What happened to drafting for value?
I'm trying to see what value you think you see.
ALTERNATIVE ONE (probably highest value)
I expect that an upgrade to Kaczur may be available, with Kaczur moving to swing OT, which is fine position for him. I am fine with him at this position long-term, if he can be extended. If this draftee is also a potential future alternative to Light (or Light insurance), so much the better. Also, Kaczur could move to RG next year instead of bieing a swing tackle.
So your first priority is to find an upgrade for Kaczur?
Kaczur (pronounced KAY-zer) immediately took over left offensive tackle duties for the Rockets and started the next 49 games. He is a sound technician who can make all the blocks...He has been the most dominant player in the Mid-American Conference the last four years..Nick is an excellent pass protector and gets very good hand placement and extension...For a big man, Kaczur shows nimble feet on the move, doing a good job of making cut blocks in space. He has a great work ethic and takes well to hard coaching...Kaczur has more than enough balance to pull and lead on sweeps..He makes good adjustments down field and has the lateral agility to slide and redirect easily...Kaczur’s outstanding anchor prevents defenders from walking him back...He plays with a nasty attitude, but also knows how to stay under control...Few linemen in college can boast the technique, awareness and tireless work ethic that Nick displays.
Britton - I don't see the upgrade here.
Run Blocking: Britton is a solid walk-off drive blocker who might lack an explosive first step, but once he gets into gear, he moves with ease getting into the second level. He plays with natural strength, but will need to improve his power base and increase his bulk to withstand the rigors in the trenches as an NFL player...He is very good at sustaining and is developing a nice feel for blocking angles (still learning technique, but is responding quickly)...He is effective when asked to wall off and screen vs. down line-men, but will struggle to pick up the quick blitz...He brings power to his game when driving for movement and will generally finish, but can be walked back into the pocket when he overextends with his hands and lets the defender get into his chest.
Pass Blocking: Still learning blocking schemes, but demonstrates enough foot quickness to slide, good knee bend, patience and a strong hand punch...He does have outstanding quickness off the snap to gain advantage, but has good balance and control in his kick-slide...Makes cut-off blocks, readjusting quickly to the edge rush. His balance in his pass set lets him mirror and contain bull rushers, but he needs to keep his hands inside the framework to prevent edge rushers from slipping off his blocks.
Reactions/Awareness: Britton has the ability to shuffle and slide his feet, but due to a lack of explosiveness, he is a better fit on the right side. He is quick to recover when caught out of position and has the foot balance to short pull in the open, but must generate a quicker burst out of his stance to pick up the edge blitz or defensive line stunts. With his adequate lateral movement, he does not readily change direction when moving outside or out coming off the snap. He does keep his head on a swivel, showing good reactions and awareness on both running and passing plays. He has no problems handling movement in front of him or when working in-line, as his kick-slide allows him to adjust and stay in front of his man. Will have some issues when moving laterally. He has good speed and plays flat-footed, but must show better explosion and flexibility when changing direction. In pass protection, he has good reactionary ability to the bull rush, but would be even better if he can develop the loose hips and ability to move in attempts to impact on the defender. Will have problems handling movement at the next level.
Beatty - I'm not seeing the upgrade here.
Run Blocking: Shows a good thrust to get into space and is a decent position blocker. Uses his hands properly and can turn and drive off a defender on running plays. He is able to gain position quickly off the snap and use his body to wall when leading on outside runs. Due to a lack of bulk and ideal strength, he isn't used much blocking in-line, but is comfortable making adjustments in space. He uses his body well to turn and drive out a defender, but would be much better if he had the strong hand punch and placement to control.
Pass Blocking: Beatty doesn't appear to have the natural strength to protect the quarterback's blind side (didn't come into play at Connecticut, as they utilized a left-handed passer). He can reach block when he stays low in his pads (struggles to adjust on the move when he gets too tall in his stance). Shows decent lower-body flexibility and proper knee bend to strike on the move and has the long arms to punch and separate (needs to improve his power and lacks grip strength). Able to match step-for-step with the athletic moves of a defensive end due to good knee bend (will waist bend when he gets high in his stance).
Reactions/Awareness: Beatty was prone to penalties until his senior year. He was grabby, but also has some problems anticipating the snap cadence, leading to several false starts. Alert and made steady strides in 2008 adjusting to the action in front of him. He does a nice job of working in unison with his guards and might be a better fit at right tackle (more effective combo blocking than mauling an opponent). He has the long arms to engulf and the low pads to maintain balance mirroring rushers throughout the play.
Meredith - And I see no upgrade here
Run Blocking: Adequate drive blocker, but proved while playing guard that he does not have the sustained power to widen and maintain rush lanes. He is better in pass protection, preferring to park himself at the line of scrimmage and let the action come to him rather than explode off the snap to gain movement. He has the quick first step to get in position, but has to improve his lower-body power and maintain a better pad level. When he stays low in his pads, he flashes decent ability to wash defensive linemen on down blocks and widen the hole, but he is just marginal as a cut blocker.
Pass Blocking: Has natural knee bend, large hands and long arms to keep defenders at bay. He is good to mirror when he faces up to the edge rusher, but he sometimes retreats so far back, speedy edge rushers are quick to slip underneath. He has good slide agility, but needs to be more active with his hands when trying to finish. He is not going to shock anyone with his marginal hand punch and until he improves his lower-body strength, he would be a liability with his anchor working in-line as a guard, as he showed in 2008 that he simply can't handle the powerful bull rushers. Has the ability to sink his hips, but that inconsistent hand punch and lock-out ability, along with his late recovery when retreating, get him caught out of position. If he can improve his leg strength to sit down and anchor, he would be able to handle left tackle duties, despite his light frame. Right now, he projects to right tackle.
Reactions/Awareness: Very smart picking up games and twists up front. He mirrors his opponent when he does not retreat too far in his slide and when he keeps his feet shuffling. Is better reacting and adjusting to the defender's second move when he keeps his feet active. Has the vision and lateral quickness to pick up stunts and is not the type that will get fooled by the defender's multiple moves. Look for this player to be drafted much earlier based on his athletic skills than his production would indicate, but the "boom or bust" label applies.
ALTERNATIVE TWO
Perhaps an upgrade to Light is available with Light moving to RT.
I'm not seeing that either.
ALTERNATIVE THREE
Perhaps we can allow the draftee to develop, allowing him a year as the swing tackle backup.
Now we're getting somewhere, but why not consider Augustus Parrish, T.J. Lang, Sebastian Vollmer, and Lydon Murtha Day Two?
Both Mankins and Kaczur were considered "technicians" and "nasty." None of the three above are considered techicians, neither are they "nasty." Only Meredith is considered as a potential LT with some training and conditioning - and he gets the "boom or bust" remark. Oddly enough Parrish and Lang both have the "nasty" tag, and like Mankins and Kaczur, both are recommended for OG (Lang worked at all five OL positions for his All-Star game).
Sorry Mark, these kids aren't the ones to outfight Light and Kaczur for starter's jobs, Levoir and O'C are actually good reserves, but with this class being so deep in OL, I'm not opposed to drafting Neal's back-up and another mid-round OT to work with...there are also a couple decent kids down near the undrafted demark.
