2011 NFL Draft Prospects - Offensive Tackles

1 – Derek Sherrod (Mississippi State)
2 – Anthony Castonzo (Boston College)
3 – Gabe Carimi (Wisconsin)
4 – Nate Solder (Colorado)
5 – Tyron Smith (USC)
6 – DeMarcus Love (T/G, Arkansas)
7 – Joseph Barksdale (LSU)
8 – Benjamin Ijalana (T/G, Villanova)
9 – Jason Pinkston (T/G, Pittsburgh)
10 – Marcus Gilbert (Florida)
11 – James Brewer (Indiana)
12 – Chris Hairston (Clemson)
13 – James Carpenter (T/G, Alabama)
14 – Derek Newton (Arkansas State)

Sherrod is an experienced left tackle who enters the league as a better pass protector than most rookies, but he’s probably not suited for an aggressive, power running scheme. His footwork and hands are his biggest strengths in my opinion.....Castonzo is a really big dude (6-7, 295) with both right and left tackle experience. I like his technique (hands, use of leverage) and the way he’s quick to cut off edge rushers with a big, strong drop step.....Carimi is a really strong blocker which shouldn’t surprise considering he’s from Wisconsin. He doesn’t have the best agility/footwork for the position, and therefore may get pegged as only a RT by some teams. I disagree. He’s solid in the run game and holds his own as a pass protector as long as he can play within his shoulders. Back to the feet, he can be beat by speed, but once he has you, he wins.....I think Solder is going to be a real project. He’s a TE convert who is still really raw at tackle and needs to improve technique and strength. Someone will take Solder sooner than I’ve got him slotted to go, but I’m not a big fan at this point. He’s really athletic for the position, but that’s a small part of the job. I think he might be too tall; combo of too tall and too lean to be a big time LT. He’s got long arms and can play big and wide, but he’s not strong or stout. He doesn’t stone anyone and looks really sloppy for stretches; hard not to miss it.....Smith might have the highest ceiling, but he has a lot of physical maturing to do (6-6, 285) and has only been exposed to right tackle.....Love has G/T experience and may need to carry that into the pros. He’s got decent feet for a big guy, but he seems to get off balance too much/easily; has a hard time dropping to seal off the edge. He’ll need to develop as a run blocker, and he didn’t look good in the Sugar Bowl getting tossed around by Cameron Heyward. I’ll leave him listed at tackle, but he’s probably more likely to be utilized at guard.....I’m pretty big on the first three guys on this list and could rank them interchangeably. If there isn’t a DE or LB worthy of the #20 pick, I would support the Bucs spending that selection on Castonzo or Carimi. I left Sherrod out because I think that if he’s playing RT, it would be on a zone or finesse blocking team, not what the Bucs major in.