INDIANAPOLIS -- There are no sure things in the NFL draft. Just ask Michael Crabtree. But the 49ers drafting an offensive tackle (or a guard that they convert to tackle) in the first round is just about as certain as it gets. One of the more intriguing aspects of the scouting combine - from a 49ers perspective, at least - will be trying to figure out a pecking order among the offensive linemen.
Conventional wisdom seems to have Oklahoma State's Russell Okung and Rutgers' Anthony Davis at the top with Iowa's Bryan Bulaga, Oklahoma's Trent Williams and Maryland's Bruce Campbell next. Then there's USC's Charles Brown and Indiana's Rodger Saffold. Throw Idaho guard Mike Iupati in the mix - he may have the size and feet to move to tackle - and it gets pretty convoluted. Here's a quick run down of the top offensive linemen who might be around when the 49ers are picking. These guys will be available for interviews tomorrow (Thurs) and I'll be blogging/tweeting like a mad man all day long. Also, Mike Singletary and Scot McCloughan are scheduled to address the media. McCloughan talks at 10 a.m. EDT; Singletary at 10:15.
Charles Brown, OT, USC, 6-5, 292.
In 2007 the 49ers used a first-round draft pick on Joe Staley, a former tight end who switched to left tackle at Central Michigan. Brown has a similar background. Brown made that transition in 2005. He's only been a starter for two years and is raw. But like Staley, he has a tight end's quick feet and plenty of upside. Many of the tackles in this draft project to the right side. Brown has the potential to be a left tackle.
Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa, 6-6, 312.
Because Bulaga is an underclassmen, he did not take part in the Senior Bowl and was not weighed and measured there. Scouts will be interested to test Bulaga's strength after a thyroid issue sapped him early in the season. His play steadily improved as the year went on, and he had a solid showing in the Orange Bowl against a Georgia Tech team that had one of the best defenses in the country last year.
Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland, 6-7, 310.
Like fellow former Terrapin Vernon Davis, Campbell is a muscular, freakish athlete who promises to put up eye-popping numbers here in Indy. Like Bulaga, Campbell is a junior. Unlike Bulaga, he hasn't played very much. Campbell has a lot of question marks, but he might have the highest upside of any tackle in the draft.
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers, 6-6, 325.
The interview portion will be perhaps more critical with Davis than with any other tackle prospect. Davis is perhaps the most physically gifted and dominant tackle in the draft but he didn't have the best work ethic at Rutgers and struggled to maintain his weight. In that way, he's similar to former Alabama offensive lineman Andre Smith. The Bengals ended up selecting Smith sixth overall last year.
Mike Iupati, G, Idaho, 6-5, 325.
Teams willing to use a first-round pick on Iupati want to make sure he has an edge and that he has a true passion for football. Iupati could go in the middle of the first round - where the 49ers are picking - if they are convinced he has what it takes to move to tackle, a la the Chiefs' Branden Albert a couple of years ago.
Rodger Saffold, OT/G, Indiana, 6-5, 312.
Saffold held up well at the East-West Shrine game in January. He's being viewed as a right tackle or possibly a guard. But he's big and physical, and he is pushing his way into the first round. Saffold was the best player on an Indiana offensive line that surrendered just 16 sacks all season.
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma, 6-5, 318
Williams played very well at right tackle as an underclassman, but when he switched to the left side as a senior, he struggled. There is also some concern that Williams is not as big as he was listed at Oklahoma, and his official measurements will be interesting.
Combine lineup
Thursday: Offensive line, tight ends, specialists
Friday: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
Saturday: Defensive line, linebackers
Sunday: Linebackers, defensive backs
-- Matt Barrows
