Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

[DR RAM]

A lot of mocks have the Rams taking Lane Johnson, and a lot of people are comparing him to J. Smith. Well, take a look at this analysis, which I agree with, and then take a look at a game he played vs. Texas. You will see why I am so high on the kid. Under Boudreau, and a pro strength program, he would be an all-pro after a season or two in my opinion.


From CBSSPORTS.COM They have him rated 11 overall.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1700429

STRENGTHS: Johnson looks the part with a large frame and long arms (35"). He has quick feet to mirror and has an effortless kick-slide. Explosive off the snap and sets up quickly, using his extremely wide base to cover a large area. He digs his cleats in the turf and lowers his butt in pass protection with the strong upper body to control defenders.

Johnson does a nice job using his length to keep rushers at bay and uses his physical limbs to eliminate defenders with his nasty attitude. He has large, powerful hands and usually keeps his hands inside. Natural bender with flexible joints, contorting his frame and selling out for blocks. He locks out and seals defenders on the edge, doing a nice job engaging in space to create run lanes.

Has the competitive drive that scouts want for the position and the upside to continue to develop at the position

WEAKNESSES: Room to pack on some more muscle to his frame and strengthen his anchor. He will play undisciplined at times and overextend himself in space, caught hunched at the wait too often. Gets in trouble when he stops his feet and his technique needs refinement. He needs to keep his feet underneath him to better sustain and not fall off blocks.

Johnson needs to keep his eyes elevated in the run game and improve his blocking angles. He plays a tad mechanical and his hand placement can get sloppy at times. He has only played on the offensive line for two seasons and is still rough around the edges at times.

COMPARES TO: Joe Staley, OT, San Francisco 49ers - Johnson is taller and longer than Staley, but they have similar athletic backgrounds and the mobility that makes them impressive in pass protection and blocking on the move.

-- Dane Brugler

From youtube Draftbreakdown.com who does a great job of spotlighting draftees.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ozTZFLj17A

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ozTZFLj17A[/youtube]

See what you guys think.

 

[Angry Ram]

Ehh...the whole switching between TE/DE/OL is kinda iffy, especially w/ a 1st round pick. I'd be fine w/ the 2nd round pick on him, tho. Plus with the way OU ran it's offense last year (the whole hurry up thing) made the OL better than it was. Ever since Phil Loadholt left, RT hasn't been that good. I don't think Johnson "fits" w/ the Rams' scheme.

I'd much rather take D.J. Fluker. This guy started and played at RT his whole college career in the toughest conference. Dude is a monster.

 

[DR RAM]

Ehh...the whole switching between TE/DE/OL is kinda iffy, especially w/ a 1st round pick. I'd be fine w/ the 2nd round pick on him, tho. Plus with the way OU ran it's offense last year (the whole hurry up thing) made the OL better than it was. Ever since Phil Loadholt left, RT hasn't been that good. I don't think Johnson "fits" w/ the Rams' scheme.

I'd much rather take D.J. Fluker. This guy started and played at RT his whole college career in the toughest conference. Dude is a monster.

Geez, Angry, did you watch the tape? Come on, dude. He's better than Fluker, will get drafted before him, and his upside is phenomenal. He is this good after only playing for two seasons. Now if you'd rather draft Fluker in the second round, I can get behind that discussion.

 

[Angry Ram]

I watch a bunch of OU games.

Their O was super duper hurry up. Ever since Loadholt and Trent Williams left, the OL hasn't been all that cracked up to be. And Sam benefited from that.

 

[DR RAM]

I watch a bunch of OU games.

Their O was super duper hurry up. Ever since Loadholt and Trent Williams left, the OL hasn't been all that cracked up to be. And Sam benefited from that.

OK, I know their OL wasn't very good this year, but he was. If you get a chance, watch the clip and see for yourself. That's all I am trying to do, don't listen to the comparisons, don't make assumptions based on a kid growing out of a position. I think you will be very impressed.

Now, if we are talking about the draft, I don't necessarily believe that picking him is the best thing for the team. Although Lane Johnson is a LT, we have Saffold, who had a very good season when he was healthy. Boudreau did wonders with him, compared to Loney, who I suspected wasn't the right coach for the Rams. D.J. Fluker would be an upgrade at RT, but he's a late first to 2nd round player. He may go before our 2nd round pick and is not worth our 2nd 1st, IMO. Chris Faulk from LSU might be a name to consider in the 2nd or 3rd round as a RT.

 

[-X-]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

 

[Memento]

I watch a bunch of OU games.

Their O was super duper hurry up. Ever since Loadholt and Trent Williams left, the OL hasn't been all that cracked up to be. And Sam benefited from that.

OK, I know their OL wasn't very good this year, but he was. If you get a chance, watch the clip and see for yourself. That's all I am trying to do, don't listen to the comparisons, don't make assumptions based on a kid growing out of a position. I think you will be very impressed.

Now, if we are talking about the draft, I don't necessarily believe that picking him is the best thing for the team. Although Lane Johnson is a LT, we have Saffold, who had a very good season when he was healthy. Boudreau did wonders with him, compared to Loney, who I suspected wasn't the right coach for the Rams. D.J. Fluker would be an upgrade at RT, but he's a late first to 2nd round player. He may go before our 2nd round pick and is not worth our 2nd 1st, IMO. Chris Faulk from LSU might be a name to consider in the 2nd or 3rd round as a RT.

Faulk might even fall later than that; he suffered a season ending knee injury that he's still rehabilitating. He may slide like Andrew Datko did last year. But I think he'd make a great right tackle.

As for Lane Johnson...I'm not quite sure what to think of him yet. He's good, but I don't know if he's top sixteen good. Still, I don't even think he'll fall to sixteen if he blows up the Combine; teams tend to draft offensive tackles higher than they should go, and when Lewan and Matthews decided not to declare, it became a very weak class at the top, which pushes up guys like Fisher, Johnson, and Long even more.

I wouldn't complain if he was our pick. I'm just questioning what his true value is and whether or not he's available.

 

[Angry Ram]

I watch a bunch of OU games.

Their O was super duper hurry up. Ever since Loadholt and Trent Williams left, the OL hasn't been all that cracked up to be. And Sam benefited from that.

OK, I know their OL wasn't very good this year, but he was. If you get a chance, watch the clip and see for yourself. That's all I am trying to do, don't listen to the comparisons, don't make assumptions based on a kid growing out of a position. I think you will be very impressed.

Now, if we are talking about the draft, I don't necessarily believe that picking him is the best thing for the team. Although Lane Johnson is a LT, we have Saffold, who had a very good season when he was healthy. Boudreau did wonders with him, compared to Loney, who I suspected wasn't the right coach for the Rams. D.J. Fluker would be an upgrade at RT, but he's a late first to 2nd round player. He may go before our 2nd round pick and is not worth our 2nd 1st, IMO. Chris Faulk from LSU might be a name to consider in the 2nd or 3rd round as a RT.

I have nothing against the guy, but yeah we're talking about the draft. I just don't see his style fitting with the Rams. Plus like you said since Saffold is there, one of them would have to move, and I rather not see too many posistion changes.

2nd, I don't put any stock of where a guy "should be" taken or what his "range" is. If he's a good player, he's a good player. Reach/value...ehh just Kiper terms IMO. I just think w/ Fluker:

He was on the line that opened up holes for Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, and T.J. Yeldon.

Started and played virtually every game (that I know of) at one spot making 3 years of experience there, on the best team in the best college conference.

I try not to overthink these things...Fluker is a stud and I think he fits better than Johnson (again nothing against him).

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

OU has been pass happy since DeMarco Murray. Shit man, looking back I can't believe OU didn't win a title...Sam, Murray, Williams, Loadholt, Frank Alexander, Gerald McCoy, Curtis Lofton, Travis Lewis, Quinton Carter, Brody Eldgrige, Jermaine Gresham...lots of NFL players here.

 

[jrry32]

Ehh...the whole switching between TE/DE/OL is kinda iffy, especially w/ a 1st round pick. I'd be fine w/ the 2nd round pick on him, tho. Plus with the way OU ran it's offense last year (the whole hurry up thing) made the OL better than it was. Ever since Phil Loadholt left, RT hasn't been that good. I don't think Johnson "fits" w/ the Rams' scheme.

I'd much rather take D.J. Fluker. This guy started and played at RT his whole college career in the toughest conference. Dude is a monster.

Fluker is a run game monster but I have some major reservations about his pass protecting skills in the NFL. He's heavy legged and doesn't move effortlessly. Which often leads him to try and overcompensate on his kick-slide. In doing that, he'll get beat inside at times.

I think Fluker's best position will be OG. Can be an effective RT because of his run blocking ability but will never be a good or great pass protector there.

If the #1 thing you want out of the OL is to keep Sam clean, Lane Johnson is a far better fit.

 

[DR RAM]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

He has a few technique issues, but that's nothing to a player that's playing at his level after only two years at his position. As far as run blocking, I think he looks pretty good, he gets to the next level effortlessly. I'm not sure what you mean by "square up more", usually as a blocker you are trying to gain an angle, or control a shoulder. You want to seal your guy. I see no issues with his base, and I saw him anchor extremely well at the Senior Bowl practices against the bull rush. He's probably already benefiting from pro coaches. There are a couple plays on that tape where his defender takes off early from a wide stance, and he still beats him. Another, where the defender makes an inside move he doesn't expect, and Lane is able to get back in the play and ride him past the QB with no harm done. Another play where he makes a great cut block on the backside. He is a rare talent.

I really don't think he will be there when the Rams pick, but if he is, he will be the BPA. He may be the second tackle picked when it's all said and done, and I think he will end up being the best one in a couple years, in a decent OT class. Better than last years by far. I'd have 4 or 5 guys with Kalil, but before everyone else after him last year.

Just my opinion, but the force is strong with this one....People questioned Kalil and he's was in the Pro Bowl, by default, but still. I banged the table for Cordy Glenn, who people thought was only a guard, and he started at LT as a rookie, and played well.

I just don't want you guys to be Angry if we do pick him. See what I did there?

 

[jrry32]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

He has a few technique issues, but that's nothing to a player that's playing at his level after only two years at his position. As far as run blocking, I think he looks pretty good, he gets to the next level effortlessly. I'm not sure what you mean by "square up more", usually as a blocker you are trying to gain an angle, or control a shoulder. You want to seal your guy. I see no issues with his base, and I saw him anchor extremely well at the Senior Bowl practices against the bull rush. He's probably already benefiting from pro coaches. There are a couple plays on that tape where his defender takes off early from a wide stance, and he still beats him. Another, where the defender makes an inside move he doesn't expect, and Lane is able to get back in the play and ride him past the QB with no harm done. Another play where he makes a great cut block on the outside. He is a rare talent.

I really don't think he will be there when the Rams pick, but if he is, he will be the BPA. He may be the second tackle picked when it's all said and done, and I think he will end up being the best one in a couple years, in a decent OT class. Better than last years by far. I'd have 4 or 5 guys with Kalil, but before everyone else after him last year.

Just my opinion, but the force is strong with this one....People questioned Kalil and he's was in the Pro Bowl, by default, but still. I banged the table for Cordy Glenn, who people thought was only a guard, and he started at LT as a rookie, and played well.

I just don't want you guys to be Angry if we do pick him. See what I did there?

Yep, the Texas game was one that I evaluated a little while back and it got me so high on Johnson. Okafor beats him a couple of times when he takes advantage of Johnson's lack of experience but Johnson really played at a high level against two NFL DEs(Jeffcoat and Okafor) except for maybe a couple plays. Okafor used a swim move when Johnson ducked his head and got too aggressive out of the stance on a run play and he beat him again on a pass play with great hand use. But both those losses can be easily corrected.

What I liked most though is the way he finished his blocks and always wanted to get a hat on someone even if it didn't affect the play. I love that attitude in my OLs. He also drove block well in this game, really churned the legs and wouldn't stop driving his man until the play was over. Plays through the whistle and I like that. All the right attitude.

Give this guy good NFL Coaching and he'll be scary.

 

[-X-]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

He has a few technique issues, but that's nothing to a player that's playing at his level after only two years at his position. As far as run blocking, I think he looks pretty good, he gets to the next level effortlessly. I'm not sure what you mean by "square up more", usually as a blocker you are trying to gain an angle, or control a shoulder. You want to seal your guy. I see no issues with his base, and I saw him anchor extremely well at the Senior Bowl practices against the bull rush. He's probably already benefiting from pro coaches. There are a couple plays on that tape where his defender takes off early from a wide stance, and he still beats him. Another, where the defender makes an inside move he doesn't expect, and Lane is able to get back in the play and ride him past the QB with no harm done. Another play where he makes a great cut block on the outside. He is a rare talent.

I really don't think he will be there when the Rams pick, but if he is, he will be the BPA. He may be the second tackle picked when it's all said and done, and I think he will end up being the best one in a couple years, in a decent OT class. Better than last years by far. I'd have 4 or 5 guys with Kalil, but before everyone else after him last year.

Just my opinion, but the force is strong with this one....People questioned Kalil and he's was in the Pro Bowl, by default, but still. I banged the table for Cordy Glenn, who people thought was only a guard, and he started at LT as a rookie, and played well.

I just don't want you guys to be Angry if we do pick him. See what I did there?

Sorry, I should have been more specific. By squaring up I meant to move parallel with his first step, allowing him to square up and keep his hips together when working the combo blocks in the run game. AR brings up a good point though - OU isn't really a power run team. And I do see the potential you see, however. Not trying to knock him or anything, it's just that I didn't see anything "WOW" about that tape. Some stuff that I'm sure can get ironed out, and he does possess all the measurables. I just wonder if Jason Smith's tape wasn't kinda similar (again, not comparing the two).

 

[jrry32]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. By squaring up I meant to move parallel with his first step, allowing him to square up and keep his hips together when working the combo blocks in the run game. AR brings up a good point though - OU isn't really a power run team. And I do see the potential you see, however. Not trying to knock him or anything, it's just that I didn't see anything "WOW" about that tape. Some stuff that I'm sure can get ironed out, and he does possess all the measurables. I just wonder if Jason Smith's tape wasn't kinda similar (again, not comparing the two).

I keep hearing, "but Jason Smith" and I don't think it's a legitimate knock. We can't be afraid of taking a guy because we were burned like Smith. Yes, Smith was an athletic former TE that we drafted to be our LT and he busted. However, Joe Staley, Duane Brown and Joe Thomas...all former TEs and athletic LTs that were drafted in the first round. All are considered to be great or elite LTs in the NFL right now.

Consider this, we drafted a bust named Adam Carriker(who has turned into a solid player for Wash) but 4 years later in the draft, at nearly the same draft slot, the Texans took a guy with similar measurables and similar production at another major program. That player was arguably the best defensive player in football this year...JJ Watt.

If we were to employ the same logic, had he fallen to us, we would have been saying, "but Adam Carriker" and would have missed out on arguably the best defensive player in football.

We drafted a bust in Smith but Lane Johnson isn't Jason Smith. That much is apparent in the attitude he has and the way he plays. And frankly, I never wanted Smith. I wanted Eugene Monroe...but I do want Lane.

 

[DR RAM]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

He has a few technique issues, but that's nothing to a player that's playing at his level after only two years at his position. As far as run blocking, I think he looks pretty good, he gets to the next level effortlessly. I'm not sure what you mean by "square up more", usually as a blocker you are trying to gain an angle, or control a shoulder. You want to seal your guy. I see no issues with his base, and I saw him anchor extremely well at the Senior Bowl practices against the bull rush. He's probably already benefiting from pro coaches. There are a couple plays on that tape where his defender takes off early from a wide stance, and he still beats him. Another, where the defender makes an inside move he doesn't expect, and Lane is able to get back in the play and ride him past the QB with no harm done. Another play where he makes a great cut block on the outside. He is a rare talent.

I really don't think he will be there when the Rams pick, but if he is, he will be the BPA. He may be the second tackle picked when it's all said and done, and I think he will end up being the best one in a couple years, in a decent OT class. Better than last years by far. I'd have 4 or 5 guys with Kalil, but before everyone else after him last year.

Just my opinion, but the force is strong with this one....People questioned Kalil and he's was in the Pro Bowl, by default, but still. I banged the table for Cordy Glenn, who people thought was only a guard, and he started at LT as a rookie, and played well.

I just don't want you guys to be Angry if we do pick him. See what I did there?

Sorry, I should have been more specific. By squaring up I meant to move parallel with his first step, allowing him to square up and keep his hips together when working the combo blocks in the run game. AR brings up a good point though - OU isn't really a power run team. And I do see the potential you see, however. Not trying to knock him or anything, it's just that I didn't see anything "WOW" about that tape. Some stuff that I'm sure can get ironed out, and he does possess all the measurables. I just wonder if Jason Smith's tape wasn't kinda similar (again, not comparing the two).

The tape was not close to being comparable, and I'd bet that Lane is a better player right now, than Jason Smith is. I see a lot of "wow" watching it, so I guess we just don't see the same things, which is great. That's what makes the draft interesting. There's another player that I am interested in at the #16 spot. Ziggy Ansah. It's another position that we don't really "need", but we do have a need, and room for our defense to get better, and he's very versatile. I like getting the best players and not forcing things. I want to come out of the draft with a starting free safety, and a starting OLB, but we have needs on the defensive line, on the interior, and depth on the ends. We need backup linebackers, and wouldn't be surprised if we drafted another corner.

It's really hard to tell what we will do until free agency though.

I do get a boner for offensive lineman....I will admit that.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I actually like Johnson and his potential. Especially with our current staff, I think they can make him into something really good. He's better in pass protection, but they can round out his game more. I think he can be a good player for us, and if he's there at 16 (depending on who else is there of course) I would take him. I actually think he'll go before our pick though.

 

[jrry32]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

He has a few technique issues, but that's nothing to a player that's playing at his level after only two years at his position. As far as run blocking, I think he looks pretty good, he gets to the next level effortlessly. I'm not sure what you mean by "square up more", usually as a blocker you are trying to gain an angle, or control a shoulder. You want to seal your guy. I see no issues with his base, and I saw him anchor extremely well at the Senior Bowl practices against the bull rush. He's probably already benefiting from pro coaches. There are a couple plays on that tape where his defender takes off early from a wide stance, and he still beats him. Another, where the defender makes an inside move he doesn't expect, and Lane is able to get back in the play and ride him past the QB with no harm done. Another play where he makes a great cut block on the outside. He is a rare talent.

I really don't think he will be there when the Rams pick, but if he is, he will be the BPA. He may be the second tackle picked when it's all said and done, and I think he will end up being the best one in a couple years, in a decent OT class. Better than last years by far. I'd have 4 or 5 guys with Kalil, but before everyone else after him last year.

Just my opinion, but the force is strong with this one....People questioned Kalil and he's was in the Pro Bowl, by default, but still. I banged the table for Cordy Glenn, who people thought was only a guard, and he started at LT as a rookie, and played well.

I just don't want you guys to be Angry if we do pick him. See what I did there?

Sorry, I should have been more specific. By squaring up I meant to move parallel with his first step, allowing him to square up and keep his hips together when working the combo blocks in the run game. AR brings up a good point though - OU isn't really a power run team. And I do see the potential you see, however. Not trying to knock him or anything, it's just that I didn't see anything "WOW" about that tape. Some stuff that I'm sure can get ironed out, and he does possess all the measurables. I just wonder if Jason Smith's tape wasn't kinda similar (again, not comparing the two).

The tape was not close to being comparable, and I'd bet that Lane is a better player right now, than Jason Smith is. I see a lot of "wow" watching it, so I guess we just don't see the same things, which is great. That's what makes the draft interesting. There's another player that I am interested in at the #16 spot. Ziggy Ansah. It's another position that we don't really "need", but we do have a need, and room for our defense to get better, and he's very versatile. I like getting the best players and not forcing things. I want to come out of the draft with a starting free safety, and a starting OLB, but we have needs on the defensive line, on the interior, and depth on the ends. We need backup linebackers, and wouldn't be surprised if we drafted another corner.

It's really hard to tell what we will do until free agency though.

I do get a boner for offensive lineman....I will admit that.

That's funny, I actually said the exact same thing a couple days ago. :bg:

 

[-X-]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

He has a few technique issues, but that's nothing to a player that's playing at his level after only two years at his position. As far as run blocking, I think he looks pretty good, he gets to the next level effortlessly. I'm not sure what you mean by "square up more", usually as a blocker you are trying to gain an angle, or control a shoulder. You want to seal your guy. I see no issues with his base, and I saw him anchor extremely well at the Senior Bowl practices against the bull rush. He's probably already benefiting from pro coaches. There are a couple plays on that tape where his defender takes off early from a wide stance, and he still beats him. Another, where the defender makes an inside move he doesn't expect, and Lane is able to get back in the play and ride him past the QB with no harm done. Another play where he makes a great cut block on the outside. He is a rare talent.

I really don't think he will be there when the Rams pick, but if he is, he will be the BPA. He may be the second tackle picked when it's all said and done, and I think he will end up being the best one in a couple years, in a decent OT class. Better than last years by far. I'd have 4 or 5 guys with Kalil, but before everyone else after him last year.

Just my opinion, but the force is strong with this one....People questioned Kalil and he's was in the Pro Bowl, by default, but still. I banged the table for Cordy Glenn, who people thought was only a guard, and he started at LT as a rookie, and played well.

I just don't want you guys to be Angry if we do pick him. See what I did there?

Sorry, I should have been more specific. By squaring up I meant to move parallel with his first step, allowing him to square up and keep his hips together when working the combo blocks in the run game. AR brings up a good point though - OU isn't really a power run team. And I do see the potential you see, however. Not trying to knock him or anything, it's just that I didn't see anything "WOW" about that tape. Some stuff that I'm sure can get ironed out, and he does possess all the measurables. I just wonder if Jason Smith's tape wasn't kinda similar (again, not comparing the two).

The tape was not close to being comparable, and I'd bet that Lane is a better player right now, than Jason Smith is. I see a lot of "wow" watching it, so I guess we just don't see the same things, which is great. That's what makes the draft interesting. There's another player that I am interested in at the #16 spot. Ziggy Ansah. It's another position that we don't really "need", but we do have a need, and room for our defense to get better, and he's very versatile. I like getting the best players and not forcing things. I want to come out of the draft with a starting free safety, and a starting OLB, but we have needs on the defensive line, on the interior, and depth on the ends. We need backup linebackers, and wouldn't be surprised if we drafted another corner.

It's really hard to tell what we will do until free agency though.

I do get a boner for offensive lineman....I will admit that.

Yeah, nevermind what I said. I watched some J Smooth Baylor highlights.

Not even close. :lmao:

I'll go ahead and do some more research on your guy and try to do some comparative analysis.
I do trust your eye for offensive linemen. No doubt about that.

 

[DR RAM]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

He has a few technique issues, but that's nothing to a player that's playing at his level after only two years at his position. As far as run blocking, I think he looks pretty good, he gets to the next level effortlessly. I'm not sure what you mean by "square up more", usually as a blocker you are trying to gain an angle, or control a shoulder. You want to seal your guy. I see no issues with his base, and I saw him anchor extremely well at the Senior Bowl practices against the bull rush. He's probably already benefiting from pro coaches. There are a couple plays on that tape where his defender takes off early from a wide stance, and he still beats him. Another, where the defender makes an inside move he doesn't expect, and Lane is able to get back in the play and ride him past the QB with no harm done. Another play where he makes a great cut block on the outside. He is a rare talent.

I really don't think he will be there when the Rams pick, but if he is, he will be the BPA. He may be the second tackle picked when it's all said and done, and I think he will end up being the best one in a couple years, in a decent OT class. Better than last years by far. I'd have 4 or 5 guys with Kalil, but before everyone else after him last year.

Just my opinion, but the force is strong with this one....People questioned Kalil and he's was in the Pro Bowl, by default, but still. I banged the table for Cordy Glenn, who people thought was only a guard, and he started at LT as a rookie, and played well.

I just don't want you guys to be Angry if we do pick him. See what I did there?

Sorry, I should have been more specific. By squaring up I meant to move parallel with his first step, allowing him to square up and keep his hips together when working the combo blocks in the run game. AR brings up a good point though - OU isn't really a power run team. And I do see the potential you see, however. Not trying to knock him or anything, it's just that I didn't see anything "WOW" about that tape. Some stuff that I'm sure can get ironed out, and he does possess all the measurables. I just wonder if Jason Smith's tape wasn't kinda similar (again, not comparing the two).

The tape was not close to being comparable, and I'd bet that Lane is a better player right now, than Jason Smith is. I see a lot of "wow" watching it, so I guess we just don't see the same things, which is great. That's what makes the draft interesting. There's another player that I am interested in at the #16 spot. Ziggy Ansah. It's another position that we don't really "need", but we do have a need, and room for our defense to get better, and he's very versatile. I like getting the best players and not forcing things. I want to come out of the draft with a starting free safety, and a starting OLB, but we have needs on the defensive line, on the interior, and depth on the ends. We need backup linebackers, and wouldn't be surprised if we drafted another corner.

It's really hard to tell what we will do until free agency though.

I do get a boner for offensive lineman....I will admit that.

Yeah, nevermind what I said. I watched some J Smooth Baylor highlights.

Not even close. :lmao:

I'll go ahead and do some more research on your guy and try to do some comparative analysis.
I do trust your eye for offensive linemen. No doubt about that.

The great thing about watching clips like this one, is that it is not a highlight tape, and you will see good and bad. Not many are used to watching an offensive lineman isolated for the whole game. It's hard to do. Every offensive lineman has bad plays, or gets beat during games.

Another player that really intrigues me, and there is very little tape on him, is Kyle Long. Very little tape, very little experience, but a superb athlete that played great (at two positions) against good competition at the Senior Bowl. He even missed a couple practices, because he got sick. The kid was playing baseball and had a mid 90's fastball as a lefty. Both Howie and Chris say he is the best athlete in the family.

 

[Angry Ram]

I watched the whole thing in HD and on full screen. You can see the potential, and he could definitely benefit from attending the school of Boudreau, but I dunno. He looked kinda sloppy in his technique - especially in run blocking. I'd like to see him square up more. He is kinda quick into his stance and would be a good matchup against some of the speed rushers out there, but is he strong enough to handle a bull rush against the DEs in the NFCW?

He has a few technique issues, but that's nothing to a player that's playing at his level after only two years at his position. As far as run blocking, I think he looks pretty good, he gets to the next level effortlessly. I'm not sure what you mean by "square up more", usually as a blocker you are trying to gain an angle, or control a shoulder. You want to seal your guy. I see no issues with his base, and I saw him anchor extremely well at the Senior Bowl practices against the bull rush. He's probably already benefiting from pro coaches. There are a couple plays on that tape where his defender takes off early from a wide stance, and he still beats him. Another, where the defender makes an inside move he doesn't expect, and Lane is able to get back in the play and ride him past the QB with no harm done. Another play where he makes a great cut block on the backside. He is a rare talent.

I really don't think he will be there when the Rams pick, but if he is, he will be the BPA. He may be the second tackle picked when it's all said and done, and I think he will end up being the best one in a couple years, in a decent OT class. Better than last years by far. I'd have 4 or 5 guys with Kalil, but before everyone else after him last year.

Just my opinion, but the force is strong with this one....People questioned Kalil and he's was in the Pro Bowl, by default, but still. I banged the table for Cordy Glenn, who people thought was only a guard, and he started at LT as a rookie, and played well.

I just don't want you guys to be Angry if we do pick him. See what I did there?

Oh yeah, you clever goose, you. :razzed:

 

[brokeu91]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. By squaring up I meant to move parallel with his first step, allowing him to square up and keep his hips together when working the combo blocks in the run game. AR brings up a good point though - OU isn't really a power run team. And I do see the potential you see, however. Not trying to knock him or anything, it's just that I didn't see anything "WOW" about that tape. Some stuff that I'm sure can get ironed out, and he does possess all the measurables. I just wonder if Jason Smith's tape wasn't kinda similar (again, not comparing the two).

The tape was not close to being comparable, and I'd bet that Lane is a better player right now, than Jason Smith is. I see a lot of "wow" watching it, so I guess we just don't see the same things, which is great. That's what makes the draft interesting. There's another player that I am interested in at the #16 spot. Ziggy Ansah. It's another position that we don't really "need", but we do have a need, and room for our defense to get better, and he's very versatile. I like getting the best players and not forcing things. I want to come out of the draft with a starting free safety, and a starting OLB, but we have needs on the defensive line, on the interior, and depth on the ends. We need backup linebackers, and wouldn't be surprised if we drafted another corner.

It's really hard to tell what we will do until free agency though.

I do get a boner for offensive lineman....I will admit that.

Yeah, nevermind what I said. I watched some J Smooth Baylor highlights.

Not even close. :lmao:

I'll go ahead and do some more research on your guy and try to do some comparative analysis.
I do trust your eye for offensive linemen. No doubt about that.

The great thing about watching clips like this one, is that it is not a highlight tape, and you will see good and bad. Not many are used to watching an offensive lineman isolated for the whole game. It's hard to do. Every offensive lineman has bad plays, or gets beat during games.

Another player that really intrigues me, and there is very little tape on him, is Kyle Long. Very little tape, very little experience, but a superb athlete that played great (at two positions) against good competition at the Senior Bowl. He even missed a couple practices, because he got sick. The kid was playing baseball and had a mid 90's fastball as a lefty. Both Howie and Chris say he is the best athlete in the family.

Yeah, I read that too. He intrigues me as well. I heard from some scouting reports that he's more suited for guard since he does not have the longest arms in the world. However, I think it would be great to have both brothers competing against each other every day. Kyle would also have Chris around to show him the ropes of the NFL world (sine I know Kyle had some off-field problems in the past). If we could get Kyle with a third round pick, that would be great. He's not had much football experience, and I want to see what Coach Bou could do with him. But I'm getting increasingly worried that he won't make it to the 3rd round and we'd have to use a 2nd rounder on him, and it seems a bit too high. Maybe if the Rams trade down or trade up we can get him.

As for Johnson, I will again defer to DR Ram's superior O-line knowledge, and of course Snead/Fisher's judgment. But like others have said, his story does remind me of Jason Smith's, and while I was a J Smooth supporter, it did not end well here. But that is the same spurious argument that others used as to why the Rams shouldn't draft a DT (because they never could draft a good one), which was totally invalidated by the Rams drafting Brockers (who I really think is a future All-pro in the making).