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I agree … unfortunately we’re not fixing the problem areas … I want us to go defense too.
I also want us to always be developing young OL talent.
But … ya got to like this kid… lol
Problem is, all the highlights show him throwing some 220lb linebacker aside or some CB on a corner blitz.
I can only assume that he’d hold his own against some beefy DT’s, that’s what I’d rather watch.
I’ll have to look-up some full game film on him to see what his overall game shows, I haven’t done that yet.
When this thread was started most mocks had him projected round two or lower. Now he’s being projected as the top OT pick in the draft. Could he go #4 to the NYG?
He’s turning heads and blowing up the combine too.
Article suggesting he’s going top 10.
Tristan Wirfs ran a 4.85 40, faster than several QB’s.