While the 2009 NFL Draft is heavy at the top with offensive tackles, there are a few quality guards at the top as well. After that, the talent level drops off a bit. Last season was a pretty decent draft for guards and this year teams will be just as hungry for good offensive guards as they were last year.
The following is a look at the top five offensive guards coming out in the 2009 NFL draft as it stands right now, post-combine.
1. Duke Robinson-Oklahoma-Right now, it looks like Robinson could either be a tackle or a guard in the NFL but if he goes at guard he will be the highest rated guard in the draft. Despite some performance questions following the senior bowl, Robinson is still one of the best offensive line prospects and has first round potential. He has the ideal size for an NFL guard (combine numbers are that he came in weighing 329 pounds, standing 6’5” and had a 40 time of 5.27) and plays with a lot of intensity. He is strong and will stay on his man until the play is done. He also has good footwork and moves up and down the line quickly and efficiently. His size and athleticism may cause him to be moved to tackle in the NFL. If you look at Robinson there is hardly a weakness to him except perhaps when he plays against tough and fast athletic defenders. He did handle his own quite well though in college and has gotten a lot of looks from NFL scouts.
If Robinson gets thought of as a tackle he could be a very late first to early second round pick. If teams wish him to stay at the guard position, he could go somewhere between 20 and 32 in the first round. He is highly skilled and someone that a lot of teams are going to covet heading into the 2009 NFL Draft.
2. Andy Levitre-Oregon State-Coming in at number two is a proven player out of Oregon State who has raised a lot of eyebrows with NFL scouts and promises to have a good career in the NFL. Levitre is a guy who plays hard on each play and doesn’t stop until the whistle blows. He has quick feet and can move around as needed blocking the run and the pass very well. He does have some experience playing offensive tackle but his height and weight (at the combine he came in at 305 pounds standing 6’2 5/8” and ran a 5.24 40 yard dash) limit him to playing the offensive guard position. Levitre is not an outstanding athlete and isn’t going be the best pulling guard either. And he will have to remain at guard in the NFL but that should be easy for him to do.
Levitre might end up a little bit ahead of Robinson in all of this if he proves himself better at workouts in the next few months. He has a lot of skill and a ton of potential and could really make an impact on whatever team selects in 2009 NFL Draft. Look for him to get selected somewhere either in the bottom of the first to the top of the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
3. Kraig Urbik-Wisconsin-Urbik is a prospect that interests a lot of teams and he is someone that may move his draft stock up with some good workouts in the next few months. What he has is great size for the position (at the combine he came in at 6’5” weighing 328 pounds. He did the 40 in 5.33 and got 29 reps in the bench press) and has a good mean streak. He doesn’t stop until the whistle blows and displays pretty good footwork. The downside to Urbik is that he isn’t an outstanding athlete and isn’t very mobile. He plays much better when he doesn’t have to move that much so being a pulling guard is probably not going to be the thing for him to do too much of in the NFL.
Urbik's inability to move well may keep him down a bit but a team that likes to run the ball a lot will really like him for his attitude and drive. Teams that like to pull their guards a lot won’t be that attracted to Urbik but he has a lot of talent and could be a later second to early third round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
4. Herman Johnson-LSU-Still the record holder for being the largest baby born in the state of Louisiana, Johnson didn’t break any records at the combine (he came in measuring 6’7”, 364lbs and ran a 5.51 40 yard dash while benching 225 pounds 21 times) but he raised a lot of eyebrows as to his potential. Johnson is simply “huge” and with that size he is usually able to dominate others on the opposite side of the ball. He has a solid frame and size and can open up huge holes for running backs. His frame and size allow him to better control defenders and his size just eats up space. However, there is a downside to Johnson and that’s weight. He has had some problems keeping his weight under control and if he lets it get too high, he will work himself out of a job. He also needs to loosen up a bit more and doesn’t move that well.
With size like Johnson’s, he going to be hard to pass up but teams are going to want to be sure of two things. The first is that he will be able to control his weight and the second would be that he is able to control defenders and not appear (or be) sluggish. If scouts think that the can do those two things, it’s not out of the question to think that he could go somewhere in the bottom of the second to the early third round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
5. Trevor Canfield-Cincinnati-Canfield makes it into the top five based on his potential and not necessarily what has been seen out of him in the past. Canfield is one of the most intense and aggressive players at the guard position in the draft which is a huge plus for a player at his position. He is tough from start to finish (of a play) and has a lot of strength and can move his man around sometimes very easily. He is quick on his feet and also has good balance. However, Canfield is not the best athlete and can have problems on the move. His 40 time at the combine wasn’t overly impressive (at the combine, Canfield was measured at 6’4” 1/2in, 307 pounds. He ran a 5.30 40 yard dash and benched 225 pounds 29 times) but he has a lot of potential and could easily be a starter right out of the gate for almost any NFL team.
Canfield’s potential is going to make a lot of teams take notice and he is going to become a useful and productive blocker at the next level. With this kind of talent, look for Canfield to go somewhere in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
By Bryan Dietzler
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