Johnson helped Alabama win a title.
There are quite a few teams in the NFL that desperately need help on the inside of their lines to produce better results in their ground game.
Here are this year’s rankings for the guys responsible for getting the ground game going. Read on for the top ten guards for the 2010 NFL Draft:
1. Mike Iupati (Idaho)
Iupati is a great college guard with good size and athleticism at the position. He excels in run-blocking, as he has outstanding upper-body strength, and has rare explosiveness for the position.
Iupati is fairly polished for the ground game at the next level, but has flaws in his pass-protection technique, and got routinely abused in the Senior Bowl.
He’s still the best overall guard in the draft, and has loads of potential, but it’s clear that he won’t come without some work being needed.
2. Mike Johnson (Alabama)
Johnson has good size and excellent versatility, as he has the size and frame to excel at guard in the NFL, but has the experience and talent to fill-in at tackle.
Johnson is an excellent pass-blocker with an explosive burst, using excellent hand placement and angles to attack the defender. His major flaw in pass protection remains his average athleticism, which is most notable in his mediocre lateral quickness.
He has all the fundamentals and versatility NFL teams look for in a pro guard, but his lack of ideal agility/athleticism raises slight concerns for the next level.
3. Mitch Petrus (Arkansas)
A bit on the small side at just 6’3” and 304, but Petrus has history on his side, as he helped block for the productive backfield of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in 2007.
He missed the 2008 season due to academic inleigibility, which raises mild concerns on his focus and discipline, although he returned in 2009 and started 12 games, qualifying for the AP All-America second team.
He’s got great quickness and good overall athleticism, with his only major downfall being his lack of experience, as well as less than ideal size. If he bulks up and has a good combine showing, he should easily be a first day selection.
4. Jon Asamoah (Illinois)
Four years as a starter in the Big Ten shows that Asamoah has the strength and ability to play at the next level, with the experience to add to it.
Asamoah’s size is in question, as he’s only 6’4” and barely over 300 lbs, although for a guard, this isn’t overly worrisome.
Regardless, fundamentally and athletically, he’s one of the better guards in the draft, and if it were’t due to less than ideal measurables, he could easily be listed as the second guard on this list.
5. Vladimir Ducasse (UMass)
Ducasse has great physical tools and athleticism, but is extremely raw fundamentally, and has more experience blocking on the outside than at guard, where he best projects at the next level.
He also played at a small school, and only started playing football in high school, so his knowledge of the game and experience against top-level competition should certainly hold him back a bit.
Regardless, he has fantastic drive, agility, and quickness, and has shown the ability to learn quickly. His solid versatility should help him get his name called in the first four rounds.
6. John Jerry (Ole Miss)
Jerry is a large, meaty run-blocking machine, built perfectly to excel in run-blocking.
He has tremendous size and build for the position (6’5”, 332 lbs), and possesses surprising agility and athleticism, especially considering his size.
Jerry needs to refine his tools, especially in pass protection, but has the massive size and brute strength that NFL scouts salivate over. He also adds excellent versatility with experience at tackle, but appears best suited to play guard at the next level.
7. Thomas Austin (Clemson)
Austin only has marginal height and size for the guard spot, but many experts actually see his versatility and athleticism landing him a gig as a center at the next level.
He possesses great burst and quickness off the line, although he doesn’t necessarily have the desired speed to continue and finish in run-blocking. He’s probably best suited to handle the middle of the line. He’s a very smart, versatile player who can make the calls at the line.
8. Sergio Render (Virginia Tech)
Render has good size and great strength for the next level, although shoulder surgery has him in sight question as to his availability for the 2010 NFL season.
Earned the starting right guard spot at Virginia Tech from day one, and has grown into a very consistent, reliable force on the inside. Still needs to refine his skills, and his relatively average size and frame could hold him back from being selected on the first day.
9. Brandon Carter (Texas Tech)
Carter has tremendous size (6’7” and 354 lbs) for the position, and truly has the ability to be a dominant force at the next level. Has has excellent strength and solid athleticism, using his quick feet to gain positioning against defenders, while also using proper angles.
He needs to work on his balance and his fundamentals coming out of his stance, but from a physical stand-point, he’s arguably a top-five guard in this draft.
10. Jeff Byers (USC)
Byers has solid size and athleticism, but has had a difficult time staying healthy in college.
He’s always been regarded as one of the more talented offensive linemen with grand potential, but his injury history and lack of a pure position may hold him back.
He holds the versatility and athleticism to play at guard or center, but may be better suited to play guard, due to the majority of his experience being at the position.
