While the Denver Broncos are set at four of the five spots on the offensive line, they could be looking for a center and developmental depth. Over the next three years, the Broncos could be faced with churning three or four of their starting five, based on when contracts expire.
While this isn’t a great draft class for tackles and guards, plenty of centers could compete for a starting job with Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth.
On the NFL Combine’s final day, the offensive linemen took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Who were some winners and losers from the position drills only?
Joshua Gray | Oregon State
Gray had an outstanding workout. While he was a guard in college, he will likely move inside to center. After the offensive line workouts, he was asked to stick around to do some snapping drills. His attitude and technique are there, and he is praised for his football IQ, but his move to center is a projection.
Drew Kendall | Boston College
As a clean technician, it isn’t a surprise that Kendall did an excellent job through the position drills. He may not have the upside to be one of the best centers in the NFL, but he has the traits to be a starting center for 10-plus years.
Eli Cox | Kentucky
Cox is another prospect who will likely find a home as a center. There doesn’t seem to be much room between where he is and his ceiling, but his technique is at a point where he can raise the floor, add competition, and at least be a backup center for years.
Josh Conerly Jr. | Oregon
Conerly is a smooth and athletic mover, so seeing him do well in the position drills isn’t surprising. His concerns involve power, which isn’t something he can answer during the draft process, unfortunately.
Joe Huber | Wisconsin
Starting at the Shrine Bowl, Huber’s process has been terrible. His feet were heavy and clunky during the position drills instead of light and smooth. He was a guard in college and will likely move inside to center. It’s a projection, but his reps at the Shrine Bowl didn’t inspire confidence.
Hayden Conner | Texas
Conner was a mess in the drills, from not going full out, to trying to predict the calls, sloppy footwork, and tight hips. The drills the Combine coaches put these prospects through are made to highlight different issues, and Conner was exposed.
Dylan Fairchild | Georgia
Fairchild was disjointed during drills. His upper-half technique was good, but his lower-half technique was terrible. Many believe an offensive lineman wins with his feet and base first, and Fairchild only raised red flags in this area.
Donovan Jackson | Ohio State
I’m making an exception for Jackson. He didn’t do the athletic testing and looked solid through the position drills. What gets him on the loser side of things is that he was dealing with a minor injury for the drills and risked making it worse.
Jackson has a ton of playing time against great competition at Ohio State and is viewed as a top-75 pick at worst. His risk of making a minor injury more severe by doing drills that wouldn’t change much in his evaluation wasn’t a wise decision.
Xavier Truss | Georgia
It was clear Truss had been training to show off with the position drills and testing. He did exceptionally well in all phases. The footwork was clean and light, and he did a better job maintaining balance through the movement drills.
Jared Wilson | Georgia
Wilson is one of the best centers in the class, and he showed how gifted he is athletically. His lower body mechanics were technically sound in the drills, leading to smooth and consistent movement.
Marcus Mbow | Purdue
There is a good chance Mbow will play inside in the NFL, but given how he looked in the drills, some teams may still consider him a tackle. He’s such a clean mover and technician that there would be significant concern if he didn’t look great in the drills, which are designed to make players like him stand out. Mbow was one of the Broncos’ 45 formal visits.
Grey Zabel | North Dakota State
It’s no surprise that Zabel had an exceptional session in the position drills. He has all the traits you are looking for and was able to showcase them. He was also requested to go through center drills, where he seems likely to play in the NFL.
Clay Webb | Jacksonville State
Webb had an opportunity to improve his stock at the Combine after a poor week at the Senior Bowl. Instead, he consistently lacked technique, especially footwork, during the drills.
Torricelli Simpkins III | Couth Carolina
Simpkins is a big interior offensive lineman who is a plodder as a mover. The Combine position drills are not an area where he can showcase his strengths as a strength and power player.
Jalen Travis | Iowa State
As a taller tackle, keeping your pad level low and with good bend is paramount, which is an issue for Travis on tape. Those issues persisted during the Combine drills, which is a format for showcasing improvement.
Jalen Rivers | Miami
Rivers is a big guard who is very lumbered with his movements. The position drills at the Combine focus on footwork and movement skills, which isn’t his forte. He’s a phone-booth mauling-type guard who can be plugged into a scheme that won’t ask him to pull or climb.
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