What this is: Our take on preseason all-Big Ten lists, drafting position-by-position. Previously: Quarterbacks and Running Backs, Receivers and Tight Ends

How things stand:

Seth: RANDOM.org is being a stupidhead and keeps putting Bryan and me 1st or 4th and Brian & Ace in the middle, so for Offensive Line we're going by age. BRIAN is on the clock.

[time passes]

Seth: Brian has until sundown to send someone an LOI.

The Mathlete: He's got one ready to send to Alaric Jackson, just has to check with one guy before sending it

[more time passes]

BiSB: He’s just holding that spot for next year’s Draftageddon. Smart move, IMO.

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OT #1: Alaric Jackson, Iowa (Brian)

[The Detroit News, because, you know, he's from Detroit]

This is not a Tim Drevno joke. Three years after Drevno did not send Jackson a letter of intent he is being touted as a potential first round pick after putting up the best pass-blocking grade in the league.

He's 20th on Rotoworld's 2020 mock draft. SB Nation has him 28th. He is a fine young man who was academic All Big Ten last year. Tim Drevno, human person, surveyed a roster with zero viable tackle shaped persons with eligibility this year and was like "nah" about Alaric Jackson.

Now, did I see this coming? Yes. Yes I did.

Wirfs and Alaric Jackson are fairly good bets to alpaca. Both passed veteran starters last year as first and second year players, respectively, and are giant. Jackson also got passed over by Drevno so he's got that going for him.

I saw it coming miles away. Drevnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Alex: Can I get a “Dim Trevno?”

[After THE JUMP: More Iowa. And one Big Ten team gets its entire line drafted]

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OT #2: Tristan Wirfs, Iowa (Seth)

Faster than Linebacker U. [Matthew O'Haren/USA Today]

It's no secret Iowa has the best two tackles in the conference. Bruce Feldman's top freak in college football this year already has a viral workout video for breaking an unbreakable lifting record before he was old enough to buy a beer.

That's the second-most impressive youtube of Trist Wirfs, better than the one where he's doing handstands, behind the one where the true sophomore came out ahead in his Outbook Bowl matchup with 2019 1st rounder (and guy who once got kicked out of Michigan State) Montez Sweat.

PFF chose Wirfs along with Georgia's Andrew Thomas as the two 2020 OT prospects to watch:

Wirfs is as physically dominant a sophomore offensive lineman as you’ll see in college football. He may very well be the strongest offensive lineman in the country and only turned 20 in January. He might profile better to guard in the NFL, but he has absurd athletic traits.

...got even more dramatic in his draft profile:

Tristan Wirfs has shown flashes of being one of the best tackle prospects… maybe ever. While that sounds like an overreaction because it’s July, it’s not. The flashes Wirfs showed were truly incredible.

...then put out an article titled "Tristan Wirfs isn't getting enough attention" wherein they called him "the best offensive tackle prospect" overall who "could very well be the best right tackle in the National Football League within the next few years."

Okaaaay. Other sites who include underclassmen see a guy who might be the #4 OT prospect, the #1 OG prospect, or a low first rounder, all repeating the ludicrous strength and agility while citing technique that's advanced for a college sophomore but not NFL territory, and a demeanor that might not be nasty enough. The "might profile better to guard" part is because he's 6'5"/325. The attitude doesn't seem to be be a problem.

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OT #3: Cole Van Lanen, Wisconsin (BiSB)

[Patrick Barron]

If you knew absolutely nothing about the current makeup of the 14 Big Ten rosters, and were suddenly dropped into Draftageddon and asked to pick a starting tackle, the safest possible pick would be "uh... Wisconsin's left tackle. Cole... Cole something. Dutch sounding name, I think." And this year, that would be a really, really good pick. According to PFF, as a redshirt sophomore he was the highest-graded offensive tackle in the country last year, primarily because of his run-blocking:

Cole Van Lanen was THE best run-blocker in the nation last year and will once again help anchor the Wisconsin offensive line. pic.twitter.com/QoaTIEAThH

— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 3, 2019

Now, this overstates things slightly, and you can see why in that graphic; he had a good-not-great pass blocking grade, but only allowed six pressures on the year. That was because, well, Wisconsin. The Badgers ran the ball 65% of the time, third-most of any Power 5 offense (behind only Maryland and triple-option Georgia Tech). And because so many of those passes were play-action, he was largely protected from the Big Ten's various hell-beast defensive ends. That said, he is still a very good pass blocker, and absolutely dominant in the running game. He has the mobility get to the second level, has a good knack for carrying and releasing from defenders, and he's a devastating downhill blocker. He's an inch or two too short to be an ideal NFL left tackle, but outside of that, there's not a lot more you can ask for.

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OT #4: Jon Runyan, Michigan (Ace)

You can't spell 'Warinner' without "Winner" plus "Ar" [Bryan Fuller]

Runyan transformed from opening-day disaster to all-conference tackle over the course of last season. He doesn’t have the upside of more prototypical left tackles but he’s got a very solid floor, especially with an added year under the tutelage of Ed Warinner. Runyan is a smart, nimble run blocker and above-average pass blocker, and his strength has improved with each passing year.

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OT #5 Thayer Munford, Ohio State (Ace)

Munford was solid, not spectacular, as the sophomore starting left tackle for the Buckeyes last year:

Speaking of left tackle Thayer Munford, he started 13 games for Ohio State in 2018, and played the most snaps of anyone on the team who is returning in 2019. The 6-foot-6, 319-pound Munford logged 922 snaps and graded out higher than Michael Jordan (65.8) who decided to turn pro following the 2018 season.

As a junior, Munford will look to build on what PFF deemed was an “above average” season.

He put up a decent grade as a true sophomore while battling injuries for the latter part of the season. After sitting out the spring, he should be a full go this fall, and he’s expected to anchor a line with a lot of turnover. He’s getting some early draft hype and could have a breakout year.

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BiSB: ...you guys feel that?

OT #6: Daniel Faalele, Minnesota (BiSB)

We often say that college linemen really makes a leap when he hits his third year in a program. So what kind of leap can we expect from a guy entering his third year of football altogether?

You all know the story of Daniel Faalele, the 6'9", 400 pound monster of a human being with hands the size of a slot receiver and like a 20% chance to actually pan out. If linemen are lottery tickets, Faalele was like betting this month's rent on a hard eight. And from early returns, it looks like it hit. He was the holiest of holy locks to take a redshirt -- I mean, dude played one season of high school football -- but he played early, he played often, and he played pretty well. Minnesota's running game improved greatly once he established himself as the right tackle around the Iowa game in Week 5, and by the time the (sadly Rutgers-free) Quick Lane Bowl came around, he looked like a player:

I watched the every-snap from that game, and two things are clear: (1) Faalele still has plenty of room to improve, and (2) he has come light years from his time at The Opening. He WILL be all-Big Ten in 2020, but I'll settle for a very good tackle in 2019. Oh, and one more thing:

[ @ 1:11]

BiSB: Seth is on the clock to choose a puny, sub-400 pound tackle.

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OT#7 Rashawn Slater, Northwestern (Seth)

Rashawn beat Rashan [Fuller]

According to Pro Football Focus Iowa returns the #1 and #3 pass-blocking tackles in the Big Ten. No. 2 is Northwestern's wall.

Rashawn Slater played over 1,000 snaps for Northwestern last season and turned in an all-around solid performance. pic.twitter.com/ufk15Zc2RA

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 5, 2019

That was the sophomore follow-up to 2017 when Slater was PFF's #1 freshman OL in the country. It's all the more impressive because the Wildcats have been a West Coast pocket-passing offense the last two years, because Slater was playing injured for much of the season, and because their other tackle required all the tight end up they could afford. And it's not like he wasn't tested by a Big Ten West schedule; the Cats played MSU, Notre Dame, Iowa, and OSU last year in addition to Michigan, a performance for which Slater made the national team of the week. Like Runyan, Slater is a tweener with great feet and intelligence but projects inside in the NFL for his length (he's 6'4").

[Time passes]

OT #8: [404 not found] (Brian)

Brian: uh so what?

Seth: The thing about draft clocks is…

Brian: If you want to go ahead without me having an OL i guess that's fine but it's going to be weird.

Seth: Nobody here needs to be reminded what it's like to go ahead without an OL.

David: Ah, memories.

OT#8: Grant Hermanns, Purdue (Brian)

The first of many OL we'll take with great hair game [Hammer & Rails]

A true left tackle at 6'7", Hermanns blew out his ACL midway through his redshirt year; he'd started the six games prior. He was again sidelined by injury last year, missing the final four games of the regular season. In those four games Purdue gave up 12 of their 30 sacks on the season--a 50% increase in sacks per game. Over the course of the season Purdue finished 37th in sack rate allowed; Hermanns Purdue was probably top 20.

He was recently named a captain as a redshirt junior and is a lock LT for the Boilers. Health is the question; if he's able to stay on the field he's right at the point where a breakout is on the cards.

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C/G #1: Tyler Biadasz (Brian)

Well so here's Matt Miller's listing of the best centers available for the 2020 draft, and here's his trait-by-trait breakdown:

• Biggest Hype: Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
• Best Traits: Tyler Biadasz
• Most NFL-Ready: Tyler Biadasz
• Best Run-Blocker: Tyler Biadasz
• Best Pass-Blocker: Zach Shackelford, Texas
• Best Potential: Tyler Biadasz

All righty then. Miller isn't alone. Biadasz is close to a consensus first-round pick, which is something when we're talking about a center.  Also:

Tyler Biadasz is the highest-graded interior offensive lineman in the B1G and frankly, it wasn't even close. pic.twitter.com/ENbqV2rXwD

— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 6, 2019

Biadasz was the top-rated P5 center in the country per PFF.

Need I go on? No, I needn't.

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C/G #2 Cesar Ruiz, Michigan (Seth)

#CesInSpace is trending. [Patrick Barron]

If anyone is going to challenge Biadasz for the Rimington this year, it's the unpossible Ruiz, who's quicker than Bredeson, nearly as large as Onwenu, and like his senior linemates could very well be going in the early part of the draft next year. I've long held that an elite center is more impactful than an elite guard, and Ruiz is certainly tracking that way (especially compared to the other center options in the league).

MSU's Raequan Williams would have been a first day draft pick if his coaches hadn't negged him into staying. Not only did Ruiz grade out positively against MSU, not only did Michigan's longstanding issues with double-A gap blitzes disappear after one play, but his negatives were all mental mistakes from a true sophomore that did not recur.

Credit is certainly due to Ed Warinner, but it bears repeating that Ruiz was a huge upgrade on Patrick Kugler, a 5th year senior bred on center technique since birth. #CesInSpace was trending among his teammates this spring. Guy's going to explode.

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C/G #3: Mike Onwenu, Michigan (BiSB)

[Patrick Barron]

Ben Bredeson was 2nd-team All Big Ten as a sophomore, and again as a junior. He's been predicted to bump that up to 1st team All Big Ten by basically every media outlet to make such predictions, and has been thrown out by numerous outlets as an All American candidate. He's also got 33 starts under his belt. He is very good. He is the value pick here.

But... man. Mike Onwenu is a unicorn. A wonderful, violent, immovable, nimble creature. He is absolutely ferocious in the running game, and according to Pro Football Focus he allowed only 4 pressures in all of 2018. What's more, he made great strides in reducing mistakes and refining himself as a lineman. And best of all, he slimmed down in the offseason from 350* to 350. If Ed Warinner were the type of man who giggled, Mike Onwenu is the kind of guy who would elicit a giggle:

“He’s a big human. He’s leaner, he’s quicker. Oh my gosh is he moving. Playing better with his hands. Understanding little details. Practicing better. It all starts with his attention to detail in meetings. He’s improved in every area. Wow is he talented. His ceiling is so high. (He) can be unstoppable.”

I don't think Mike Onwenu has a ceiling. And hopefully the floor is properly reinforced.

I would also like to point out that the right side of my offensive line now weighs in at a svelte 750 pounds.

Alex: 750*

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C/G #4: Ben Bredeson, Michigan (Ace)

4 more years! [Fuller]

This requires little explanation. While Onwenu has the galactic upside, Bredeson has already delivered on what was considerable hype of his own, and it would be a surprise if he’s not first-team all-conference. On a line that returns a lot of talent and experience, he’s been singled out as the leader. He flirted with the idea of entering the draft this year and he should be one of the top guards off the board in 2020.

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C/G #5: Steven Gonzalez, Penn State (Ace)

[Fuller]

Gonzalez was a PFF first-team all-conference pick in 2017, and while he didn’t make the list as a junior he still had a solid enough year to also check in with the NFL draft board. He’s a big-bodied (349 pounds) run blocker first and foremost; if he can improve as a pass-protector, he’s got a pro future and a bright present.

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C/G #6: Shrug, Wyatt Davis, Ohio State (BiSB)

Admittedly, things tend to work out for these guys. [ElevenWarriors]

Mentally, you can probably draw a pretty clear line between the stuff above this pick and the stuff from this pick on. From here on out, you're left with the known, decent quantities or the lottery tickets. Davis is the latter; he is a redshirt sophomore with two career starts. He replaced Demetrious Knox after Knox broke his foot against Michigan, and played reasonably well against Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship and against Washington in the Rose Bowl. He looked kind of how you would expect an extremely talented freshman to look; dominant when things went right, and pretty bad when they didn't. When asked to execute basic assignments, he did so with gusto. But he struggled with stunts and had some communication issues at times. Wyatt was a five-star coming out of high school, and he looks like that will pan out sooner or later. I'll take a shot at 'sooner.'

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OG/C #7 Alex Palczewski, Illinois (Seth)

Wait, wait, I've got one more for above the line, so long as PFF's 1st team OT is moving back inside.

Alex Palczewski could be a breakout star for Illinois this season. pic.twitter.com/Ad3x27uU1k

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 15, 2019

When Alex Palczewski signed with Illinois in early 2017 he was walking out of a his wrestling weigh-in at 260. By Week 2 that year Illinois was so thin at OL they ripped the redshirt off this tall Pole and had him start 11 games at left guard weighing about 270. Finally given a winter in a college training room, Palcy showed up last August well over 300, they flipped him to right tackle, and two things occurred: Illinois became the #9 rushing offense in CFB, and a friggin Illini true sophomore was All Big Ten to PFF.

That says a few things: PFF's grading system is kinder to those who play in the gentle West, for one. Also Palczewski's 80.4 overall grade came mostly for his ground work; he was the 9th rated run-blocking OT in the country, with pass pro best described as adequate. When I was scouting Illinois for HTTV, I saw a guy who struggled with elite edge rushers (Yetur Gross-Matos, The Gaz, and Iowa's three dragons) and manhandled everyone else. With former starting tackle Larry Boyd returning from a one-year academic suspension, and only 7th round OG Nick Allegretti to replace, I hope they move Palcy back inside.

#Illinois RT Alex Palczewski killed it last year + is only going to get better. Palczewski helped HB Reggie Corbin average over 8 ypc on 128 attempts#Illini pic.twitter.com/e6hcWAMy9X

— Aron Bloch (@PFF_Aaron) June 12, 2019

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OG/C #8: Terrance Davis, G, Maryland (Brian)

YMRMFSPA Mike Onwenu minus the feet [Testudo Times]

Again, I am not intentionally filling my line with Drevno misses, but there's not a whole lot out there this year. Terrance Davis walked into Maryland's starting lineup as a true freshman and had a couple of promising seasons before last year's was derailed by injury. Davis missed four games, didn't start a couple others, and didn't look himself when he was on the field.

I'll bank on a recovery from a rising senior who should be draftable after his final year.

also

OG/C #9: Kayden Lyles, G, Wisconsin

[Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal]

Lyles actually started seven games at DE for Wisconsin last year, garnering poor reviews ("way behind on technique and routinely gets planted 4 yards downfield" -Seth) This is because he's an offensive lineman who was forced into starting on defense because of injuries:

"He's an offensive lineman," UW defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. "He was filling a hole that we needed him to fill this season. Very unselfish on his part. But his future here is going to be at O-line, which is what they brought him in for."

UW moved him back to OL for the bowl practices and then played him on D in the game itself, so they're pretty clear on what they want from him and when: now. Lyles was a 4-star guy just outside the top 200 on the composite and should be plug and play at G. Maybe some early hiccups as he transitions back to his natural position, but redshirt sophomore heir apparent G at Wisconsin is a good bet.

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OC/G #10 Boe Wilson, Nebraska (Seth)

[Chris Machian/Omaha World Herald]

Wilson first popped into Husker consciousness when they started rolling him out as a goal line fullback as a redshirt freshman. He burst into the starting lineup in the shakeup after the Michigan game, immediately becoming the best pass protector on the line and winning honorable mention All-Big Ten.

PFF had him 5th in pass pro among Big Ten guards last year, behind the Illinum who got drafted, Michigan's pair, and a Rutger who got pass pro credits for the WR screen-a-thon and is now competing to start at OSU.

They graded Wilson a 57.4 (fair) in run blocking, but that's not too surprising for a Frey type (literally was recruited by Greg Frey) forced into the lineup while still transforming from a linebacker's body. The floor for his junior year is the guy who gave Dre'Mont Jones his worst day. If Boe gets a little bit stronger, like the rest of the Husker offense, he could really blow up this year.

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C/G #11: Michael Menet, Penn State (BiSB)

[Fuller]

I need a center, and the pickings are generally slim this year. Menet was a near-five star coming out of high school, but as a redshirt junior with 24 games under his belt, it's starting to look like he isn't going to fully pay that ranking off. Physically, he moves well and seemed to an outside observer to have decent command of the offensive line (despite the fact that they surrendered 31 sacks, second most in the conference), and is an effective pass blocker. However, Menet struggled at times last year when a tackle lined up directly over him; is susceptible to bull rushes, and has a tendency to allow defensive tackles to control him and either two-gap or shuck him. He has reportedly gained 15 pounds, though, which may help.

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C/G #12: Josh Myers, Ohio State (Ace)

If you're a gambler "Nice thing for Ohio State that shouldn't happen does" is easy money. [ElevenWarriors]

I also need a center, and as BiSB pointed out, the pickings are indeed slim. Given that context, I’m going with a former 4.5-star in his third year at Ohio State who’s stepping into the starting lineup to replace an NFL early entry. OSU considered working Myers into the lineup down the stretch last year and then he took his game up a level in the bowl practices before he locked down the center job in the spring:

“Josh has stepped in and really taken the bit. And he’s doing excellent,” offensive line coach Greg Studrawa said in April. “Before we practiced and went to the Rose Bowl, I really felt confident in that kid. Something clicked during bowl practice before we left and went out there, and his mindset, everything about him, how he carries himself, everything changed. So I’m confident, and now after watching him in nine practices, I really think he’s going to be exceptional.”

The next option if you’re looking at preseason all-conference lists is from Rutgers, so I feel okay with this selection.

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BiSB: Anyone we missed? Cause I don't think we missed anyone. No Hoosiers, Rutgerses, or Spartans... which feels about right.

Seth: Nebraska's LT, Brendan Jaimes, is alright. Offensive tackle has really come around. In a past Draftageddon one of us is happy to get Jaimes, and one of us is probably trying to put the best possible face on Cole Chewins.

BiSB: Or Coy Cronk.

Seth: Nooooooooo. My favorite Insider bit of all time was when somebody close to the situation told me there was an argument between Rashan and Chase over one of them monopolizing the Cronk side.

BiSB: It is worth noting that MSU's offensive line is already apparently getting banged up, which... oh buddy.

Seth: We all stayed away from Jonah Jackson, the Rutgers captain now tentatively first string at OSU, who was first in UFR grading among returning Big Ten guards. I assume that was because we all figured his pass pro grade is a mirage from screens on screens, plus the fact that transfer OL are starting from scratch and on the interior that seldom works out great.

Seth: I also assumed some center-starved drafter would take Illinois's Doug Kramer, who's not quite strong enough to be a good pass protector but has a lot of Molk in him. Unheralded hero of last year's #9 rushing offense.

How things stand: