The best description that I can think for for Lewan is as a poor man's Jake Long, you be the judge: http://www.thephinsider.com/videos/2013/12/31/5259372/the-phinsider-2014-ot-watch-taylor-lewan Same kind of tall, lean look as Long but not nearly as powerful of dominating at the LOS and maybe about the same at pass pro. Nice player, but not really special. And Cyrus Kouandjio, probably my favorite OT in the draft after Robinson and Matthews: http://www.thephinsider.com/videos/2013/12/31/5259224/the-phinsider-2014-ot-watch-cyrus-kouandjio Thumper in the mold of Menelik Watson last year, but I think that Watson is more athletic. Like Watson, prototypical RT who merits consideration at LT as well. Power player.
Antonio Richardson: http://www.thephinsider.com/videos/2013/12/31/5259306/the-phinsider-2014-ot-watch-antonio-richardson Well, the first thing is to exorcise the UT spirit of Dallas Thomas out of my mind. Richardson is bigger, better and more aggressive. Thomas has some good feet, but he's too much of a dancing bear for my taste. Richardson looks pretty solid- good feet, aggressive, nice kick slide, look at him get on a MLB at 2:48 of the clip for the big second level fans. I like him. I went over some Dallas Thomas film as a basis of comparison- no comparison imo, Richardson is way better. Wtf were draft guys thinking last year grading out Thomas at a top 50-60 overall player, I don't know. Dancing bear, bottom line. Richardson, is good, the question is how good? I would describe him as a nice package of size, power and athleticism with a decent amount of aggression to his game, as opposed to his former teammate and our very own Dallas Thomas. But is he aggressive enough? I don't know, it seems like he should dominate more than he actually does. To me, what's going to be VERY interesting is how teams end up rating all of these guys: Jake Matthews- obvoiusly one heck of a player, top 5 talent Greg Robinson- One of my favorites, bottom line. Elite prospect imo, would absolutely love to get him for a power, athletic LT. Cyrus Kouandjio- mountain of a man, solid, I'd take him at #19, figure out afterward if he's a LT or RT, and I'm fine with that. Morgan Moses- similar to Kouandjio size wise, just not as good and not a dominator like Cyrus. Solid player, I'd like to have him at RT if that's his better side, see him drop 10 pounds or so. Richardson looks a little quicker to me. Still, Moses strikes me as very effective, a good player. Cameron Erving- more comfortable with him at LT that Moses from what I've seen, looks the most athletic out of him, Lewan, Kouandjio, Richardson and Moses. The thing is, all of these guys are good players, but none of them are Greg Robinson. The question is imo, at what point are you better served by going the FA route and signing Anthony Collins for LT, and picking up OL later in the draft? My basic feeling on Erving is good, nothing special. I liked Menelik Watson much better, to me he is more like a combo of Erving and Kouandjio, physicall dominating and also great athleticism. Erving just isn't dominating to me, kind of blah as far as that's concerned. I would seriously, seriously consider hiring outside OL consultants for this draft if I were Stephen Ross, insist upon it. Jeff Ireland has proven that he sucks mule pecker and donkey wang when it comes to drafting OL. McKinnie is old, bad knee and FA, Tyson Clabo is substandard and overpriced, Sam Brenner is small and lees than average at OG, John Jerry needs to hit the road, Will Yeatman blew his knee out, Nate garner is just ok and Martin and Incognito are history. Aside from Mike Pouncey, there just isn't a whole lot there. My preference would be to dump the overpriced LB tandem of Wheeler and Ellerbe and spend every draft pick on OL and LB. Just do it right, don't trust Jeff Ireland with this draft, get someone in the house who knows how to pick OL.
Good article on Lewan: http://www.landgrantholyland.com/20...an-taylor-lewan-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly
Taylor Lewan is a brilliant offensive line talent, IMO. He moves his feet, he's huge, he's athletic, and the guy always finds work. He finds every little method he can to frustrate a defense which is exactly what you want. That article quotes a diatribe from Jason Whitlock in "The Ugly" section. Basically everything Whitlock said in there was complete BS, and Whitlock is prone to such. I don't care if Lewan is dirty to the extent that he doesn't get penalized for it on the field. I mind if he's a drug addict or alcoholic like Richie Incognito was/is. I mind if he keeps getting into trouble off the field like the most recent article about his having punched some Ohio State fans outside of a bar. Lewan remains one of my very favorite offensive linemen. It was hilarious how at one point people kept putting James Hurst above Lewan in mocks. Hurst is what Lewan would be if Taylor's athletic ability dropped to near-zero. I have no idea why he's caught up in comparisons with Jake Long except because of a baffling obsession with color coordination.
I think that a poor man's Jake Long description is pretty accurate. Very tall, rather lean LT from Michigan who plays with a mean streak, very good run blocker and a good pass blocker who might or might not be a LT in the pros. Seriously, you see this relatively lean yet huge 6-7 or 6-8 behemoth of a white guy with tattoos up and down his arms playing LT for Michigan and wearing #77- who else are you going to think of? Plus, he plays like Jake Long, just not as good. As I mentioned, I had more confidence in Long as a LT coming out than I do Lewan now. Imo he's a good athlete, but not a great athlete. Regardless, he has a lot of physical qualities and intangibles that would serve Miami well. I look at him and I see a very good, aggressive and talented football player. I'd rather have him than Cameron Erving, because with Lewan I pretty much know that I'm either going to get a guy that cuts it at LT or at the least will make, in my estimation, a fine RT. And I'm ok with that. Dude would bring some nasty to the line.
Joe Staley is much more athletic imo, faster, quicker and much more fluid. I think that Lewan has good feet, he looks pretty quick, but at the same time he doesn't look like the smoothest athlete in his kick slide. I like his movement better, actually, when he's on the run as opposed to setting up in pass pro. It's then when I see him moving laterally or upfield that I think, damn, he's got pretty good feet. I'm not trying to nitpick- what I am saying is that he's no Ogbuehi when it comes to being a smooth, athletic LT. But he's big, nasty, heck of a run blocker and pretty darned good in pass pro. What I'm wondering is whether he's a LT or RT in the pros. At the end of the day I'd be happy to have him.
That's how I feel about Kouandjio. Man was he exposed against the speed rush last night. I'd put Robinson and Irving ahead of him as at LT.
Who was that Oklahoma DE or OLB who tooled Kouandjio? I agree on Robinson and Erving at LT, and I will say to me Erving isn't even close to Robinson as a LT btw. But if I was at #19 and I could have Erving for LT or Kouandjio for RT I'm taking Kouandjio. For me the more interesting question is, who would I take at #19, Kouandjio or Lewan. I really don't know. I look at Kouandjio and I see a player very similar to DJ Fluker, and that's a good thing to fill RT. I have no problem taking a RT with a 1st round pick if he's a damned good one. The thing is, can Lewan play LT in the NFL? Let's face it, if he can that solves a big problem. I'd like either Lewan or Kouandjio at RT, but I think that at that position I'd take Kouandjio, but I just don't know. Interesting, confusing OT class this year. These are the dilemmas that have to be solved, and Jeff Ireland is not the guy to do it.
Personally, I'd rather take a defensive player at 19 and see if I can't solve the LT spot via free agency. Give me Anthony Collins or Branden Albert.
