While a lot of attention so far this offseason has focused on the Panthers’ interest in addressing the offensive tackle position, but the Panthers’ need also extends to the interior of the offensive line, and while this is unlikely to be the direction the Panthers go in in the first round it is very much an area they could target from the beginning of the second day onwards.
While Matt Paradis played well in 2020 and John Miller has returned after a decent but unremarkable first season in Carolina, the Panthers’ only addition to the group so far this offseason has been the signing of Pat Elflein, who is coming off a somewhat disappointing 2020 season with the Jets. Add to this that Paradis and Miller will both be out of contract at the end of the season and the Panthers definitely need to add depth if nothing else.
So, with that in mind, what does the 2021 interior offensive line class have to offer?
Before looking at the board, it is worth taking a moment to consider what we look for in interior offensive line prospects. While athleticism is always important, this is less of an issue for offensive lineman than some other positions. Players do need the foot speed to be able to cover laterally in pass protection, and in zone blocking schemes to be able to work across defenders and into gaps to create leverage laterally. Power is also important and can be a significant factor depending on the scheme, but mostly players have to reach the threshold of being able to avoid going backwards in the run game.
Technically, players have to play with good enough knee bend to keep their center of mass low to aid their balance, control and effective power, and this should also help with their hand usage as players who don’t get their pad level under control are going to struggle to consistently locate their punches with good arm extension. Players also need to be able to consistently locate their punch to the frame of defenders both as run defenders and pass protectors.
Depending on scheme, players might also be asked to add value in space, either as pulling blockers or on screens and the like. This requires not just the mobility to get out and cover the ground but also to do so with the balance and control to consistently locate blocks when they get there. Similarly, players who show an understanding of how to use their feet to set-up blocks and direct defenders away from the play are going to be of added value to schemes that ask their linemen to block directionally on a consistent basis.
So, with all this in mind, what does the 2021 class have to offer?
Photo Credit: John E. Hoover
Let’s start with the board:
| Name | College | Height | Weight | Athleticism | Pass Protection Footwork | Pass Protection Hands | Run Blocking Footwork | Run Blocking Hands | Out In Space | Biggest Questionmark | Grade | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creed Humphrey | Oklahoma | 6'5 | 320 | Pretty good foot speed with decent-to-good pad level and power | Moves well laterally with good short steps and reacts well to power despite sub-optimal knee bend though improving this would help with both control and ability to counter power | Locates hands well with good arm extension and does a pretty good job of resetting when worked off balance, though pad level can create issues with the consistency of his arm extension | Sets a pretty good base and while pad level needs to be lower he does a good job of using his feet to generate leverage laterally and to react to power despite knee bend inconsistencies | Locates hands well and does a good job of resetting when necessary with generally pretty good arm extension | Works up to the second level well and does a good job of locating defenders and moves pretty well in space | Can he take his knee bend from decent to being a genuine asset to allow him to enter the very top tier? | Mid 2nd Round | 1 |
| Alijah Vera-Tucker | USC | 6'4 | 315 | Foot speed is really pretty good with decent-to-good pad level and power | Does a really nice job of taking really quick short steps and pad level is pretty good but can load weight onto his back leg slightly during slide which can create vulnerabilities inside | Arms can get a little wide and very frenetic off the snap and while he tends to show pretty good arm extension this can create some issues locating hands | Knee bend isn't ideal and is compounded by fairly consistent forwards lean which creates issues both with control and power and while he shows some flashes of using footwork to create leverage this needs further development | Arms are very frenetic but often quite wide early in snaps and this can lead to issues with both location and extension on a fairly consistent basis | Moves pretty well in space with good quick feet but can struggle locating defenders at times due to narrow base | Will a move inside allow him to play with more consistently controlled technique? | Mid 2nd Round | 2 |
| Wyatt Davis | Ohio State | 6'4 | 315 | Knee bend is decent but could be better, foot speed is pretty good and power is good | Knee bend could stand to improve but footwork is very good with nice even steps and good lateral balance with the ability to work side-to-side and react to changes in direction | Locates hands well with good arm extension and does a good job of keeping arms inside and at a good level on the whole but can widen as plays go on | Knee bend improvement would make a lot of difference but shows an understanding of how to use footwork to manipulate leverage though base can get too narrow and can compensate with forward lean | Does a pretty good job of locating hands and arm extension is generally good but forward lean can create issues | Works to the second level well and moves well in space but poor knee bend can create some control issues when locating defenders | Can he get his knee bend under control as other issues should improve with it? | High 3rd Round | 3 |
| Michal Menet | Penn State | 6'3 | 313 | Pretty good foot speed and power with decent pad level | Moves well laterally with good short steps and while he reacts reasonably well to power he does play with a pretty mediocre knee bend and a slight forward lean when encountering power | Locates hands reasonably well and does a pretty good job of resetting but arm extension isn't great, though this could possibly be due to pad level | Does a pretty good job of using feet to generate leverage and does a nice job of adjusting to initial loss of leverage but pad level needs to improve as this can cause leverage issues and tendency to lean into blocks | Locates hands pretty well but arm extension could do with improving | Works to the second level pretty well and is reasonably good at locating blocks but forward lean can create some issues | Can he improve his pad level further as this could help both in terms of leverage and arm extension? | Late 3rd Round | 4 |
| Landon Dickerson | Alabama | 6'5 | 308 | Pretty good foot speed and power though pad level, while not awful, could stand to improve significantly | Foot speed and actual lateral movement seem pretty good but high pad level can create issues with control and does tend to lean into blocks to counter power | Arms get a little wide and while he shows pretty good hand location he can struggle for arm extension which isn't helped by pad level | Knee bend isn't good, making it very hard for him to maintain balance and control, but understands leverage and angles to generate lateral leverage in the run game | Hand placement is pretty good but arm extension isn’t great and this creates issues with control | Wasn't really asked to play out in space much in the system they ran and movement skills don't seem to be a massive plus | Can his pad level improve as this causes him quite a lot of issues currently? | High 4th Round | 5 |
| Josh Myers | Ohio State | 6'5 | 312 | Knee bend is quite poor but foot speed is decent-to-good and power is pretty good | Pad level creates some leverage issues and leads to narrowing of his base and does need to bend his knees a lot more but takes good quick short steps with a fairly even weight distribution on the whole | Arms can get a little wide but hand placement is pretty good, as is arm extension on the whole | Knee bend is a real issue as his base can get really narrow and leads to a forwards lean but does show a decent ability to manipulate leverage with footwork | Hand placement is pretty good but arm extension needs to be much better though this isn't helped by pad level | Works to the second level well and does a pretty good job of locating defenders in space | Can he improve his base as it causes consistent issues in terms of balance? | Mid 4th Round | 6 |
| Trey Hill | Georgia | 6'4 | 319 | Pretty good power and foot speed though pad level is consistently a little high | Does a good job of covering space laterally while keeping weight over his feet and his pad level is actually quite good but can straighten legs to counter power which creates balance issues | Locates hands fairly well but arms do get a little wide which can make it hard for him to play with effective arm extension | Flashes a nice ability to create lateral leverage with footwork but base gets too narrow at times with straight legs when looking to generate power | Arms can get a little wide which creates issues both with locating hands and with arm extension | Moves well in space and does a good job of setting his feet and locating defenders | Would he benefit from moving to guard where his hand usage would be under less stress? | Late 4th Round | 7 |
| David Moore | Grambling State | 6'2 | 320 | Good power with pretty good foot speed but pad level isn't amazing | Does a nice job of covering group laterally but knee bend leads to straight legs and narrow base which creates issues with control and can be worked off balance too easily | Locates hands well but arm extension is limited by pad level and balance issues | Knee bend issues lead to narrow base which creates issues with control and limits power but does show flashes of being able to generate lateral leverage with footwork | Locates hands pretty well but arm extension could do with improving | Moves reasonably well in space but can struggle with locating blocks at times due to pad level | Can he play with a better stance as this is quite hit and miss currently? | Late 4th Round | 8 |
| Deonte Brown | Alabama | 6'3 | 338 | Really good power with decent foot speed and knee bend though both can limit him at times | Uses feet reasonably well to mirror but needs to lower pad level to improve control and also lacks the foot speed to deal with quicker blockers and there are a few concerning run-arounds | Locates hands well with good arm extension but can let hand position drops as plays go on | Knee bend needs to get better but uses feet well to create angles though ultimately mobility is going to be reasonably limited | Locates hands well with good extension allowing him to match leverage effectively even when knee bend isn't great | Moves reasonably well in a strait line but changes of direction can create issues locating blocks | Does he have the quickness to deal with more athletic pass rushers at the NFL level? | High 5th Round | 9 |
| Kendrick Green | Illinois | 6'2 | 305 | Decent-to-good power with good foot speed but knee bend could stand to improve | Has the foot speed to cover laterally with even weight distribution but pad level isn't amazing and improving knee bend should be a priority | Locates hands well on a fairly consistent basis but arm extension is often somewhat limited by arm extension | Shows a really nice ability to create lateral leverage with footwork but knee bend isn't great and needs to play with better knee bend to help with control and power | Arms get wide on a consistent basis (in part due to stance) and this limits hand placement and arm extension | Moves pretty well in space but poor knee bend creates issues in locating blocks | Can he improve his knee bend as this is really a limiting factor at this point? | High 5th Round | 10 |
| Drew Dalman | Stanford | 6'3 | 295 | Decent-to-good foot speed with decent power and generally decent pad level though this is quite inconsistent | Does a pretty good job of moving laterally with weight generally staying over his feet though he can rise up as plays go on which creates issues with recovering laterally and countering power | Arms get a little wide at times and while he does a good job of locating hands he can struggle for arm extension | Flashes a decent ability to create lateral leverage with footwork and while he sets a pretty good base he can straighten legs when trying to drive which narrows base and creates issues with control | Arms get a little wide and while hand placement is generally pretty good he can struggle for arm extension | Moves reasonably well in space and is decent at locating blocks though short-area quickness can get exposed at times | Does he do enough to be a passable starter or will he need to continue to improve technically? | Mid 5th Round | 11 |
| Quinn Meinerz | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 6'3 | 320 | Decent foot speed with good power and pretty good pad level | Can struggle for lateral quickness at times and while his pad level is pretty good he bends too much at the waist and can narrow his base leading to issues with lateral control | Locates hands well with flashes of good arm extension but needs to be more consistent though this largely is a result of footwork | Base gets too narrow on a fairly consistently basis and weight can get out in front of his feet but does show some ability in terms of creating lateral leverage with footwork | Arms get a little wide and punch is a little inconsistent though arm extension is pretty good | Moves well in space, especially for his size, and locates blocks reasonably well though this needs to be probed further | Can he improve his base as he spends too much time off-balance? | Mid 5th Round | 12 |
| Brenden Jaimes | Nebraska | 6'6 | 300 | Pretty good foot speed with decent power and pretty good pad level | Does a good job of working laterally with nice short steps and knee bend allows him to keep weight low and over his feet but is likely going to struggle to cover laterally against top-end foot speed | Shows pretty good hand placement and arm extension but doesn't seem to have the longest reach and sometimes can just get beaten for arm length | Shows flashes of being able to use his feet to generate lateral leverage with footwork, and while pad level isn't bad he can struggle to match with shorter defensive linemen | Shows pretty good hand locating but arm extension is pretty inconsistent | Doesn't move hugely well in space but does a decent job of locating blocks | Will his pad level be under more pressure moving inside? | Late 5th Round | 13 |
| Trey Smith | Tennessee | 6'5 | 325 | Knee bend is not good but power is pretty good and so is foot speed | Knee bend makes it really hard for him to adjust to loss of leverage and waist bend creates control and balance issues and is very reliant on his foot speed to keep him in front of defenders to keep him in plays | Arms get too wide and too far in front of him in his natural stance making his punch to easy to counter and while his hand placement is decent his arm extension isn't ideal either | Knee bend creates issues controlling blocks or reacting when initial leverage is lost, but while forwards lean is present at times this is not a constant feature. Doesn't show much ability to generate leverage with footwork | Locates hands reasonably well but has tendency to get too high and too close limiting arm extension and ability to reset | Moves pretty well in space but agility is really limited by pad level which creates issues in locating blocks | Can he rework his footwork and base with more time inside or is he going to continue to struggle to leverage? | Late 5th Round | 14 |
| Royce Newman | Ole Miss | 6'5 | 310 | Power is decent and foot speed is pretty good but pad level is really quite poor | Tackle conversion who takes reasonably good short steps but weight gets very high up making him vulnerable to power and inside move and weight can load backwards when pushed for speed | Arms get a little wide which causes him to strike and miss more often than you'd like though arm extension is pretty good | Knee bend is really quite poor and while he plays with a reasonably wide base this is combined with a notable forwards lean which creates issues with both balance and control with limited signs of generating lateral leverage with footwork | Hand location is generally pretty good though arms can get a little wide and arm extension is also good | Wasn't asked to play in space much and movement skills, while not awful, don't appear to be a massive plus | Can the move inside help him to get his knee bend under control? | High 6th Round | 15 |
| Ben Cleveland | Georgia | 6'5 | 335 | Pretty good foot speed but power is fairly unremarkable and pad level really isn't great | Slide is pretty good and pad level starts well but has a tendency to rise up as plays go on and gets his weight out in front of his feet far too often | Hand location is good but extension needs to be better though this isn't helped by pad level | Shows a reasonable understanding of angles but pad level tends to rise up rapidly post-snap which really limits him and leads to issues with control | Location is decent but extension is consistently poor and location struggles as a result | Moves well in space and does a good job of setting his feet and locating defenders | Does he have enough developmental upside to be more than a borderline starter? | Late 6th Round | 16 |
| Jack Anderson | Texas Tech | 6'5 | 309 | Decent if quite inconsistent knee bend with pretty good foot speed though power is unremarkable | Shows pretty good knee bend on the whole with good short steps to cover ground laterally though can rise up as plays go on which makes him vulnerable to power | Allows arms to drop and get wide far too often and while hand location is decent he can struggle for arm extension on a fairly consistent basis | Doesn't show any signs of being able to generate lateral leverage footwork and knee bend is quite poor at times which creates fairly consistent issues with control | Arms get too wide and low and this creates issues with both hand location and arm extension | Doesn't move especially well in space and has real issues location blocks | Can he improve the discipline of his technique to become a solid depth piece? | Late 6th Round | 17 |
| Jimmy Morrissey | Pittsburgh | 6'2 | 305 | Knee bend is quite poor and while foot speed isn't bad it's nothing special, neither is his power | Moves well laterally with reasonably steps but can break down in discipline as plays continue and pad level creates issues controlling blocks and reacting to pressure with distinct forwards lean | Hand placement is decent but arm extension is really quite poor and when he starts leaning into blocks it creates real issues with hand location | Shows an understanding of how to use feet to manipulate leverage though pad level creates issues in execution, knee bend also leads to consistent forwards lean which creates control issues | Locates hands reasonably well but doesn't reset on a consistent basis and arm extension is really quite poor | Works to the second level ok but does not move naturally in space and can struggle locating blocks due to balance concerns | Does he have enough ability to become a starter with some development or is he a career back-up? | High 7th Round | 18 |
| Tommy Kraemer | Notre Dame | 6'5 | 319 | Knee bend is really not good and power and foot speed are fairly unremarkable | Lateral foot movement is pretty good but poor knee bend and forward lean making it very hard for him to recover once leverage is lost and to adjust to changes in direction | Locates hands pretty well and arm extension is decent but can really suffer when defenders are able to crowd him due to poor pad level | Sets an overly wide base with poor knee bend and a really poor forwards lean leading to consistent balance problems with significant whiff potential. Doesn't have the footwork to generate leverage on a consistent basis | Locates hands reasonably well and plays with pretty good arm extension | Moves reasonably well in a strait line but changes of direction can create issues locating blocks and overall agility is poor | Is his footwork fixable or is he going to be a liability in this regard going forwards? | Mid7th Round | 19 |
| Drake Jackson | Kentucky | 6'2 | 293 | Decent foot speed and power but knee bend is really quite poor | Moves ok laterally but footwork is a little clunky and combined with poor knee bend this creates issues in terms of balance and is vulnerable to power | Hand location is pretty good but really struggles for arm extension, some of which seems to be innate and some of which is due to pad level | Knee bend is really quite poor and combined with narrow bounce and pronounced forwards lean leads to real issues with balance and control and shows no signs of being able to generate lateral leverage with footwork | Hand location is decent but struggles for arm extension on a consistent basis | Moves reasonably well in space but can struggle with locating blocks at times due to pad level | Can he refine his footwork to allow him to develop into a solid back-up? | Mid 7th Round | 20 |
| Carson Green | Texas A&M | 6'6 | 320 | Really quite poor knee bend with decent power and decent-to-good foot speed | Pad level isn't awful but footwork is quite clunky and weight loads laterally, and while this will be helped by moving inside his balance isn't ideal | Arms get quite wide and while he locates punch reasonably well he can struggle for arm extension | Plays with really poor pad level, narrow base and notable forwards lean which creates issues with balance and control and shows no indication of being able to generate leverage with footwork | Arms get too wide a lot of the time but while hand placement is decent he struggles for arm extension | Doesn't move especially well in space and has issues location blocks | Can a move inside allow him to play with a better stance? | Late 7th Round | 21 |
| Aaron Banks | Notre Dame | 6'5 | 338 | Power is pretty good but foot speed isn't great and knee bend is merely ok | Struggles to cover ground laterally with heavy feet and while knee bend isn't awful he tends to play with a notable forwards lean which creates issues recovering laterally | Arms are too wide and low on a consistent basis and while placement is decent he struggles for arm extension | Base is too narrow and with unremarkable knee bend and forwards lean this causes issues recovering laterally and struggles to sustain blocks | Arms drop too often which makes hand placement pretty inconsistent and arm extension isn't great | Wasn't asked to play out in space much and doesn't move especially well so is unlikely to excel in this regard | Does he have the athleticism to hand around in the NFL? | Late 7th Round | 22 |
| Larry Borom | Missori | 6'5 | 322 | Decent power and foot speed but pad level isn't great | Tackle conversion who could be helped by a move inside but who loads weight backwards consistently with poor knee bend and is vulnerable to power and changes of direction | Arms get a little wide to recover balance and neither hand placement or arm extension are especially good | Knee bend creates issues controlling blocks or reacting when initial leverage is lost. Doesn't show much ability to generate leverage with footwork | Neither hand location or arm extension are especially good | Doesn't move especially well in space and struggles to locate blocks | Will a move inside allow him to remake what is really quite poor technique? | Undrafted | 23 |
| Sadarius Hutcherson | South Carolina | 6'4 | 320 | Power is pretty good but foot speed is quite poor and plays very upright on the whole | Struggles to cover ground laterally with heavy feet and poor pad level leads to weight getting very high which makes it hard for him to recover laterally | Arms get quite wide and while he locates punch reasonably well he can struggle for arm extension | Poor knee bend and limited foot speed prevent him from creating lateral leverage with footwork and narrow base and straight legs limit both power and control | Locates hands reasonably well but struggles for arm extension due to pad level | Doesn't move well in space and struggles to locate blocks | Can he improve his pad level to allow him to make a roster long-term? | Undrafted | 24 |
There are two prospects who really stand out at the top of the class. Creed Humphrey has the versatility to play both center and guard and is both an excellent athlete and a very good technician. He has the foot speed and power to cover laterally in pass protection while also being able to handle bull rushers. He uses his feet well to create rushing lanes, locates his hands very well and plays with generally good arm extension and pad level. He should be a long-term starter wherever he ends up.
Alijah Vera-Tucker is expected to move inside from tackle at the NFL level and, while he doesn’t have the eye-popping power of some interior offensive linemen, he is highly mobile and looks to be a high-quality pass protector with good hand placement and balance who can also create rushing lanes with footwork and get out in space on screens and as a pulling blocker.
Sep 7, 2019; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Wyatt Davis (52) against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Wyatt Davis is a more developmental option, as while he shows both very good power and foot speed, he needs to improve the consistency of his pad level as this does create issue recovering laterally and extending his arms. However, he does locate his hands well and shows an understanding of how to create rushing lanes with footwork and has the potential to be a high-quality starter in any scheme, even if he needs a little polish.
In terms of player who should be able to come in and start at a high level right away, even if they don’t have the absolute ceiling of the top three, Michal Menet, Landon Dickerson and Josh Myers are all reasonably polished if not hyper-athletic players who are all natural centers with the ability to move outside to guard. Dickerson probably has the most upside of the three while Menet is possibly the most polished. All should be able to come in and start early on
Jan 28, 2021; National defensive lineman Ade Ogundeji of Notre Dame (91) drills against National offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz of Wisconsin -Whitewater (71) during National practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, USA; Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
The Panthers could also find some promising developmental options later in the draft. Trey Hill might not be the most well-known Georgia offensive lineman, but he shows some really nice flashes of mobility and footwork though he needs to play with much more disciplined hand usage. Another developmental center is Quinn Meinerz, who has risen up boards since the Senior Bowl. On tape, he shows a lot of nice athletic traits to develop but will likely take some time to continue developing in the NFL.
Similarly, another player the Panthers’ coaches spent time with at the Senior Bowl is Grambling State’s David Moore, who does need to play with much more consistent pad level but shows both good foot speed and power and has the chance to be a really good player if he can put it all together.
Photo Credit: Grambling State Athletics
For the Panthers, there are a lot of encouraging options who should be available at different points in the draft and while this is not the direction the Panthers are expected to go in from the start of the draft, the top three prospects should absolutely be options as early as the second round, while the likes of Menet, Hill and Moore would be good value on the final day of the draft.
(Top photo via Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports)
