Top Interior OL to watch for 2017 draft

Submitted by Michigan4Life on

This is separate from the diary that I've posted a couple days ago. Lance Zierlien is one of the better draft analyst in the business and his dad is the NFL OL coach. When it comes to OL evaluations, Lance is the most qualified out of the media draft analysts.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000671131/article/indianas-dan-feeney-leads-top-interior-ols-to-watch-in-2016?campaign=tw-cf-sf29572000-sf29572000

MAccLA

June 24th, 2016 at 12:07 PM ^

6. C Mason Cole, Michigan

Cole has the talent to man the left-tackle spot for Jim Harbaugh, but he'll be moving inside to center, where he still figures to shine. Cole enters his junior season as a two-year starter at left tackle for the Wolverines. He has the athleticism to get to linebackers at difficult angles and he should be a factor in space as a combination blocker. He can be bull-rushed when he doesn't maintain a wide base, but he has power as a run blocker and should be a scheme fit with all offenses in the pros.

WolvinLA2

June 24th, 2016 at 12:28 PM ^

Very doubtful he gets a Day 1 grade.  First of all, not many centers get those. Second, he's only 3 years our of HS and not super massive yet.  Third, he will have only played C for one season.  I think he'll stay all four years, add strength, master the position and get a degree before he bolts for the NFL.

Does anyone know of any Michigan OL who have gone to the NFL after 3 years on campus?

WolvinLA2

June 24th, 2016 at 12:13 PM ^

It will be bad news (not for him, obvioudly) if Mason Cole leaves after this season.  Replacing 4 OL, almost certainly our 4 best OL, will be a tough task for 2017, especially considering all of the other talent we will be replacing.  It's entirely possible that we return 2 offensive starters in 2017, though if you're only returning 2, QB and LT are the best two to keep.

funkywolve

June 24th, 2016 at 12:50 PM ^

On paper thatc could be true, but I'm thinking Issac and Walker will get some reps at RB this year.  Butt will be a big loss but with how Harbaugh utilizes the TEs, we'll have a couple TEs coming back with some good experience.  Oline and WR will be the interesting spots for 2017.  

Does UM not list fullback as a starting position?

Alumnus93

June 24th, 2016 at 3:08 PM ^

yeah, and Les Miles "wanted to come" too, but both somehow ended up at LSU....  

only Pocic knows if he wanted to truly come, or not.  You dont know that.   Remember Tommy Schutt supposedly wanted to come, too...but Hoke called the bluff.

His Dudeness

June 24th, 2016 at 12:49 PM ^

This has been threatening for some time now. The 2013 OL class was a crater.

We all thought it would happen stemming from the 2010 class where literally zero OL were taken, but the 2012 class kind of saved our ass from that thankfully... unfortunately this coming season is going to be our "shot" for the next couple years unless we hit big on another Mason Cole type who can step in as a true freshman and hold his own. The likeliness of that happening is slim. In another 2 years after this we should be solid again as far as OL goes.

You basically have to take at least 4 OL in every class. They are just so hit and miss.

funkywolve

June 24th, 2016 at 2:38 PM ^

is a massive crater.  According to 247, UM pulled in five 4 stars and Samuelson.  Of the 4 stars, 3 were Top 100 prospects (Kugler, Bosch, Dawson) and the other two were Fox at 110 and LTT at 168.  The odds are UM won't have a single multiple year starter out of any of those 5, and depending on how things shake out this year and next, might not even get 20 starts out of that group.  

HimJarbaugh

June 24th, 2016 at 8:18 PM ^

I think there is a big gap in 2014-2015 where one or two of JBB, Ulizio, and JRJr, have to pan out or the 2017 line will be mostly freshmen or RS freshmen. Even if Cole and Newsome start every game this season, that would still be the fewest by a starting line since 2013, easy. It will also be year three of Harbaugh and things like depth should not be as big of factors by that point. Transfers and other means (good scouting, walk-ons/PWOs, wider talent pool) should help mitigate any holes.

olm_go_blue

June 24th, 2016 at 10:32 PM ^

Well, transfers aren't likely - UM doesn't take JC players, and if someone isn't good enough to crack the starting 5 + 2 at their school, doubt they will contribute at UM. Don't want to plan on walk-on OL either. Not sure what wider talent pool means, recruiting is recruiting.

My point is we need lots of high-caliber OL recruits this cycle to not sweat it.

HimJarbaugh

June 25th, 2016 at 9:15 AM ^

Michigan had a transfer QB start the whole season last year and had another grad transfer play on ST and provide depth in the secondary. For a while it appeared that the interior OL from Texas may come to Michigan next year. Transfers happen outside of JUCO stuff nowadays.

The wider talent pool thing is just something that comes with winning. Michigan has commitments and guys on the roster from Georgia, California, Florida, and Alabama like we haven't really seen in a long time. If Michigan wins and becomes a contender, they have a real shot at getting some of those top guys that can come in and contribute immediately. You are right, we never know who will pan out but we all tend to want the highest rated.

olm_go_blue

June 25th, 2016 at 9:52 AM ^

I agree that winning helps in recruiting, but Michigan wasn't really lacking in recruiting before. My point is that it doesn't matter if more recruits come from in state or out of state/region - if the guys are highly rated, they are highly rated.

Hoke had what appeared to be an epically awesome O-line class a few years back, and we were coming off some tough years. UM has always recruited nationally, and done well at it.

I know your point was that we could recruit at an even higher level, but at some point that's because of JH, and not w/l, in my mind.

Also, for transfers, I was referrring to O-line only, because that's what we were discussing. The TX transfer was super rare. There are 5 starting O-linemen, so if you can't even back one of those guys up, you will not break the 2 deep at UM.

turtleboy

June 24th, 2016 at 1:02 PM ^

After this season ends I'll have no problem putting Coles draft stock in the same neighborhood as the Pouncey brothers. With his versatility and technique, nfl teams will love him at 2 or 3 spots.

Monkey House

June 24th, 2016 at 1:52 PM ^

we are playing catch up on the oline with the elites of college football like Bama,osu,and fsu. that is the only thing I see holding us back from a NC over the next 3-4 years.