A majority of the current mock drafts I found this week think the New York Giants will take an offensive tackle with their first selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, 19th overall, this April. Tyron Smith of USC, Anthony Castonzo of Boston College, Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin, Nate Solder of Colorado. Take your pick, and pick one based on who is still available when the Giants pick.
If Wes Bunting of the National Football Post is correct, there will be a big run on offensive tackles in this year's first round. If Bunting is right, and many of the reputable mocks seem to indicate he could well be, that would mean all six of the top-tier tackles are coming off the board in the first 32 selections.
That actually makes the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine, which begins Feb. 24, more interesting. Now, mind you, I am not a big believer in making judgments based on the Combine. And I won't be making judgments. It will be interesting, however, to see where the top offensive lineman, particularly the tackles, stack up in the eyes of scouts and general managers once the Combine is concluded.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com has a look at all of the top tier linemen who will be at the Combine. The most annoying thing about Brooks' piece? He lists 'possible landing spots' for each of the 10 linemen he discusses, and not once does he connect a player to the Giants. How can that be?
By the way, one of the linemen we have spent a decent amount of time discussing is USC's Smith. SB Nation's Mocking The Draft is making a compelling case for why Smith should be the first offensive tackle taken this April.