The 'lightest' offensive lineman at the combine this year is 298 pounds, but these are not big bellied men they're showing on the NFL Network. These linemen look like athletes, and some of them run with the agility of a tight end. Below are three that caught my attention:

David Baas - OL	Michigan	6'04	319 lbs	5.02 (40)	1.72 (10)	29 (reps)
	Looks like one of the best interior OL in the draft. Mike Mayock says he can play all 5 positions on the line even though at Michigan he worked mostly guard and center. I also like that he's agreed to participate in all of the combine's workouts. Most rankings seem to have Baas as the top-rated guard and it looks as though he's doing everything he can to solidify that rating. Baas showed nice, quick feet and fired well out of his block in the twist drill. He runs very hard and also looks as though he runs under total control when he's pulling out wide. He says that he is more comfortable at guard, but likes center too. Either way, it looks like whichever NFL team drafts Baas, they'll be getting a future Pro Bowl player.

Ray Willis - OL	Florida State	6'05	327 lbs	- (40)	- (10)	27 (reps)
	Ray didn't run in the 40, but for a lineman that's not too important. Willis looked very fit and displayed decent footwork during the positional drills that were televised. He kept his base low and his weight balanced as he moved side to side. The biggest thing that impressed me about Willis is his competitiveness. He was agressive and fiesty in everything I saw him do. Like fellow Seminole Alex Barron, Willis has a tremendous wingspan, at 35.4 inches (Barron registered a 37.6). He looks like an all-around solid tackle (probably best suited for the right side) that will enter the draft with much less hype than Barron.

Scott Young - OL	BYU	6'03	312	5.06 (40)	1.75 (10)	43 (reps)
	Young was the talk on the first day with his tremendous 43 rep (225 lbs) workout. He pounded out the first 20 of those reps like he was lifting a couple of milk cartons attached to a long bar. Perhaps more impressive than the number 43 was the way he finished off the last 4 repetitions. Even though 39 would still be at least 10 more than the average expected number from an OL, Young didn't just stop when he was tired. Instead, he fought hard through the last few, locking out his arms each time to take a breath or two. In the 40, Young looked a little top heavy (43 reps!) but still showed some good athletisicm. Mayock mentioned that Young is a former DL that has only been on the offensive side for just over a year. He's a project, but he's also a monster athlete.

I also liked former Ole Miss guard Marcus Johnson. The Rebels played him mostly at guard, but at 6'6, 321 lbs and a 35.4 inch arm length, he's being worked out at tackle. Johnson's lack of experience on the outside could translate into good value for whomever selects him.

Richie Incognito showed good athletism before he left with a knee injury, but he also comes with a sack full of baggage. He's projected as an NFL center, and issues aren't the best thing to have at that position.

After pumping 35 reps on the bench press, Evan Mathis, a 6'5, 304 lbs guard from Alabama, showed some nice agility in the pass protection tests. He's got a good combination of size, strength, and experience that should translate well in the NFL. Mathis started 47 consecutive games at left guard for the Tide.

Guard prospect Adam Snyder (Oregon) lumbered through a lot of the agility drills, and former Iowa tackle Pete McMahon was very stiff in his movements. Doug Nienhouse, out of Oregon State, didn't look too solid in the pass protection skills. He seemed to leave too much air under his feet during his shuffle. But I did like the footwork and speed of Rob Hunt, center from North Dakota, and the strength that Dan Buenning, guard from Wisconsin, showed on Saturday.

After watching Ronnie Brown work out on Saturday, he seemed to move past Cedric Benson as the consensus top back in this year's draft. No matter where he goes, Brown will offer one NFL team a complete package that comes into the league with just the right amount of miles on him so far.

Here are two other guys that caught my attention on Saturday:

J.J. Arrington - RB	California	5'09	214	4.46 (40)	- (10)	18 (reps)
	Reminds me of Charlie Garner. Arrington ran one of the fastest 40 times for all running backs and has a unique ability to stay near his top speed in and out of cuts. I especially like J.J. if he goes to a west coast style offense. He ran one corner route during Saturday's action that had me questioning his polish; but I saw J.J. running a much better corner later on in the day. His hands, a question mark coming into the combine, looked solid and Arrington seemed comfortable adjusting to the ball in the air. While at Cal, Arrington's quick and sturdy footwork always impressed me.

Nehemiah Broughton -RB	Citadel	5'11	250	4.5 (40)	- (10)	- (reps)
	I am surprised that Broughton doesn't have a bench stat because this is an impressive looking athlete. At his size, he could have easily lifted 28 or 30 reps. Even more impressive is Broughton's straight away speed. his 40 time is an estimate, but he's been consistenty clocked in the low 4.5s. I like the way he runs too. Nehemiah has wide legs and runs with a low base. He's very powerful and explosive but showed in the cone drills that he's doesn't have great lateral speed. Broughton also struggled to adjust to the deep footballs thrown to him and doesn't look like an modern NFL running back. But you can't ignore what this guy may be able to do near the goal line in the mold of a Zack Crockett or even Mike Alstott.

Maurice Clarett seems humbled a bit, but it also sounds like at times he's working form a script. I've never thought at Ohio State he was fast enough to dominate at the next level, and his 40 times on Saturday indicated that he's not. Still, Clarett is a football player and he could do well in the NFL with the right team. He needs to stay in the north, for a ball control offense, for sure, and his tackle breaking ability at the next level will ultimately be what defines his success as a pro.

Out of the two little men, Darren Sproles and Anthony Davis, I'd take Sproles any day because of his durability and his ability to catch the football.

Overall, while the coverage of the combine is both interesting and unprecedented, the NFL Network has long way to go before they're giving us the stuff we want. Out of the two hours from day one (K, OL, RB), they showed 1 hour and 15 minutes of the linemen and 45 minutes of the running backs. But most of the coverage was of the 40 yard dash. Who cares about the 40? Just flash us the time and show the player running in and out of turns, adjusting to the football, and shuffling his feet.

To further my concern, the Network sprinkled in, throughout its coverege, intereviews and packages about stories not specific to the combine. Their camera angles are more form than they are function, and often I was left wondering why they cut away from an effective shot to go to a close-up that lacked orientation. We'll see how this evolves after I get a chance to look at the stuff from Sunday.

- posted by jrf @ 2/27/2005 03:07:00 PM