Offensive Guard

1) Mike Iupati (Idaho) – 8.9
Since Mike Pouncey went back to school Iupati is clearly the best guard prospect right now. He is a mammoth of a guard standing at 6’5” 330. He really helped his stock this year by playing lights out in every facet of his game. He had a very impressive showing in the Humanitarian Bowl. He is extremely strong, athletic, and can be overwhelming to defenders trying to win a one on one battle in a phone booth. He can improve in pass protection against quicker DTs. He will be an intriguing prospect to watch in the Senior Bowl practices and game and is athletic enough to help his stock tremendously in pre draft workouts.

2) Vladimir Ducasse (UMass) – 8.7
He is versatile due to his ability to play guard and tackle. He has a large frame (6’5” 330). He is a small school prospect that has gotten some buzz with draft scouts. These are the kind of prospects that usually bursts on the scene and help themselves make tons of money at the pro level.

2) Mike Johnson (Alabama) – 7.9
One of the more versatile offensive linemen in the draft. He has played guard as well as tackle this past season and should get some serious looks from scouts since he was blocking for Heisman winner Mark Ingram. He has a good initial punch in pass protection and has good enough strength to anchor against big DTs. He can drive players off the line of scrimmage pretty well and can lock onto defenders but leans forward to reach too much. This can lead to defenders beating his initial surge. He is a hard worker and was a team leader at Alabama. He should be off the board by the 2nd round.

3) Jon Asamoah (Illinois) – 7.3
He doesn’t seem to have the girth that Johnson and Iupati have for a guard but he has made it worked for him being an honorable mention All Big Ten player. He has very good feet to get to the next level and attack the back seven defenders. He uses his long arms to pass protect, pulls/traps fairly well, and does a good job of moving with the momentum of the DTs out of the hole. He puts forth solid effort on each play on the field but definitely has room to get bigger and better.

5) Mitch Petrus (Arkansas) – 7.1
He was academically ineligible in 2008 which set him back in his growth. He doesn’t have much girth but is a natural knee bender when he pass protects. Doesn’t blow people off the ball in the run game but can turn defenders away from the hole. He can pull pretty well based on his straight line speed and agility to block defenders on the run. He has to get stronger and has plenty of room for improvement.