2012 NFL Draft: Top 10 Offensive Tackle Prospects

Offensive tackles are extremely important for an offense and team. They are the guys who usually get no help outside of them to protect the quarterback. Most sacks are made from defensive ends, outside linebackers and cornerbacks coming off the edge. If they don't protect their quarterback and the quarterback gets hurt, the season is likely a lost cause.

A prototypical NFL offensive tackle is at least 6'5'', has excellent feet, long arms, great strength, good hand placement, keeps low, takes good angles to get to their man and can move. This is a pretty weak class of offensive tackles outside of Matt Kalil, Riey Reiff and Jonathan Martin. The rest have a lot of work to do to reach their full potential if they want to become NFL starters at some point in their careers.

Here are my top 10 offensive tackles in the 2012 NFL Draft.

10. Matt McCants, Redshirt Senior: UAB Blazers

McCants has good size at 6'6'' but will also have to add weight to his already 308 pounds to be an effective offensive tackle. Isn't very strong doing 17 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench.

He does have the potential teams are looking for as a possible late bloomer to become a solid starter in the NFL. McCants generally does a nice job in pass protection but may struggle early due to the weaker competition he faced in college.

He is being projected to go in the fourth or fifth round.

9. Nate Potter, Redshirt Senior: Boise State Broncos

Potter did very well at Boise State protecting Kellen Moore. He is underweight for an offensive tackle at 6'6'', 303 pounds.

He gets into defenders quickly off the snap and takes good angles to the linebackers at the second level. He looks very natural in pass protection and has good feet for the position. He does not possess much upper body strength but does drive defenders back with his legs.

He will need time to potentially develop into a starter in the NFL and could be drafted from the third to fifth Round.

8. Mitchell Schwartz, Redshirt Senior: California Golden Bears

Schwartz has good size at 6'5'' and 318 pounds. He was a high motor effort guy who played technically sound. He can stay on his blocks and get to the second level.

He is not a great athlete and isn't very explosive but does what he can to the best of his ability. He could possibly be a starter after a few years in the league but likely to be just a good backup.

Schwartz could be selected in the third or fourth round in the NFL Draft.

7. Brandon Mosley, Senior: Auburn Tigers

Mosley played defensive end and tight end in junior college before being asked to gain weight and play offensive tackle at Auburn. He should have the understanding of what defensive ends like to do when rushing the passer because he has played the position at the college level.

He definitely has plenty of potential to be a solid OT in the NFL, and it will only take time to develop him. He will have to work hard on pass pro, but does have good ability already as a run blocker.

He could be picked up by a team in the third or fourth round.

6. Mike Adams, Senior: Ohio State Buckeyes

Adams has all the size at 6'7", and 323 pounds to be a great left tackle in the NFL but doesn't have the athletic ability or feet to do it. He will be and only should be considered as a right tackle.

He was one of the suspended Ohio State players at the beginning of the season and was often injured with the Buckeyes. Adams doesn't display good effort in blocking and also only had 19 repetitions of 225 pounds at the NFL combine which some wide receivers beat.

When he wants to play well, he can show his potential in his junior season earning 1st Team honors in the Big Ten. Adams is a high risk prospect that NFL teams should be careful with. He will likely be drafted in the first round despite the risks. 

5. Bobby Massie, Junior: Ole Miss Rebels

Massie was a three-year starter at Ole Miss who has great size being 6'6'', 316 pounds. He has great lower body strength to hold off pass rushers and to overpower his man in the running game.

Massie lets himself get too high in pass protection and can get beat more than he should be. He does have the upside to eventually be a starter in the NFL and most of the weaknesses in his game can be worked on with NFL coaching and hard work.

Massie is a second- or third-round prospect.

4. Zebrie Sanders, Senior: Florida State Seminoles

Sanders has gained plenty of experience with the Seminoles, starting every game except two at either left or right tackle. He is a right tackle prospect for the NFL though.

At 6'6'', 320 pounds, Sanders is a good athlete with long 35" arms that should keep most defensive ends at bay as long as he is on the right side of the offensive line. He doesn't have much power going into defenders and can get beat by speedy edge rushers.

Sanders could be drafted at the bottom of the first round. 

3. Jonathan Martin, Redshirt Junior: Stanford Cardinal

Martin kept star QB and presumed No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft Andrew Luck from injury all season, so that is a start.

He is 6'5'', 312 pounds and is a ferocious run blocker. Martin does everything technically well. He is smart, obviously going to Stanford, so he should be able to pick up things quickly in the NFL and start for whichever team he is drafted by. He can get better with using his hands in pass protection and getting off the ball quicker.

He is likely a Top-15 draft selection.

2. Riley Reiff, Redshirt Junior: Iowa Hawkeyes

Reiff has great size at 6'6'', and 313 pounds. He had a very consistent career at Iowa and will likely be a Top-15 selection in the NFL Draft.

Reiff was a good run blocker as well as pass blocker.  He shows the feet to get out in space and controls the point of attack. He has the knee bend you want in a left tackle to stop bull rushers but can get beat by speed rushers that go around him.

Reiff will need to get stronger in the upper body as he did quite poorly benching 225 pounds 23 times.

1. Matt Kalil, Redshirt Junior: USC Trojans

Kalil at 6'7'', 306 pounds, definitely has the height to add weight. He ran a sub five second 40-yard dash and is very agile for his size.

He started two years at left tackle protecting Matt barkley's blind side and also beat out Dallas Cowboys OT Tyron Smith for left tackle who was a Top-10 pick in  the 2011 NFL Draft. His brother Ryan Kalil is a three-time Pro Bowl center with the Carolina Panthers.

He moves well getting to where he needs to go and gets off the ball quickly to do so. Kalil is just an average run blocker who doesn't overpower opponents like a potential Top-5 pick would do. In pass pro, he did an outstanding job of not letting defenders near the quarterback but plays a little too high at times.