2012 NFL Draft: Why Matt Kalil Is This Year's Best Player Not Named Andrew Luck

If not for Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil would be the best player in the 2012 NFL draft. I'm not stating that as a possibility, I think it is an absolute fact. 

Kalil has everything you could possibly want in an offensive lineman, and what Luck is to the quarterback position, the USC stud is to the left tackle spot. 

The 22-year-old California native is a massive 6'7" and 295 pounds, but he has a great body and the frame to add a considerable amount of bulk. The thing is, for a guy his size, he is very fast and athletic. He seems to relish contact, and while his main duty at USC was to keep quarterback Matt Barkley's jersey clean, he was also a mauler in the run game. 

He is strong and powerful in the ground attack, and he moves defenders off the ball with ease, then bolts to the second level to find someone to bury. He has great initial quickness and is almost never off-balance. 

In the passing game, he has fantastic feet and long arms to help keep rushers at bay. He has great lateral mobility as well, and almost never gets beaten or knocked back by bull rushers. He also flashes a nasty streak at times and is not afraid to mix it up. 

Another big part of Kalil's game is his mental acuity. He has great instincts, and he understands and studies the game. That may be an influence of his superior genetics, as his brother Ryan is a Pro Bowl center for the Carolina Panthers, and his father Frank played offensive line in the USFL.

If you want to know just how good Kalil is, just remember that Tyron Smith—who the Dallas Cowboys made the No. 9 pick in the 2011 NFL draft—played right tackle at USC because Kalil had the left side locked down.

Kalil will step in to the NFL and be a starter on the left side of the line immediately. He is the best offensive linemen to enter the NFL since the Miami Dolphins made Jake Long the No. 1 pick back in 2008.  

I expect Kalil to have an outstanding, long career in the NFL, and he should join his brother as a Pro Bowler in no time.