Moving on to the interior offensive lineman you’ll see a very good crop of guys at the top who could contribute right away. Both Josh Sitton and TJ Lang are free agents at the end of this year and although Ted Thompson typically likes to draft college tackles and move them inside a few of these interior lineman could peak his interest. I’ve only ranked players I feel comfortable enough to form a solid opinion/analysis on. It would be disingenuous to rank players I don’t have a strong opinion on.

Previous positional rankings:

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-quarterbacks

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-running-backs

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-wide-receivers

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-tight-ends

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/nfl-draft-positional-rankings-offensive-tackles

Interior Offensive Lineman

1. Nick Martin, OG/C, Notre Dame- Nick Martin, the younger brother of Zach Martin, is a very polished interior lineman. The 6’4” 299lb Martin plays with a mean demeanor who is equally stout in pass protection as well as run blocking. Martin is a very cerebral player and understands his assignments really well. Martin isn’t a dynamic athlete and can improve his balance when he’s at the 2^nd level but overall Martin can step in and be a starter from day 1.
2. Cody Whitehair, OG, Kansas St. - Whitehair played left tackle the last two seasons but he’s projected to play inside at guard in the NFL. At 6’4 301lbs he doesn’t have the ideal length you want in a tackle. Whitehair should transition smoothly to guard with his strength in the run game and his ability to quickly get into his pass protection sets. He would be able to come in and start right away and improve a team’s offensive line.
3. Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama- Kelly was a 3 year starter and the leader of the Alabama offensive line. The 6’4” 311lb Kelly excels in run blocking, showing he understands how to use his hands and keep his legs driving. His best attribute is the way he can sustain blocks and plays violently. Kelly can work on anchoring a bit better vs stronger nose tackles but he has the making of a center who can start for 10+ years.
4. Joshua Garnett, OG, Stanford- The 6’4” 312lb guard is incredibly strong in both the upper and lower body. He pulls extremely well and looks to demolish defenders. Plays with a good base under him most of the time and rarely gets beat with power. He isn’t a great athlete but makes up for it with strength and proper technique.
5. Christian Westerman, OG, Arizona St.- Westerman is a bit smaller than some of the other interior lineman in the draft at 6’3” 298lbs but he makes up for it with his quickness. Westerman is excellent at pulling and getting to the 2^nd level and once he gets his hands on you it’s over. He should be able to contribute as a starter on day 1 for a zone based blocking scheme.
6. Sebastian Tretola, OG, Arkansas- Tretola is a big boy 6’4” 312lbs. He has great power in his upper body and plays to his strengths. He isn’t the most agile of men but when put in a phone booth with a defender he dominates.
7. Vadal Alexander, OG, LSU- An absolute mountain at 6’5” 326lbs Alexander played tackle for LSU his last year after starting at guard to two years prior. Much like Tretola, Alexander is a pure power blocker. He doesn’t have quick feet but in one on one situations with a man in front of him he usually wins.
8. Connor McGovern, OG, Missouri- At 6’4” 306lbs McGovern is one of the strongest players in the draft. He’s played both guard and tackle in college and displays good movement skills when asked to get to the 2^nd level. He needs to clean up some footwork issues in pass protection but when he figures it out he could be a long term starter at guard.
9. Joe Dahl, OG, Washington St. – Dahl is another player who played tackle in college and projects better to guard in the NFL. At 6’4” 304lbs Dahl has very good feet and does a great job keeping speed rushers to the outside. He needs to add some lower body/core strength to withstand bull rushers better but has the tools to develop into a starting offensive lineman.
10. Jack Allen, C Michigan St.- Allen is a lot of fun to watch. He’s a gritty hard-nosed type of player. He doesn’t always look pretty but he is effective in both the run and pass game. He’s undersized at 6’1” 294lbs but plays with good strength and tenacity, he should compete for a starting job at center for a NFL team.