2016 NFL Scouting Combine: OL to Watch

The annual Underwear Olympics in Indianapolis will begin this week. I'll be breaking down the position groups by the order in which they are scheduled to work out. With that said, it's time to look at the big boys up front. The offensive line will be broken down by the position that they are listed as.

Tackle

1. Laremy Tunsil 6'5 305 Ole Miss

- Tunsil is this years consensus top offensive tackle. He's had an interesting 2015 as he was suspended by Ole Miss for eight games for receiving illegal benefits according to NCAA guidelines. Teams will grill him in the interview room about that incident which led to the suspension. Tunsil is a tremendously talented prospect on the field, showing that he can stick at left tackle instead of having to move to the right. The interviews will be key.

2. Le'Raven Clark 6'5 312 Texas Tech

- Clark participated at the Senior Bowl where he had a good week of practice. He's not the system tackle that everyone is making out to be given the Air Raid offense that the Red Raiders run. Possesses a good base and very quick feet. Ability to quickly adjust to his defender is above average. A road grader type that can blast open holes in the run game with some limitations in the pass block game. An ideal fit for a transition to right tackle.

3. Jack Conklin 6'6 325 Michigan State

- Conklin anchors one of the best offensive lines in the country as the franchise left tackle. He's been one of the more consistent tackles so thus the high ranking over both Tunsil and Decker. He's very fundamentally sound in both the run and pass. Footwork is one of the better tools in his arsenal. Football IQ is very good.

4. Kyle Murphy 6'6 300 Stanford

- Murphy might take the Combine by storm with his athleticism. He has quick feet and surprising agility. Arm length is good. Weight distribution is good as well. His problem is that he needs to play more physical at the snap. Murphy needs a solid performance this week after being pushed around a bit in one on ones in Mobile. Might be the most physically gifted tackle in Indy without peer.

5. Brandon Shell 6'6 334 South Carolina

- Shell was a East-West Shrine Game participant. He had a good week there as the top tackle prospect. A road grader type with the potential to be a franchise tackle if he can get some technical issues within his game right. Started out as a right tackle but ended up on the left after Corey Robinson left.

6. Fahn Cooper 6'5 306 Ole Miss

- The hidden gem of the Rebels OL as you know who got all the attention. E-W Shrine Game performance was pretty solid. He dominated the proceedings. Cooper started at left tackle while Tunsil was suspended so it's not like he's completely inexperienced there. Used the graduate transfer rule to go to Ole Miss from Bowling Green.

Guards

1. Nick Martin 6'4 296 Notre Dame

- The little brother is all grown up now. Martin had a great week of practice in Mobile. He's very fundamentally strong. Has a good anchor and protects himself against stronger defensive lineman very well. Quick feet. Good hand usage.

2. Vadal Alexandar 6'5 329 LSU

- Alexander projects as the best guard prospect in the class even though he's been at tackle for most of his career. Steadying presence on the line for a much maligned Bayou Bengals offense. A good run blocker with some work to do as a pass blocker.

3. Sebastian Tretola 6'4 317 Arkansas

- Tretola is a massive mountain of a man and an ideal fit for the guard position. He had a great week in Mobile. Physically dominant run blocker. Pass block game is above average but his bread and butter is the run game. Arkansas got a lot of run block practice in with their run heavy system and Tretola benefitted greatly. Also if you need to run a trick play, Tretola is your man.

4. Landon Turner 6'4 325 North Carolina

- Turner isn't far behind any of these guard propects. He's massive mauler and has improved his technique considerably in 2015. Neck and neck with Alexander as the best guard prospect. Helped pave the way for the Tar Heels to an ACC title game berth.

Centers

1. Graham Glasgow 6'6 306 Michigan

- Glasgow built upon an impressive week at the East-West Shrine game by being equally as impressive in Mobile. He has a good base of footwork and anchor. A decent amount of athleticism to get to second level. Work ethic and character is not in question. Tall for a center prospect. Pushed himself into the discussion for the best center in the country.

2. Max Tuerk 6'5 269 USC

- Tuerk really needs a big Combine week after getting injured and missing a lot of time. He’s a versatile lineman as he’s played every position on the line. Size maybe an issue as 269 pounds is not ideal for any lineman in today’s day and age. Might be better suited for a heavy zone blocking scheme.

Bonus prospects to watch

1. Taylor Decker 6'7 320 OT Ohio State

2. Spencer Drango 6'6 320 OG Baylor

3. Joshua Garnett 6'4 317 OG Stanford

4. Denver Kirkland 6'5 340 OT Arkansas

5. Isaac Seumalo 6'5 298 OG Oregon State