Ask Farrell: What's the best way to evaluate offensive linemen?

Evaluating and ranking offensive linemen can oftentimes be a challenge because of competition level, but also because many of those players blossom physically in college and have not peaked in high school.

The 2019 NFL Draft is a perfect example.

Garrett Bradbury was a two-star tight end out of Charlotte (North Carolina) Charlotte Christian who went to NC State at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds and turned himself into a first-round NFL Draft pick at offensive guard.

Andre Dillard was a 6-foot-5, 240-pound two-star offensive tackle from Woodinville, Washington, who only had offers from Washington State, Eastern Washington, Idaho and Portland State. He’s now 315 pounds and was a first-round draft pick.

Tytus Howard was an unranked tight end from Monroeville (Ala.) Monroe County Christian School who at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds played quarterback in high school. He went to Alabama State as a tight end and then transitioned to offensive tackle. Howard is now 322 pounds and he was a first-rounder as well.

The only ready-made offensive lineman who was taken in the first round of the last NFL Draft was former five-star Jonah Williams, who played at Folsom, California, and then Alabama and was really a no-brainer all along.

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CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

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So the narrative coming out of the last draft was that players who could be physical and athletic but who were not over 300 pounds were the best prospects to move up because they would add that weight in college and still be an athletic specimen.

But then this draft class comes along and there are a bunch of potential first-rounders who filled out physically in high school, only to refine their game once they got to college.

The guidelines of the last NFL Draft might not hold true in 2020.

Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs measured 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was the same height and near the same weight - 308 - as a four-star in high school. Louisville’s Mekhi Becton was listed at 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds in high school, a classic example of someone reaching his peak physical outcome which could be a red flag. He weighed in at 364 at the combine and could be a top-five pick.

Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Houston’s Josh Jones, two other potential first-rounders, did add some significant weight in college but nothing like the 2019 first-rounders who switched positions or became seemingly different people.

With all that considered, we ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell if there’s one set of guidelines when evaluating, ranking and projecting offensive linemen or if it must be taken on a case-by-case basis.

“Trends are trends, but they need to last a few years to become a real trend. And, as with anything, you have to take these things on a case-by-case basis.

"There could be a great offensive line prospect who is a bit undersized like Broderick Jones or Walker Parks last year. And then there could be a kid like Evan Neal a couple of cycles back, who is massive and we felt would just get better.

"I didn’t change my ranking philosophy on offensive linemen just because of last year because there was no way to predict guys like Bradbury or Chris Lindstrom from Boston College, who were 240-pound guys. There could be one in this 2021 class, but that’s just the way the position works, it’s a crap shoot. Heck, Lane Johnson was a very average quarterback in high school and he’s become one of the top offensive tackles in the NFL. It’s a tough position to scout and the big guys will still have the ranking advantage.”