Your Top 5 at #19

[Memphis Ram]

And that's a far better argument than citing an expert, to my mind at least.

This is far from an exact science but teams are going to take these guys anyway because, again, supply and demand comes into play. There simply aren't enough of them out there. LT is undoubtedly one of the hardest positions to find a gem outside the early going. So if a guy has even many of the skills you're looking for and he's got a good mentality in interviews and reports from his college staff then taking him is probably a good gamble.

The best tidbit of information may be finding out why he wasn't playing LT in college. There's got to be a reason his OLine coaches who see every practice didn't have him at LT.

BTW, there's no doubt in my mind that both Zierlein & Thorn know far more about OLine play than myself.

 

[OldSchool]

The best tidbit of information may be finding out why he wasn't playing LT in college. There's got to be a reason his OLine coaches who see every practice didn't have him at LT.

They had a 5th year senior and 4 year starter at LT. He's by most accounts an early day 3 pick.

 

[Memphis Ram]

They had a 5th year senior and 4 year starter at LT. He's by most accounts an early day 3 pick.

So similar to Alaric Jackson / Tristian Wirfs in college then.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I don't get the love/like for Guyton. His a big athletic guy who played tackle at Oklahoma, but, did he play great? I'd say convincingly no. He's another pure projection IMO. He got torched against Texas/TCU/UCF.... Given the 2 as options, I think I'd rather roll the dice with Mims, at least he hasn't had many games played at all. Guyton has and was not impressive to me at all.

In the few that Mims did play, he looked very good, supposedly. I haven’t watched him.

 

[OldSchool]

So similar to Alaric Jackson / Tristian Wirfs in college then.

Yeah Jackson was the LT starter for his career with Wirfs at RT. Jackson was an UDFA projected day 3 pick and you have the same thing in Oregon St. A day 3 projected LT with a 1st round RT who they think can move to LT just like Wirfs has in the NFL. Not saying Fuaga will mirror Wirfs in the NFL but he's a reason to not straight up doubt a guy because he was a RT in college.

 

[den-the-coach]

Newton is the guy I'm zeroing in on...but I'd be perfectly fine if our pick was Latu, Verse, or Quinyon Mitchell.

I like Newton over by Murphy too.

 

[Merlin]

The best tidbit of information may be finding out why he wasn't playing LT in college. There's got to be a reason his OLine coaches who see every practice didn't have him at LT.

BTW, there's no doubt in my mind that both Zierlein & Thorn know far more about OLine play than myself.

Yeah and I'm sure that stuff gets nailed down day one in the pre-draft process. Teams will get that information quickly from the staffs but in the end NFL teams will value an ability by their scouts to project a guy accurately. This allows the team to dig up values that are higher than where they are taking them in the draft order.

So no matter how you slice it this stuff is dice rolling to a large extent. And when it pertains to OTs even if you "miss" on a LT and he ends up being a stud on the right side or sliding to the interior it's not as bad as say missing on a WR. Which means when it comes to these big guys there is a lot of inherent value just based on measurables vs supply/demand. So even a guy like Mims, who for the record would piss me off if he's our pick at 19, is going to go off the board well before a lot of other guys based on perceived upside. Many teams may be thinking well worst case he could still end up dominant as a guard at this level, so it's partially a question of how they see his personality and love of the game, i.e. is it there, when it comes to one of these oversized bastids.

Way I see these tackles at the top: Alt is a slam dunk, he'll start at LT and lock it down for some lucky team. Fuaga & Fashanu have very good chances to be LTs at some point in their careers, even if they start out elsewhere year one. Latham & Guyton are the early project types, who will go final third of round one into early round two and may hit. I think Mims is a turd. Fautanu & Barton are both good players but will end up on the interior.

If we go with a project type after round one then my huckleberry is Suamataia. I think he's a bit of a longshot for the left side but that's what you get outside the top group is way more projection and risk. He will however end up starting somewhere on an NFL line IMO.

 

[Memento]

Yeah and I'm sure that stuff gets nailed down day one in the pre-draft process. Teams will get that information quickly from the staffs but in the end NFL teams will value an ability by their scouts to project a guy accurately. This allows the team to dig up values that are higher than where they are taking them in the draft order.

So no matter how you slice it this stuff is dice rolling to a large extent. And when it pertains to OTs even if you "miss" on a LT and he ends up being a stud on the right side or sliding to the interior it's not as bad as say missing on a WR. Which means when it comes to these big guys there is a lot of inherent value just based on measurables vs supply/demand. So even a guy like Mims, who for the record would piss me off if he's our pick at 19, is going to go off the board well before a lot of other guys based on perceived upside. Many teams may be thinking well worst case he could still end up dominant as a guard at this level, so it's partially a question of how they see his personality and love of the game, i.e. is it there, when it comes to one of these oversized bastids.

Way I see these tackles at the top: Alt is a slam dunk, he'll start at LT and lock it down for some lucky team. Fuaga & Fashanu have very good chances to be LTs at some point in their careers, even if they start out elsewhere year one. Latham & Guyton are the early project types, who will go final third of round one into early round two and may hit. I think Mims is a turd. Fautanu & Barton are both good players but will end up on the interior.

If we go with a project type after round one then my huckleberry is Suamataia. I think he's a bit of a longshot for the left side but that's what you get outside the top group is way more projection and risk. He will however end up starting somewhere on an NFL line IMO.

Merlin, I don’t disagree with you much…except with the bolded two.

Fautanu has the footwork, technique, and length necessary to succeed at left tackle, even though he’s 6’4”. Reminds me of Bahktiari a bit.

Conversely, I think Fuaga’s only chance is at guard; he’ll get eaten alive on passing downs at right tackle, let alone on the blind side. I just don’t see it. Jordan Burch gave him more than he could handle, and Burch was a raw SC transfer who had done little up to that point. That was at right tackle. Big and nasty run blocker, but awful at the other stuff.

 

[WestCoastRam]

He’s a right guard only at the next level; if he played right tackle for us, @oldnotdead would have his brain explode in rage - and I wouldn’t be far behind him.

You trying to summon Beetleguise?!?

 

[WestCoastRam]

Handled?!





By all accounts (I don't claim to have watched all the practices) he was a standout.

I know I get some guff on here cause I'm not as high on Latu as others (he'll be good, just not great!) but that 1st rep you show is a draw.

You have to factor in the fact that the tackle doesn't have anyone on his inside shoulder which affects how he sets and the QB getting the ball off within that time frame. Not saying it wasn't a good rep by Latu. Just that it was a draw. Brandon Thorn talks about this a lot when evaluating reps in practice like this.

 

[Flatlyner]

I think the first rep is more of a display of Latu's multiple pass rush techniques, but, I agree, it may not have been successful in a real game. I just think his hand technique is well above average

 

[Allen2McVay]

Wait, some people are considering Fuaga?

He’s one of the best run-blockers to come out in years…but he’s a complete mess as a pass-protector. Jordan Burch (Oregon, 2025 class) whipped his ass. Not an edge, but a raw 3-4 DE.

His footwork is unfixable; he can’t really shuffle, he bends at the waist, and his pass-protection technique is shit because he thinks of himself only as a run-blocker, gets caught leaning forward all the time. It’s bad, and if he wasn’t the best run blocker I’ve seen in years, I wouldn’t even give him a second round grade.

He’s a right guard only at the next level;

This was interesting to me.

I don't watch college football, so I have no personal opinions. However, since I love the NFL and root for the Rams, I have a great interest in the Draft. So come the off-season, I consume everything I can. Not to form an opinion but to get a consensus of the opinions out there.

I have not seen such a strongly negative review of Fuaga's pass protection skill set.

 

[fanotodd]

The LBer Ford is a player that catches my attention as does the OLB from Mississippi .

You are referring to Nathaniel Watson. He is the tackling machine I have mocked to the Rams at the bottom of the 3rd round.
He did have a good senior bowl week on top of an impressive season.

 

[rdlkgliders]

I know I get some guff on here cause I'm not as high on Latu as others (he'll be good, just not great!) but that 1st rep you show is a draw.

You have to factor in the fact that the tackle doesn't have anyone on his inside shoulder which affects how he sets and the QB getting the ball off within that time frame. Not saying it wasn't a good rep by Latu. Just that it was a draw. Brandon Thorn talks about this a lot when evaluating reps in practice like this.

I think the first rep is more of a display of Latu's multiple pass rush techniques, but, I agree, it may not have been successful in a real game. I just think his hand technique is well above average

I am not sure where Latu will land but that video certainly isn't evidence of the he got handled narrative. As far as whether or not he would have gotten to the QB isn't as relative as would he have had an adverse effect to the offenses play call. Winning isn't always a sack.

I think there are so many options I am not concerned at all, just excited to see what we do

 

[OldSchool]

This was interesting to me.

I don't watch college football, so I have no personal opinions. However, since I love the NFL and root for the Rams, I have a great interest in the Draft. So come the off-season, I consume everything I can. Not to form an opinion but to get a consensus of the opinions out there.

I have not seen such a strongly negative review of Fuaga's pass protection skill set.

Most every review of him especially from OL guys come nowhere near as negative as Mem was. The biggest issue I have read on his footwork is he isn't always quick enough with his lateral foot movement but they almost all believe that with good NFL coaching it's very fixable.

 

[Merlin]

Winning isn't always a sack.

Truth. What I like to do is watch the rep, then watch the QB on the same rep. If the QB looks affected then it's a win for the rusher.

Latu affects the QBs a lot. If we end up with him there's going to be a lot of happy fans. As to the health side, well, getting a guy of his talent where we usually pick, and where we are picking now, is not easy. Sometimes you gotta roll those dice.

 

[12intheBox]

Your number 6 guy is a WEAK CHOICE!!! IMO he will be CROSSED OFF The Rams draft board !! Say as you want & respect your draft knowledge,but that is a NO GO!!

Also all along I’m against Thomas that early. Bowers to me might be too good a value to pass up.I’d say Higbees health might make it easier to draft him? Mcvay would have to shuffle his offense a little more than he has planned now?

Defense is KEY for The Rams.As I look up & down the draft board it might not be bad to trade down for a couple key pieces,but then again makes me think they will TRADE UP to get there GUY(player) ?

Could you see a Turner Turner ? I don’t know.This is the point where I just want The Draft to get started.

Put me in the camp of guys who think Edge Coop is going to be a complete baller in the NFL.

 

[Memento]

This was interesting to me.

I don't watch college football, so I have no personal opinions. However, since I love the NFL and root for the Rams, I have a great interest in the Draft. So come the off-season, I consume everything I can. Not to form an opinion but to get a consensus of the opinions out there.

I have not seen such a strongly negative review of Fuaga's pass protection skill set.

Most every review of him especially from OL guys come nowhere near as negative as Mem was. The biggest issue I have read on his footwork is he isn't always quick enough with his lateral foot movement but they almost all believe that with good NFL coaching it's very fixable.

Watch his game against Oregon. Dorlus and Burch had their way with him all game long when they were rushing the passer, and Burch had done almost nothing beforehand. We're talking about third and fifth round prospects if Burch had entered the draft - and I'm saying "fifth" to be kind to Burch, who was a five-star prospect with serious potential, but is also very raw and inconsistent. Yes, I realize Dorlus is an option as a third round three-tech, and he should be, but Fuaga should've been able to stop him. - and you're telling me that a first-round, almost top-twenty consensus tackle couldn't handle their bullrushes? Latu, I could understand, given how he bends the edge and his wide array of pass-rushing moves, but Dorlus and Burch?

I'm not saying Fuaga's a bad player or prospect, but I wouldn't take him in the first round with his pass-sets being the way they are, and I certainly wouldn't try him out at left tackle. There's absolutely no way Stafford would make it through a game if you had Fuaga as his blind side protector.

Fautanu, I could definitely understand, and I'd be on board. Fuaga? No way. Absolutely no way in hell. He is a guard at best. He will be a guard at the next level. He will be a top-fifteen guard at run-blocking the moment he steps into the NFL. But at tackle? Especially a tackle position that requires pass-protection as its key tenet? There's no way I trust him, even with seasoning. His technique is awful, and his footwork is worse, and I don't think it's as correctable as people think. If that was true, Erik Flowers would've been the best pick in the 2015 draft.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Fautanu has the footwork, technique, and length necessary to succeed at left tackle, even though he’s 6’4”. Reminds me of Bahktiari a bit.

I agree. The kid is a great athlete that held up well at LT in an offense with loads of downfield throws.

And interestingly enough he has longer arms than Alt, Fashanu, and Fauga who had the shortest at 33 1/8".

 

[Allen2McVay]

Watch his game against Oregon. Dorlus and Burch had their way with him all game long when they were rushing the passer, and Burch had done almost nothing beforehand. We're talking about third and fifth round prospects if Burch had entered the draft - and I'm saying "fifth" to be kind to Burch, who was a five-star prospect with serious potential, but is also very raw and inconsistent. Yes, I realize Dorlus is an option as a third round three-tech, and he should be, but Fuaga should've been able to stop him. - and you're telling me that a first-round, almost top-twenty consensus tackle couldn't handle their bullrushes? Latu, I could understand, given how he bends the edge and his wide array of pass-rushing moves, but Dorlus and Burch?

I'm not saying Fuaga's a bad player or prospect, but I wouldn't take him in the first round with his pass-sets being the way they are, and I certainly wouldn't try him out at left tackle. There's absolutely no way Stafford would make it through a game if you had Fuaga as his blind side protector.

Not disagreeing with your opinion about the player. Having not seen him play, I have no opinion.
I did look for some OR St. vs. OR film but only found highlights; and did not find them telling either way.

Just commenting about the dozen or more Draft profile, evaluations and reports I have read.
Even went back to re-read a few. They are not negative about Fuaga's pass pro skills.

Doesn't mean your assessment is wrong. That's why I wrote that your comments were "interesting to me".