| February 25, 2006 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 03:25 AM |
BillsZone.com takes a look at the players available in the 2006 NFL Draft and how they fill the needs of the Buffalo Bills. This week, we take a look at centers.
QB- RB - FB - WR- TE - C - G -OT - DT - DE - OLB - ILB - CB - S
The best center in the country. He is fast, quick, and is an excellent puller; which is key in NFL lineman. Has anchored his colleges ground game for years, and has been on a team the led the nation in rushing the last two years. .A team leader who can transfer that personality to the NFL in time. In college, no defensive player his weight ever got the better of him consistently. Has outstanding technique, including footwork and hand usage. He has great range and awareness in pass pro. Shows very good leadership skills. Does a consistently excellent job with line calls. Is experienced and durable. He is an outstanding run blocker and one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the nation. He does an excellent job of getting to the 2nd level in the run game. He needs to improve his pass-blocking technique, an area he wasn’t able to work on much in Minnesota where they ran the ball 60-70% of the time the majority of his career. Greg Eslinger came into this year as a top 3 center. Greg left it as the best. A balanced center, but a little small for an NFL lineman. He is going to need to bulk up to be able to hang with the big boys. If he can bulk up to 300 lbs. or more, Eslinger could be a top caliber NFL center. He needs to work on gaining weight. That being said, his talents are first-rate, and he has the smarts to learn his offensive playbook very quickly, as he played for a complicated offense in college. Eslinger has all the intangibles you look for in a football player. He is very intelligent and almost always makes the proper line calls. He has a work ethic that is unmatched--He gives 100% on every play and is constantly working to improve his game. Greg Eslinger is one of the best centers in the nation and should be one of the top interior offensive linemen selected in the 2006 NFL draft. He should be the 1st or 2nd center taken in the draft, projected in the early 2nd round.
Nick Mangold has a good deal of experience, starting for the Buckeyes for the better part of the past three seasons. Mangold moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore when Alex Stepanovich went down with an injury, and has not seen the bench since then. There aren't too many centers that can move like Mangold. He has very good athleticism, can get out and pull, and blocks well on the move. He is a dominating run blocker who blows defenders off the ball. He is an average pass blocker who could improve his pass protection. He's tough and will not back down from anyone. Insanely strong, he is able to keep good defensive tackles off his quarterback. He is a technician that rarely gets himself out of position. He gets out of his stance quickly and sets up immediately. Smart and a hard worker. Makes all the calls and is a leader along the offensive line. Durable player who has started since 2003. Mangold is versatile enough to play guard but his best fit as an NFL prospect is at center. He has adequate but not ideal size but has the potential to add bulk. If he can continue to improve his bulk and lower-body strength, while also improving his pass pro technique, Mangold could emerge as the top center prospect in the 2006 draft class. Has adequate. Still needs to add bulk and improve his lower-body strength. Mangold is very experienced in big games, starting for the National Championship team in 2003. A top 3 center who may be as good as any of them in the country this year, his strength and aggressiveness will land him on the first day of the NFL Draft.
Mike Degory has been one of the most reliable and efficient centers in the nation over the course of the last two seasons. He is the leader of the offensive line and shows intelligence on the football field and in the classroom. He is a nasty player on the field who mauls his opponents. Is an experienced center prospect with great height and adequate bulk. He has great size and one of the largest wingspans at center. He has very good strength and is rarely overpowered, even by the biggest defensive tackles. Has the frame to get bigger. Is an intelligent center who does a great job with line calls. A leader and hard-worker. Overachiever who gets the most out of his ability. Is almost too tall for the OC position and he sometimes can become a problem for his QB to see over. He has marginal speed. Is quicker than fast. Does not have good speed as a downfield run blocker. Also lacks ideal athleticism. Body control and balance are below average. He will get caught lunging too often when trying to hit the moving target. The more space he's in the less effective he becomes. He lacks experience on pulls and traps. Not the type who will impress in workouts but on gameday he consistently gets the job done. Knows the angles and shows great awareness as a run blocker and in pass protection. Durable and has a lot of experience against top competition. Could possibly project to guard at the next level. He will be a solid early second day selection
At 6’ 7", he’s the largest center in the draft. Cook appears to have the talent to be a versatile lineman in the NFL. He is battle tested, starting four years at center for the Lobos. Cook is tough and doesn’t give up until the whistle blows. He may also bring some versatility to his team in the NFL. Ryan has played C and OT at New Mexico, and could possibly be converted into an OG at the next level. Possesses long arms and a wide wingspan. Actually shows good initial quickness for his size. Is difficult to get around in pass protection. He has a strong upper body and does a good job of using his long arms to keep separation . Cook must still improve overall technique and learn to play with more consistent leverage. While he does have great size, it may actually hinder him at center at the next level. With his height, he can get tall at times, which allows lineman to push him around, and limits his mobility. He needs to work on keeping his pads down to counter his height, and struggles with leverage. Get him in space and he’s not very mobile or adept. Not very explosive nor is he great natural athlete. Below average at the second level taking on linebackers. Might impress with weight room strength but it may not always translate onto the field. Still raw and will need to be developed. He grades out as a solid mid-round prospect right now, and his draft stock is very much on the rise. Wherever he plays, he could find a home in the NFL. With the talent, attitude, and versatility, he should play on Sundays for awhile.
In typical Wisconsin O-line fashion, Raiola is not a great athlete but he is a classic tough-guy that makes up for it with great quickness, technique and strength. Shows very good initial quickness. Gets into his blocks quickly. Does a great job with his first step and angles as a run blocker. He is a fist-fighter type, who will get in great position and fight to sustain. He has better upper body strength than lower body strength. Shows a powerful punch and the ability to jar defenders with initial contract. His hands are strong and he will do a great job with his hand placement. He plays with ideal leverage. His strengths excel in his straight power and his versatility. He is stronger than many defensive tackles he faces, and is able to keep them out of the play. He’s very versatile and he bullies smaller tackles around. Will have a difficult time handling massive two-gap NT's one-on-one. Might struggle to anchor vs. the bull rush as consistently at the NFL level as he did in college, as is the case for generating a new LOS as a run blocker. He's quicker than fast. Not a great athlete. Lacks ideal speed and mobility. The more ground he's asked to cover the less effective he becomes. Donovan is the younger brother of Detroit Lions offensive lineman Dominick Raiola. He was a consensus honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2003 and 2004. Raiola anchors a line that loses four starters to the NFL following the 2004-'05 season. If he can bulk up and improve his consistency in pass protection, Raiola has a chance to be an early day 2 pick in 2006.
Marvin Philip has the makings of a solid center prospect. He can do anything asked on the football field, and is always looking for contact. An outstanding technician who has mastered the nuances of the position. Has a motor that never stops. Is a shorter-squatty type OC with a very good center of gravity. Marvin Philip is a powerful interior lineman who has shown tremendous abilities to protect his quarterback and open wide holes for his runners. Always seems to be under control. Shows quick feet and the ability to shuffle laterally. He shows awareness and a quick set in pass protection, picking up stunts and blitzes. He is quick and fires out of his stance low in the running game. Takes excellent angles and generally is in very good position. He has adequate-to-good speed and mobility. Shows the ability to consistently reach the second-level and hit the moving target as a run blocker. Makes good line calls and will do a great job of making sure his line-mates know their assignments. He lacks massive bulk but has explosive power. Really struggles with massive defensive tackles. Durability a concern, as he sat out spring practice due to shoulder surgery. Not very big framed though he is 303, he's a "small" 303 it takes effort for him to hold weight and he may lose 10-15lbs during the season. He's going to have to get stronger to match up on an individual basis in the NFL. He also does not have any standout physical attribute. He is not the biggest, strongest, or most athletic on the field. He has good game intelligence and decent mobility. Projects as a late 5th to 7th round selection.
Ross is your typical Boston College lineman who isn't flashy but just gets the job done –in the mold of Dan Koppen. He is smart, tough, and will never be outworked. He sets up quickly and can block on the move. Ross is a very good finesse blocker. His technique and footwork are excellent. Possesses ideal height, adequate bulk and the frame to get bigger. He shows good mobility. Has the quickness and speed to reach the second level. He is an excellent run blocker, taking good anglesHe is an athletic lineman who does a very good job of blocking on the move. Shows solid upper body power. Will jar defenders with initial hand punch. Is tough and aggressive. Is efficient and technically sound. Has a great feel for making line calls. Finesse blocking is his game because he isn’t very powerful at the point of attack. He needs to get stronger and bulk a bit for the next level. Needs to work on his pass blocking to become a more complete center. Despite his good footwork, his athleticism is marginal and he may have trouble at the next level with the quicker interior rushers. Does not have a lot of upside. He is not a physical standout, but his intelligence and work ethic should find him a role in the NFL. Ross will likely be drafted on the second day somewhere.
QB- RB - FB - WR- TE - C - G -OT - DT - DE - OLB - ILB - CB - S