More on Lane Johnson
Posted: April 26th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 96 Comments »Back on Sept 1, I was watching the opening day of college football. Oklahoma was playing at UTEP in an ugly game. #69 for OU caught my eye. He looked pretty good. I’d never heard of him so I figured he was some Sophomore or something like that. I looked up the OU depth chart and he was…a Senior? I paid more attention to him and liked what I saw. A couple of days later I wrote this on ScoutsNotebook:
“I was impressed with LT Lane Johnson. He played RT last year, but has moved into Donald Stephenson’s old spot. Johnson lists at 6-7, 303. He’s got a slender, athletic build. Good pass blocker. They shuffled him around as the coaches looked at several players, but Johnson seemed to be the best LT to me. Johnson was a TE and DL back in 2010. You can see his natural athleticism.”
I followed Johnson during the regular season, but he next really stood out to me at the Senior Bowl. Here are some notes from Senior Bowl practices:
“The South team has some very good OL. I was most impressed with Lane Johnson. He played LT at Oklahoma and is a natural athlete. The former TE showed that athleticism in pass blocking drills. He was able to mirror rushers smoothly. When he does miss, he’s able to recover. Johnson isn’t just a finesse player, though. He can anchor in pass pro. He can re-set when initially driven back. He has good feet and looked natural at both LT and RT.”
“I thought OT Lane Johnson had another impressive day in pass pro. He gets a wide base and uses his hands well to engage the rusher. He’s able to re-set and anchor if the rusher tries to use power. Johnson can slide left or right as the rusher tries to get by him. Looks like a 1st round pick.”
“LT Lane Johnson had another strong day. He was outstanding in the blocking drills all week long. He is a natural pass protector. My favorite moment from him on Wednesday came in the team drills when he caved in a DT and opened a massive hole for the RB. Johnson might not look like a typical OL (former TE with a sleek build), but he is a good run blocker. He can be physical.”
And at the Combine:
“Lane Johnson had the best day of anyone. He posted great numbers in the workout. Johnson ran a 4.72, had a 34-inch vertical, and a 4.52 SS. Having an OL go 9’10″ in the BJ is crazy. Those numbers shows speed, quickness, agility, body control, and explosion. He was outstanding in the OL drills. He’s got very good game tape. He stood out in the Senior Bowl. Now he lit up the Combine. Johnson might now be a guy that makes a push for the Top 10. He certainly won’t make it out of the Top 20.”
I think you can see that I had a fascination with Lane that began the first time I watched him play and has stayed with me ever since. Big, long, athletic OTs are not easy to find. When you see one, he gets your attention.
Johnson is not just athletic, though. His physical gifts translate to the football field. The 2 most important things for a good OT are feet and hands. You can have speed, strength, size, agility, and so on, but if you don’t move your feet smoothly and naturally or you don’t use your hands well…all that athleticism is wasted. Johnson is a good athlete and a good football player.
The first thing that stands out is his wide base and how naturally he moves. Some players get in that base, but struggle to slide left and right. Or they can’t anchor and get driven backward. A good OT must be able to get in a good stance, but be able to move and stay in that stance. Johnson is second only to Luke Joeckel at doing this. Lane just looks natural out there.
Not only can Johnson slide laterally to mirror the rusher, he is able to do so under control. This is critical for when rushers try power moves. If a OT gets off balance, the defender can push him around easily. Johnson is able to re-set his feet and anchor. He’ll give up a step or two, but recovers well. There is no panic in his game.
A very underrated skill for OTs is the ability to continue moving one’s feet while making contact with the hands. Not every player can sync up his hands and feet. That leads to reaching, lunging, or grabbing. The feet put the player in position to make the block, but the hands must make contact and preferably control the rusher. Johnson does this well.
He is also a good run blocker. Johnson is able to fire off the ball and aggressively engage defenders. He shows his nasty streak by sustaining his blocks as long as possible and if a defender hits the ground, Johnson piles on him. He wants to punish that guy. Johnson isn’t a dominant drive blocker the way that a 330-pounder might be, but he’ll play the angles and control his guy.
Johnson does need work. He’s only been at OT for 2 years. He hasn’t faced anything like an actual NFL pass rusher. Johnson must hone his technique so that he can play with the best of the best. OL coach Jeff Stoutland will be all over Johnson.
I think Johnson is coming to a great setting. He’ll be playing for a team that wants to run the ball, which should bring out the best in his game. Johnson will play RT for the Eagles, for the first year or two. He will then slide over to the left side. By that time, Johnson will have adjusted to life in the NFL and he’ll know the playbook inside-out. Moving to LT won’t be nearly as complicated.
I think the Eagles made an outstanding pick. Lane Johnson has the highest ceiling of any OL in the draft. If he’s able to put everything together, he can be a special OL. I don’t want to get too much into what this means for the Eagles, but it should help solidify a very talented group. We saw last season how having a porous O-line can negate all the skill talent in the world. The Eagles will be in a much better situation this time around. God forbid something happens to Peters, Todd Herremans could shift to LT. Johnson can also do it. The Eagles will have options. Good options.
The sky is the limit for Johnson. If he works hard and develops to his full potential, he could be a Tony Boselli type of player. If Johnson doesn’t get that far, he can still be an above-average OT.
Here are some videos worth checking out.
The first one is the Senior Bowl. Look how natural Johnson is when he plays RT. He is outstanding. Watch the way he finishes his blocks.
Next up is a highlight tape. Normally I don’t care for these, but this tape shows him playing some RT, which he did in 2011. You can see what a natural fit he is there. That stuff is against WV.
The final game is the bowl game from last January. Johnson shut down Texas A&M’s Damontre Moore, a gifted pass rusher.
One thing I have to stress is that Johnson was brand new to LT in 2012. He got much better from September until January. Johnson has great raw ability, but also seems driven. He works hard and wants to be more than just “good enough”. That goes a long way to a player living up to his potential and developing correctly. Any good NFL player has a huge competitive streak that helps him perform at that level.
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Johnson isn’t just a good athlete. He’s off the charts. Check out this old post from Jimmy Bama.
Something else to check out from Jimmy is his post on Dallas’ 1st round pick, Travis Frederick. That is a short, simple post. And it is titled Cowboys Failsauce. As I said on Twitter, I think Jerry Jones did a great job and deserves a contract extension to remain Cowboys GM for life. Keep up the great work, Jerry.
* * * * *
Lots of questions about what the Eagles should do in the 2nd round. I’ll cover that in a separate post.
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Things I’m reading from Cowboy fans suggest they also want him to be their GM for life with the caveat that euthanasia is legalised in the near future.
I only saw one time where a rusher got the better of him in that Senior Bowl tape. It’s the interception play around 6:20 where he gets driven back into the QB and helps cause the pick. The reason the play stood out though is his closing speed chasing the db out of bounds! He looked like a quick linebacker!
Really excited to see what Chip Kelly can do with our freakish OL athleticism. You could run screens with our whole line at once!
The screen game in Philly is going to be friggin Nasty. They found the one OT thats actually more athletic than Peters…Im hoping they take a developmental guy with a crazy upside like Luke Marquardt later in the draft
Has anyone ever run a 4 TE Jumbo package? Stick Peters and Johnson (*giggle* that’s a penis joke *giggle*) on the ends of the line as eligible receivers and then Celek and Casey outside of them. What could possibly go wrong?
Here’s an awesome recap of todays first round @Undisputedsport. http://www.undisputedsports.com/2013/04/2013-nfl-draft-round-1-recap/
Hey Rich! Here’s an awesome thought too…. How about you go search for link clicks some place else? Personally, you aren’t here to add to the topic, your only interested in promoting your website.
Take a hike, bub
Good post. I’ve said all along I liked Johnson as much as the other two OTs if not more in ways.
I liked Lane Johnson all year and first noticed him blocking in front of Bell two seasons ago. He can be a little choppy with his side to side foork and he’s a tad light in the lower body but he when I watched the Cotton Bowl, I thought he matched Joeckel and he was the best player on Oklahoma.
I like his attitude and I he appears to what to play in this uptempo system. We need Kelly to have young guys like that who are going to buy in.
As a former lineman myself I love me some great offensive tackle play, and have always felt that if you have a chance to add a special player at that position you take it. Johnson has an ideal build, athleticism, toughness, smarts, a mean streak – everything you want out of a LT except polish and experience, which he will gain in time. The more I think about it the more I love this pick. A dominant O line can cover up a lot of weaknesses in an offense.
And a dominant QB can make up for a poor OL. Makes you think, eh?
Don’t think I’ve ever seen that. The one way to shut down the Brady’s and Manning’s has been to put them on their butt.
Agreed. Eli made due in 2011… tragically…I would make the correction that an elite QB can still work his magic with a mediocre O-line. No QB excells behind a bad O-line. Not only does the O-line not protect him. But they can’t help establish a run game either.
True story; any idea of a run game will help the QB. I remember an Eagles opponent stating last year that they actually didn’t practice any running plays when getting ready for the Eagles…… they weren’t worried about the run, didn’t plan for the run, didn’t practice for the run. How much pressure does that put on your QB?
ouch
Well, I was thinking more of Brees and Rodgers.. Brady and Manning tend to be statues and don’t move well.
Rodgers and Brees slide around in the pocket, and have great awareness. Brady and Manning in the Super Bowl couldn’t get out of the way of the DL
Drew Brees does it. It’s not poor line play they get, but he’s able to make up for average line play, and the Saints actively use that to de-emphasize the tackles in their player acquisition. I think Tommy talked about that last week, in fact.
In the college game, some teams that have gone to the spread did so to de-emphasize the line when they don’t recruit adequate tackles. You don’t need Orlando Pace holding down the blind side for 6 seconds if the ball is out in 2.5. If the spread and option stuff keeps creeping into the NFL, it could make tackles less valuable than they are today (seeing as how yesterday was The Night of the Tackles and all).
49ers may take him and he’s inconsistent and older but Hunt is intriguing. I have to admit though sometimes he drives me crazy.
We’d have the two sickest athletic big men in the draft. Hunt is used to training and working hard so he may respond to the coaching here.
I’d rather they go defense but if they go offense, Ertz would be the best pick at 35.
Tank Carradine, Jesse Williams, Jon Cyprien, Jamar Taylor, and Arthur Brown will also be in play, imho. Lots of good choices!
Good call on Ertz
Morning all, did everyone sleep well?
Not bad at all. Better than most Cowboys fans, I’m sure.
No I never do during draft now that it isn’t as long first day and we have a pick right away if we don’t trade down (which I don’t think we are going to do but you never know). I was watching Cyprien, Hunt, Hunter, Banks, Jenkins, Hankins, Jesse Williams, Woods, Taylor, Carradine so I got about 5 hours sleep. Woke up and couldn’t sleep.
Back in ’04 I think, we drafted Shawn Andrews which the allowed us to follow that by trading John Welbourn in that order. When we drafted Johnson last night (or at stupid o’clock in the morning for some of us!) , I mentioned that it could result in a possible trade of Todd to KC, a case of history repeating itself, moreso when you consider their headcoach back then was an ex-Eagles NFCCG winning coach. On reflection, I can’t see it happening, or happening that fast, I.e. like 2004. Chip emphasises competition, our right tackle will be better this year regardless of who starts. The same can be said of RG too.
So now, what if Terron Armstead is the best player on our board in 3 picks time?
Still stay true to the board, I would think. Possible two bookend tackles going forward, and Peters’ contract is up in 2014
I’d be surprised if Armstead were their BPA in 3 picks time. There are a bunch of solid players and Armstead doesn’t really stand out ahead of any of them to me.
Having said that, IF he is their BPA, I think that’s a point were you have to look a little bit into a weighted BPA, where you add a bit of weight to positions of more pressing need. In other words, if Armstead is hands down your BPA, go ahead and take him, but if he is only slightly ahead of the other guys there, if the other guys fit a need better, I think you go with the other guy.
I like Lane Johnson better than Dion Jordan. I am pretty sure Lane Johnson pans out (versatile)… not so sure on Jordan.
On that note my favorite pick of the night was Cowboys. With new regimes in Oakland and NY (Jets) we couldn’t count on them for a bonehead/head-scratching pick. Thank you Jerry Jones for providing us with a nice reach and bad trade value. It was not Epic like the Quincy Carter pick but it was still nice to see you do something stupid and lose value in the process. A regular old center in the first round…
Not sure about the Giants pick either… but they are usually better at drafting than we are so they get a pass.
Rams stole best player on the board for a cup of coffee and a pick.
Anytime you can turn the #18 pick in the draft into a slow, unathletic interior lineman and a third round pick, while passing up a top 10 talent who would fill a need in your new defense (Floyd) in the process… you have to do it.
As an Eagles fan, I’d just like to express my gratitude for Jerry Jones. As long as he’s around and calling the shots, that team’s ceiling is mediocrity, and unlike Dan Snyder it doesn’t look like he’ll ever wise up and hire somebody who knows what they’re doing.
Couldn’t believe it when they made the pick. Heck, he could have selected Barrett Jones; that would have been much better value!
“Anytime you can turn the #18 pick in the draft into a slow, unathletic interior lineman…”
I love that statement.
Dude, the Rams aint messing around!….Once Fisher takes a chance on the honeybadger..they will have 3 electric young corners….Love Ogletree
Tommy’s arguments are excellent but I’m still against this pick. What makes me feel better is that when Johnson was a QB at Kilgore College, he met Jason Pierre-Paul, who was a DE for Fort Scott CC, so hopefully the genie that makes freak athletes not bust did its magic.
Tommy’s arguments are excellent. You should have stopped there.
Out of curiosity, who would you have rather had? A “Tony Boselli-type left tackle” is a pretty good asset to have, and like an elite quarterback, something you usually need to be at the top of the draft to get.
Austin, Warmack, or Milliner. Hope you guys are right.. we’ll see in a few years.
Austin was an exciting player that I liked. If we could have ransomed out the last great LT of the draft out to move down, he would have been my guy. Apparently that wasn’t an option.
Warmack is one big dude, but that isn’t our O-line anymore. He doesn’t fit us very well.
Millner would be an interesting pick. One CB who isn’t afraid of contact. Good cover guy. His downside is he doesn’t have ball skills or hands (even if you watch his super duper ultimate highlights you won’t see many picks that aren’t thrown right to him). Again, if we could have traded down, I’d be all over that pick.
Regardless of who we pick, only time will tell if it was a good one.
Yeah, since Lane J was the ‘hot name’ I would have traded down a little. What concerns me is this pick is too much about fit..
“What concerns me is this pick is too much about fit..” I’m not sure I understand this criticism. You absolutely want a guy who fits well. Don’t confuse the fact that if a player is a great fit that automatically means we reached for him. Johnson was a highly rated player regardless of fit. Had we not taken him, he would have most likely gone next with Detroit or at worst to Arizona, so you’re talking about a guy who would have been drafted regardless within three picks of us. I would argue we got exactly what you want to have. Good value for a guy that is a great fit.
Would’ve been okay with Milliner myself. But both Warmack and Austin would have been huge reaches at #4 IMO. You don’t take a guard or a 5’8″ slot receiver with a top 5 pick as far as I’m concerned, no matter how talented they may be.
Eagles could have been scared off on Milliner’s medicals. I can’t fault passing on that alone at 4th pick. He has a rod in his leg and had surgeries on both shoulders.
Oh, I forgot to mention Star Lotulelei. He’d have been my pick. I even typed that in here. He would have been great with Cox.
Hallelujah! The new Eagles organization passed the first test – they aren’t morons who would reach for scrubs like Dion Jordan or Ezekiel Ansah.
This is a good, solid pick. Not a great pick, but a solid pick. I’m glad they didn’t torpedo the future of the franchise with a trade-up for Dion Jordan or a selection of Ezekiel Ansah.
I want to thank the Dolphins for taking that decision out of the Eagles’ hands. Thank God.
I do think they favored Jordan over Johnson. Just a hunch, but Kelly flinches a little in the PC after the selection. I think he actually says they were ranked just as they came off the board: “1 2 3 4..”
And welcome back, Morton!
We thought Dion looked really disappointed also. I think he was stunned.
Yeah Dion looked PISSED to me..Its OK, Miami can develope him for us lol..cant franchise him forever..lol see you eventually Dion!…
I know player trades are Rare in football. But Id call up Miami, and offer them the world for Dion: Take Graham, Watkins(lol) and 35….Barwin as Predator and Dion as SAM would be soo dirty
Anyone else think that if Sharrif fell another 5 spots, that Howie would have moved up to rescue him?
He didn’t move up for Elam which kind of makes me wonder how high they are on Cyp. They could be for all I know but I think Cyprien is more of a mid second round pick and he may look at safety later in the draft to avoid the small program 2nd round safety.
I seem to have entered the MPTM Realm (more pessimistic than Morton)
The power of Christ compels you!
Is this the guy you all kept confusing me as?
There is some debate about whether this is in fact the real morton or an imposter.
Apparently the would have picked Jordan at #4 if the Dolphins took Johnson.
I am not sure how relevant the broad jump is to an OT but it can’t hurt. The fact that he was a QB and a TE, to me, are very significant on the mental side of things. He should be a great learner and great at understanding plays and schemes. Not just a mauler. And you use the word “driven” – if true, that is so important.
For me, it also shows he was willing to play any position to get on the field, meaning the guy just loves football and wants to play.
The broad jump is supposed to be a measure of leg strength. How hard can he push off of the ground and then keep his balance when he lands.
Yeah, the broad jump is the best indicator of explosiveness in the legs. A lineman who can jump is a lineman who can drive. You can see in the highlights that Johnson’s able to get low and use that leg power, too. I like this guy.
The vertical jump is pure leg explosion.
The long jump is actually more valuable, because it combines leg explosion with balance and coordination, since you have to nail the landing.
Yup. I wonder if there’s a reliable way of calculating leg explosion that takes into account the weight of the guy in question. Like, for example, when you consider that Tavon Austin’s broad jump was only 2 inches longer than Lane’s, but Johnson had to move almost double the weight.
so glad we didn’t take Geno…he might be a better player than I estimated, but the dude has to grow up.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000164022/article/geno-smith-wont-return-for-day-2-of-2013-nfl-draft
He might as well go home, pull that stunt and you probably won’t be picked on day 2 anyway.
I wouldnt want us spending a 4th round pick on Geno
don’t blame you
Just tell me that we wouldnt love to see Geno as the future QB of the Giants or Cowboys? lol…That would be sooo awesome!
Cowboys, hell yes, hahaha
I can just picture him after a bad game, crying in the corner of the visiting team locker room at the linc, refusing to come out and face the reporters…lol
Team: But Geno, you have to, this is the Pro’s….
Geno: “NO!, NO!, NO!, I dont wanna…Booo Hooo Hooo”
I’d rather be at home with my family and friends than have cameras focused on me too. I think people are making a bit too much out of it, honestly.
He is going to have cameras on him in much much tougher situations, on the field and off, if he wants to be the face of a franchise.
It’s not just this though. He isn’t the first athlete that thought he was worth a first round pick. But because he didn’t chose to compete at the senior bowl. And then he reacts the way he did to criticism from draftnics and scouts. Then this happens. This dude does not carry a chip well. You have to ask, does he think he’s so good that he doesn’t have to prove himself? Did he expect to be handed a starting job? How will he react now that he realizes he’s going to have to prove he’s as good as he thinks he is (no one just accepted it). To compete to earn a job (as second round QB’s must do). So far, he’s off to a bad start.
Agreed. Some guys would take that as a challenge to step up and make a real impact. I get the feeling that Geno might do the opposite.
I wish but they love their current choke artist too much to draft his replacement yet.
Man, I would have been all for him in the second, but this?
Say what you want for Donovan McNabb being sensitive, but I think he would have stuck it out to Day. If McNabb struggled in the Philly heat, how could we possibly bring in this kid?
Double-oops. Wonder if we will get the article about how immature and arrogant Lacy is now.
I get the feeling that Geno may have got a phone call from his agent to change his mind. Unless this was just bad reporting and Geno never intended to go home.
Either way, this is the right choice for Geno.
Mostly I just find it funny that Lacy was cited as the counter-example when now Lacy is the one going home and Geno is going back.
that is funny….wonder what the second suit was for!? Wonder how Lacy feels now.
“Geno you sleaze, how dare you walk away like a spoiled child, you should be more like Lacy. THAT’S how a MAN takes dejection. ”
Lacy: “well um actually….. (shit!)”
I like the idea that he got a voicemail from Rex Ryan that just said: “Man up, G. If you a no show tomorrow, then we ain’t gon’ consider yo’ ass ’til Saturday, foo'”
Johnson is a fantastic pick, and the huge advantage we have is that if he is not ready day 1 we already have 2 solid Tackles, and with time he is going to be a great Tackle in my opinion.
Is anyone wanting Tank with our 3rd pick….. think he can be a top level player and frankly ACL’s are pretty routine these days.
Tough call. Tank is one of the top players on the board and I like him but we took Curry last year and have Graham. I’m just not sure Tank’s better enough at OLB then those two to take him here with some other players on the board here. But I like him.
I think the top 10 was filled with good solid pro’s..there were no sure fire superstars, but there were a couple kids who had ALL PRO POTENTIAL(Lane,Cooper,Dion, Ziggy)…we got one last night!
and once I saw that Long and Pugh didnt make it to round 2, then the Lane Johnson pick went from a homerun to a grand slam!
Name no one talks about for round 2, Damontre Moore…anyone think its a possibility?(I think I prefer Jamie Collins)
I think the highest upside in rd 2 comes from Hankins, Cyprien, Carradine…If you believe in your coaches, and a prospect has the right mental makeup, go for the upside!!!
I don’t think the Dallas pick is that awful. I’m not sure how good the center is that they drafted, but if he can give the Cowboys good production for the next 6 years, I’ll consider it a good pick. People praised the Steelers for drafting Maurkice Pouncey 18th overall, yet I that kid is overrated.
Pouncey was so much better center prosepct than Frederick. Pouncey was a low 1st early 2nd round talent, where Frederick was 3rd talent
Most importantly, how do you move that far back and only grab a 3rd round pick? I think that’s why so many people don’t like the pickup. If Dallas is picking at 31 without moving around, it doesn’t seem as bad
Agreed. Even if Floyd isn’t as highly regarded as we thought (kinda telling that a whole bunch of DT needy teams didn’t take him if he really is the top-10 player everyone is calling him) they could’ve taken Pugh or Long ahead of the Giants or Bears. Maybe they didn’t think those teams would reach for need from 19 and 20 and that one of those guys would still be there at 31? That seems the most likely explanation.
Interior offensive linemen out of Wisconsin are among the best in the country these days and tend to make good pro prospects. Based on reputation alone, one would expect him to be pretty good, but I can’t speak for Frederick specifically.
It was a bad value move. The Rams fleeced old JJ and stole true impact player for nothing… so you move back and then draft a dude that would have been there in the 2nd were you have an extra pick.
I am betting Fredrick would have still been available in the 3rd.
It is not that Fredrick is not a good center. It is that he is not an impact player and might never be any better than he is right now. There were still some really good impact players on the board at that point.
JJ is crazy and I support him as GM of the Cowboys. He does more to make them suck than any player he can reach for in the draft.
As a Dion Disciple lol, I got really excited about Lane, after seeing that Kyle Long and Pugh didnt make it to round 2.
Liked the pick.
2nd round now, we didnt get one of the 2 freaks on D (Jordan or Ansah), so give me Hunt.
2nd round- Hunt
3rd round- Swearinger
Ideally though, trade down and pick up another 3rd round pick. I think weve been setting up a trade down in round 2. Lets see if it happens.
Oh and… I called it months ago, JONATHON CYPRIEN HERE WE COME!!!!
We will see I’m thinking Margus Hunt, Zach Ertz, Justin Hunter, Jesse Williams also…Breer mentioned Ertz, secondary and trade down. Said Howie has been on the phone.
Because there are a bunch of guys who could work at 35, I could see a trade down for another 3rd.
That’s what I would like to see. Hoping to snag Kelce + Rogers with extra picks.
I’d love to get Jesse Williams and Travis Kelce. But that’s right now. In 5 minutes, it might be a different story…
The key to Johnson is that he’s not a pumped up 285 lb OT who maxed out for the combine, reportedly he has the frame to carry around 315 lbs, and he pressed 28 times with 35″ arms – a little better than Joeckel or Fisher who are more physically mature (they’ve been training for OT their college careers). His leg tests shows a guy who will be explosive at that weight. The 40 time is nice, but the 10 yard split is amazing for an OT, 1.61, a cone drill of 7.31 – i.e. the movement skills of an athlete 40 lbs lighter.
The fact he was able to pick up the nuances of playing OT so quickly points to football intelligence, the difference between Ansah and Hunt – some guys are natural players, some guys need a lot of reps and years to master their craft. To be able to start at RT that quickly, with only one year at TE (most TEs who convert have years of experience blocking at TE, they just outgrow the position) tells you how hard he works and how easy it comes to him.
Of course it’s a shame he had to go to a franchise without an experienced OL coach who’s used to working with young players.
Well he IS used to working with young players….but I was thinking the same thing on your last point. Having a hard time putting it to words, but was it completely baseless to assume that nfl coaches and coaching are superior to college coaches and coaching? New coach coaching new types of linemen in a different scheme, kinda just have to go on faith that Stoutland can take not just our rookie(s) to the next level, but also continue to develop the veterans as well.
I think the Sports Scientist is going to be very key in Lane’s career. Lane can put on a lot of pounds, and if he does it right, he won’t lose a step. He could be scary good.
In the Texas game he did line up across from Alex Okafor a few times (who I still consider to be the most polished pass-rusher in this class).
You know…the day after? This has to be one of the weakest first rounds in the memory of recent years. I just realized that Fletcher Cox probably would have been picked at around 6 or so, rather than the 12 last draft. How is Ansah much different than Bruce Irvin? Dee Milner isn’t really better than Janoris Jenkins, let alone Claiborne or Gilmore. Think about Haden, Berry, Peterson, what a *real* first round CB is like. No true studs at DT. Much of what went on on the OL is simply a matter of compression, though there were more good prospects–but that Dallas pick? Just match that poor fool we all pity, to Maurice Pouncey. Geez. What a horrible year to have been bad. Or maybe it’s a good year to be bad–good drafts have truly great players late. Bad years, it’s all about getting anything that looks like a stud. Washington did not lose too much by giving a first rounder to St Louis in this draft.
Old news.
All things considered . . . I’d rather have had DJordan.
Miami ruined the entire evening.
Hell, the entire draft.
That is, unless the Eagles can add Tank, JCyp, GEs, Arturo “The Bull” . . . and a Geno’s franchise.
On the bright side, that leaves more time to go fly kites this weekend!
Would you say he’s the only OT in the draft who could turn into Jason Peters?