The Full Offensive Line Deep Dive — Tackles, Guards & the Questions Nobody's Asking

Offfensive tackles. Guards. One episode. We go through every ranked offensive lineman in Dane Brugler's Beast 2026 — full scouting cards, external intel from PFF and the analyst community, and a debate question on every single prospect. Spencer Fano's arm length has teams quietly asking if he's a tackle or a guard. Francis Mauigoa might be the same story. Kadyn Proctor is 6'7", 358 pounds and multiple analysts say he ends up inside too. Then there's Max Iheanachor — born in Nigeria, moved to Compton at 13, picked up a football for the first time in 2021, and is somehow a projected first-round pick. Plus the guard nobody saw coming: Vega Ioane at #12 overall — the highest Brugler has ever graded a guard in the history of The Beast. The trenches decide championships. We did the homework so you don't have to. Follow us @redzoneblitzpod on X, Instagram & TikTok | redzoneblitzpodcast@gmail.com

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:07

The home for all things NFL in college football.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Well, well, well. It's the meat and potatoes episode. It's that small town from Idaho episode. It is the episode where I think that, you know, eating the amounts of food that Mike McCarthy eats is justified because you're an offensive, offensive lineman, not a guy willing to destroy a franchise. Yes, yes, yes. We're still on it. We're still on it, Steelers fans. Um we're gonna be diving in to all things offensive line from Dane Brugler's The Beast Guide on the Athletic. Great resource, by the way. Thank you, Dane, for all the work you did to make sure it that it got out before the draft on like some people's decisions on whether or not they're gonna be playing football this year. Could you imagine if Dane Bruegler was like, Yeah, I'll get I'll let you guys know with ample time before the draft, and it was like two days before. And he drops the beast two days before it dropped. Yeah, yeah. It's just like, all right, here you guys go. Like, what's the point now? Like, yeah, what are we doing now? Fellas, how are we feeling? Fucking great, solid. Oh, he's he's he's he's waking up, he's warming up, he's warming up for the college bracket that he's about to go. Yes, the voice you just heard is KK. And in an episode that will, you know, come down the road. I was initially gonna put it before this episode, but we're gonna do uh we're gonna put it at the uh at the end of this episode. We'll be dropping um the day after this comes out, KK's The Bachelor, when it comes to his college football fandom. If you haven't done so already, please go listen to our episode with Joel Norris, Pig Skin Frenzy, where we give the background as to what we're doing here and why KK has suddenly found himself with a collection of 12 roses, and he's ready to hand one out to the lucky, lucky sorority girl that goes to that school.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Is that what we're doing? Yes. That's how you're gonna get out. That's how you're gonna get initiated. So we're gonna have to make a trip to whatever college. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

You'll pick carefully, pick carefully. That's how you're gonna get initiated. You gotta go, you gotta find the sorority, you gotta initiate yourself, you gotta give her a Lane Kiffin will probably be there. Lane Kiffin will be there. Oh, he will definitely be there. That's Matthew trying to sway you to the LSU side there. Um, fellas, diving into the offensive tackles. We were gonna we're gonna try to keep this thing on point here. We're trying to get through this, you know. Uh, I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you that have tuned into our episodes. We have been getting a tremendous response. People really love that we're dropping everything. Um, and we are dropping tons of content. If you don't follow us, Red Zone Blitz Pod, Instagram, X, TikTok, give us a follow. We'll be dropping more content. I cannot promise you guys that the content will be coming out like this. This is something that we're blitzing for uh draft week, but we will do our best in terms of bringing you guys valuable content. And once again, if you're in the Pittsburgh area, you know, you're you're there. Come come give us a shout-out. Like, come come find us and uh, you know, lock in with us. I do have a shout-out, actually. I do have a shout-out that I have to give out to a Pittsburgh business. Hold on, let me find it. Where did it go? One second. I had it, it had this wild name, and I was very confused of whether or not it was a cat cafe. Um, yeah, Matthew, your your yinzers are out in full form. Um it is a place called, and they've been very nice. They've been very nice. And we actually I haven't taken any payment from them. This is a free ad. I don't do these very often. But uh it was a great discussion. They love our stuff. They're big, they've been listeners for for quite some time. Rock and cat, organic cafe, and roastery. Uh, that is on 567 Lincoln Avenue, Bellevue, Pennsylvania. I don't know exactly how far actually, I guess I can find out how far this is from Akashire Stadium. This is okay. It's only an hour and a half walk. So what is it, a pet cafe? No, it's it's a coffee shop. Coffee shop.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

You said something cat.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Well, it's called rock and cat, but it's called rock and cat. Yeah. Um, it says promoting artists, designers, creative types of all stripes, and sustainable business practices. I'm gonna give them a free ad because I just think that once they listen to a couple of our episodes, they probably aren't paying us for anything. So I'm just gonna go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 4:31

That's a long way to get your money fucking like a hipster villa mad. Some gentrified area.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Yeah, so I'm gonna go ahead and I'm gonna go and know the pretty degenerate public. Wait, where's G?

SPEAKER_02 4:45

He's going for a street.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Uh no, but uh in all seriousness though, Rock and Cat, um, yeah, if you are in the area, hey, listen, we're not gonna be driving that week, all right, for obvious reasons. But if you are driving, it is not that far of a drive. It's a nine-minute drive from the stadium.

SPEAKER_03 5:04

How does a nine-minute drive turn into an hour? How fucking slow are you?

SPEAKER_02 5:10

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

No, it's uh yeah, it's a nine-minute drive.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

I wonder if they have like a minute drive should not be. I wonder if they have like the vendor truck that's gonna be there of the stadium.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

They might have a vendor. Uh it is uh four and a half, uh almost it's five miles. It's uh yeah, five miles. That is you're five.

SPEAKER_03 5:31

You're walking pretty small.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Five miles to kilometers. Let me see here. Five miles is a long way. That's eight kilometers.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

It's not ten kilometers, like it's not.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

If you're walking, if it takes you about 12 minutes, that's probably the pace. 12 minutes to walk a kilometer. Yeah, some of it uphill, maybe. Yeah, I can see that taking an hour and a half. Yeah, never mind. We were about to fat shame people that take an hour and a half, and then we realize that's just our pace. That's just our pace. Um, fellas, no fat shaming on this podcast because these guys would crush us. Let's start with some big boys. Offensive tackle number one, Spencer Fano out of Utah. Um, all right, fellas. Spencer Fano's combined arm length just over 32 inches, has triggered a real NFL conversation. Is he a tackle or a guard at the next level? Multiple analysts say he might be better served inside, but Brugler gave him an offensive tackle number one overall and a number eight in the class. Here's the debate if a player has elite athleticism, outstanding technique and versatility, but questionable arm strength for a tackle, do you draft him as a tackle and then coach up the rest? Or do you take the position off the board and just call him a guard?

SPEAKER_03 6:39

Well, he also took the center drills at the combine. So he's he's saying anywhere. He's saying I will play where you you put me somewhere and I'm gonna play.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Which I really love. I really love because there's a high discrepancy in the amount of pay each position gets. Like a left tackle versus a left guard, there's a there's a difference in that pay scale by quite a bit. And like I think it pays to be a guard more, like you get paid more to be a guard. I'm fairly certain. No, you know, isn't that the conversation?

SPEAKER_03 7:06

Your tackle, man. You're fucking your blind side tackle.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

I might be confusing it because Tyler Smith is a guard. Guard. Oh, yes, I am.

SPEAKER_03 7:14

Your blind side tackle is a biased paid lineman.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

I'm a vice, I'm going vice versa. So recently Tyler Smith was made to go left guard. He was left guard, and then they were they were playing him at tackle, and then he goes, Hold on one second, Jerry. I am now playing the most valuable. Yes, yes, this all makes sense. I am now playing the most valuable position on the line.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Jack Prescott's blind side. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

And I'm gonna need you to uh if we're gonna do this a full-time thing, I'm gonna need you to pay me like it's a full-time thing. But I think I think you can like you can put him wherever. I do think that he will be just fine at tackle. I think he's gonna, he's a big boy. I think like people are getting real crazy about his arm strength, but I think he's gonna be he's gonna be just fine. Um, I think he's lean, he's got all the athleticism, he's quick, independent hands. Um, he's a latch and drive bully in the run game, and he loves finishing his block.

SPEAKER_02 8:08

So and he doesn't miss any games.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

No, three years.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

Start can play anywhere on the O line.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

Yeah, that's why he's ranked number one.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_03 8:18

The biggest thing with him is is he's built for football in his family. He's got four uncles and a cousin who have been NFL players. Um, his quick feet is what makes him still being able when you're talking about the guard to tackle, his feet is what's gonna allow him to still be that tackle. Uh, he's got quick feet. He is just if you want to fucking run behind someone, he's the guy you want to fucking run behind.

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Yeah. I think with his footwork, with his power off the line, like you were saying, if if you got a run play where you're gonna pull the guard over around the tackle, and you need this guy, he's pretty quick too. Like he ran a pretty quick 40 and even I think a 10-yard split. If you got him outside and you just got uh someone to run behind him, like he could keep up the pace, he could run downfield and block quite a bit.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Just for a I'm just gonna throw out this obviously, all not all these players will be on on this, but Zachary Perez, CBS Sports, just did a mock draft today, uh, or yesterday. Um, and he and he has him going three to he has him going three to um Arizona. So you see him and Magoa, they almost like interchange, they go up and down as as the days get closer. Um I can very well see Arizona taking him at three um for all the for all the stuff that he does. So no, definitely I I agree. I can see that happening.

SPEAKER_03 9:44

So with his feet, you mentioned his pulling guard. He pulls as a tackle.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Yeah, I noticed, yeah, a couple of but I feel like the reason I think he I personally I think he would be better in the guard position and then pulling to the outside on runs, just because I would think like he's a little narrow, I think, and his arm reach is not as good with the edge rushers. And what we see with these edge rushers nowadays is they have so much breakout, they have so much speed and the swim moves that they can get around the line. And I don't I love his footwork, but I don't think his reach will give him the best opportunity to get the edge rushers. So I feel like personally he'd be better at the guard position to then utilize him pulling over for the run game.

SPEAKER_03 10:29

But again, with the feet, you're not letting the edges get by you, even with your arm. Like his footwork makes up for his arms, yeah. So he could play guard, but like I said, he's also been taking at the combine, he took the center, so he's averse to play, he can play anywhere. So, I mean, that's why he's he's ranked as the top tackle.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

Like, but it's also like for a rookie, I think the guard position might be beneficial. First position he plays, just to get like his feet under him, especially on a team like fucking Arizona. Yeah, if you're gonna put him at tackle on a team like Arizona that is just getting bullied at every position, he's gonna have a lot of a lot of shit coming his way, and he's gotta protect Brissett.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

The thing is, he's a guy that bec if the Arizona Cardinals so I was always the big proponent that Arizona Cardinals should trade out of number three, and they should trade out and they should go back. Him and the next guy we're gonna talk about are two names that I think if they trade out, like let's say Arizona gets out of three and they go down, I don't think let's say they go down to I don't know, uh 11. They go down to my no, let's swing them back to like 15. Let's say they go down to 15. I don't think I think if you're Cincinnati, you gotta take a hard look at Spencer Fano. I think you gotta look take a hard look at Francis Magoa. I think if you're the Saints, I think if you're the Chiefs, I think there's a lot of teams in that window, even the Giants. I think it's easy for us now to like we've done this so many fucking times where we we can go and we can be like, listen, Sonny Styles, great player. He's he's projected to go here and like he's gonna do like you know, he's going projected to go to the Giants, or he's projected to the commanders, or this, that, and the other. You know who needs some fucking help? Jaden Daniels. Okay. You know the most expensive investment that the Bengals have made? Joe Burrow. If Joe Burrow's not healthy and able to like make his reads and he's getting killed, guess who all faltered because of that? Uh Jamar Chase. T. Higgins. You look at the importance of the offensive line, is like yes, Sonny Styles may be a great athlete. Yes, Caleb Downs may be a fantastic safety. Yes, all those things can be true. But when you look at positional value, and this is where things get tricky because the cowboys often do this, and it and casual, you you mentioned this a lot, Matthew. It's like there's the casuals, and then there's the people that watch it and understand it. Brandon's also mentioned this. There's the people that watch the cowboys for the fucking horror. Like the moment the wheels start falling off, they're out of there. The moment the wheels start coming on, they're back on board. Now, uh both these guys, Fano, especially, I think all 32 teams could use them.

SPEAKER_02 13:15

Oh, 100%. If we got a team like the Chargers, they need a guy.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Another team, like uh another team that we are fano. Like, if they trade up, the Chargers, nobody's talking about trading up. Like, nobody's talking about the Chargers trading up. That's a team, their investment is all in on Mr. Herbert. And that window is not that wide, like, it's not a long window for Herbert to keep playing, it's a small one.

SPEAKER_03 13:38

Well, Herbert and Joe Burrow, windows are closing.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Both of them are like sorry.

SPEAKER_03 13:41

Well, with the way that fucking they're getting sacked. Like, holy shit, man.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

So, I my theory here is is like the two, like these players, if Arizona try tries to galaxy brain this too much, being like, hey, maybe we can trade down and he'll be there. Yeah, there might be a sh. Okay, cool. Yeah, he made it his way there. But NFL teams are wonky, and we're gonna see that shit in person. These teams are gonna make some picks and do some shit that's gonna be like absolutely bonkers to us. And I think one of them could be taking one of these guys way earlier or way off the board than we predict. So I can see that going that way. Now keep it moving, fellas, so we can um keep this episode timely. Is Francis Magoa from Miami, 6'6, 327 pounds? Um, multiple analysts are saying that NFL teams are privately evaluating him as a guard, not a tackle. He goes number five overall in Schrager's mock draft that he did. Uh, Brugler grades him as offensive tackle number two. It here's the core tension, I guess. If Magoa ends up at a guard in the NFL, is paying top five money for a guard the worst allocation? Um, sorry, top five in sense of like draft capital. Is that the worst allocation of draft capital in this class? Or does the positional label not matter when the player is simply gonna be dominant wherever you put them? Like, I know there's always a stereotype of like that's too high for a guard, that's too high for a running back, that's too high for um, I don't know, a kicker too. Kickers get it. Like you take a kicker in the fucking third round, you're gonna have a stroke.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

If your guards are tackles are that good, you gotta pay them.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

No, no, he's saying it by like if you're using a top five pick on uh the question is like if you're taking a top five pick on Magoa and he is a guard, is that too high of a pick to take on a guard? Or does it not matter at all what position he is? You just take the most dominant guy.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

It doesn't matter if it's uh your position needs it.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

There's KK the Jeremiah Love Captain, the Jeremiah Love Captain coming in clutch.

SPEAKER_03 15:37

Yeah, like if you that's the thing with football, is it it's every other sport is you're drafting the best player available. Football, you're drafting for your needs. Yeah, so that's why you see some guys slide. Like if you if he's the best player, like you take someone, say Caleb Downs, best player available, but you don't need a safety, you know, he's gonna he's gonna slide because you're drafting for for your needs, and that first round pick, you like you can't miss on especially on a top five pick. So if that's your guy, I mean he won the Jacobs blocking trophy, so he's the best blocker, right? Like, and that's what you need.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

No, that's fair. That's fair. And I think Magoa is another guy that like is in that top pedigree. I think it goes one, two, tandem. Some mock drafts have him going before Fano, some have him going after. I think you can't really there's not a whole lot separating the two.

SPEAKER_03 16:22

And he's another guy that's healthy, played in 40 42, all 42 games, 42 consecutive starts. I mean, that's huge for for an offensive lineman.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

You another argument you can make for him. Fano also had um Caleb Lomo.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Yep, we'll talk about we'll talk about Mr.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

So on the on the line, Maui Goa was was their guy. Like they ran behind him, they used him in the pass protection. He just mauled defenders. Like, there was a couple there was a draft back a couple years. Remember the Luke Jocko draft? You guys remember that? So they predicted him to be like an a really top pick, and I think he went one or two. So I mean, Maui Goa is kind of in that they got him going like three or top five. So you gotta prove that you are worth that. Yeah, so it is definitely it there's gonna be a lot of hype around him for sure.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

Oh man, yeah. No, 100%. And I think like another thing about him, Magoa, that is like goes kind of under the radar. I I value big time players that play big time games. National championship. I know they came short against Indiana. That route there, that's a big time game. Like, those are some big time plays that he had to make in the college football playoffs. And I think that experience isn't unwarranted. So I like his game. I think he's one of the guys that is circled up and probably gonna be going either one or two when it comes to you know what he's got that no other, I don't think any other of the tackles have in this draft.

SPEAKER_03 17:46

Yes, he's got a rushing touchdown.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

Oh, does he get Zyracus?

SPEAKER_03 17:52

It was a lateral pass, so it counts as a rushing touchdown, but he's got a rushing touchdown.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

Maybe he's the next uh who's it, Penny Sewell. Or maybe they'll throw it against, yeah, he'll throw the against the Cowboys. He'll throw it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

That happened during Mike McCarthy's tenure, I just want to say. Oh, it did.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Oh, don't.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

It happened during the time. As much as I hated it.

SPEAKER_03 18:14

As much as I fucking hated it, that was a beautiful fucking play. Like that was a dagger. Like that was the fuck you. You're dead. We're just gonna fucking dig that hole a little bit deeper. You know what makes it instead of six feet, instead of digging that six foot hole, we're digging it 10, 12 feet.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Yep, I remember my phone blowing up after that happened. Um, fellas, moving on. Moving on. Uh Monroe Freeling. Um, he's uh, you know, he had a only he only has a hot one and a half years of starting experience at left tackle. He's allowed nine pressures all season and committed one holding penalty his entire career. He's 21 years old and added 75 pounds to get to where he is. The debate I think is is one and a half years of starting tape at an elite program to justify a top 20 pick, or does a sample size concern you when you're paying that much for an offensive tackle who's essentially a first-year starter?

SPEAKER_02 19:07

Sample size, uh I'm going that route. He needs time to develop, he needs more games.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Would you say that would you say that is a little bit like the Lions? Would you be okay with them taking Mr. Freeling with their pick? That's a top 20 pick.

SPEAKER_02 19:23

I think it's a little risky, but their team needs is online help.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

And that's but that's interesting. I almost go in the other camp. I almost feel like Freeling would be perfect for a team that's got a good offensive line that were all fit in. That all the pressure doesn't fall on his shoulders. Because I can see this shit going sideways real quick, where it's like suddenly like he's the he's supposed to be the answer for everything. And then it's like now the kid's not prepared for it, or he's not coached out. Like the thing is, is like it's almost like the quarterback debate where we talk about like teams rushing quarterbacks into situations where you're like, okay, this is already a terrible situation to begin with. Your team is garbage, and now you just put in a rookie and he's gonna make mistakes. So I think he would benefit from a line like I don't know, the Chiefs. The Chiefs could be a good line for him, like um, where it's like you got that experience, you have veteran leadership, and then you add him in and he gets to learn from other guys.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

Like a rotational type of player, not your everyday starter.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

No, he he's kind of reminds me of the guyton stuff from last year or two years ago.

SPEAKER_03 20:25

So he's quick and he's fast, especially for a big guy. Um, he ran uh, I think a 4.9 yeah, he did five-ish, something like that. Like sub five. It was sub five, forty. He's one of those guys that's great off the line, hitting, like bumping into the the first level, but he's great at getting up to the second level and making and making the block just because of his athleticism.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Fellas, we'll keep it moving. We'll keep it moving. And Mr. uh Caden Proctor, speaking of big boys, 6'7, 352 pounds. What do you think his fucking order is at like Taco Bell?

SPEAKER_03 21:02

This guy is at Taco Bell? Yeah, like holy fuck, did he get politicians? Yeah, clean that fucking store out.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Like, what do you think? Okay, like okay, you're gonna you're Caden Proctor at 6'7, 352. What do you think the McDonald's order is? And you don't eat McDonald's, so this will be fun.

SPEAKER_03 21:18

Fucking 20 double Big Macs. Just give me the case of fries. Double Big Macs. 20 double Big Macs and the just give me the fucking case of fries, man. Diet Coke.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

Oh, of course. Because we're gonna we're looking after our health and no. Just one Diet Coke.

SPEAKER_03 21:39

Yeah, I don't want to know how much this guy fucking eats. This guy is a fuck. This guy is a specimen of a human being. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Yeah, no, he's he's absolutely monstrous. I mean, uh the thing I have on him is six, seven, three fifty two. He's got a 32 and a half inch vertical and technique concerns that may multiple analysts have that he could end up being, once again, a got this is a common theme. is like a lot of people's knock on these guys. The my thing is the only knock on you have on him that you have is he can turn into a guard. That's we're in okay territory.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

That's still I'm well the other knock on him is he too he's undisciplined. Takes too many penalties. Well that is also true. He is a bit of a at the same time he's a guy that can just block and show people over.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Honestly he he would benefit from dropping a few pounds though. He has poor conditioning. He's a bit clunky on his footwork.

SPEAKER_02 22:25

Like if you want to if you want a conditioning to to play at that level.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Yeah but if you want like tush push goal line just give it to the running back fullback punch again he's your guy so this is a knock on him and I don't know maybe it's a knock on um his judgment I guess but or his his circle do you guys so obviously the transfer portal is a contingent thing here right so the 2024 um like transfer portal it was interesting. So March 19th 2024 the headline reads Iowa offensive tackle Caden Proctor to re-enter portal to rejoin the tide so what essentially happened was uh Caden Proctor came to Alabama he came under the intention of playing under Nick Sabin Nick Saban retired and then you know what Caden Proctor says all right um I'm going I'm a a Des Moines Iowa native I started through Alabama for my freshman season I'm going back I want to go back home so Iowa like was not a it was not a like big like school like they're not huge when it comes to the NIL deals they exhausted all the funds to basically get this guy and then he took the money and I before the deadline re-entered the portal and went back to Alabama and just collected that check from Iowa and was like he was hungry well I guess he was but he really like he came comes out and says it um you know what like like there's no bridges burned um but uh there's probably a few bridges in Iowa currently burning I don't think he's gonna be welcomed back home no and I think that's and that's the thing out of it that I that's why his name always was familiar to like to me outside of even football was I'm like oh I remember when he did that tomfoolery and you know what hopefully he's learned from it seems like he'll be a great fit on the Eagles eh god actually letting up right in front of Jalen Hurts push push well yeah when you look at the size so you look at the the tackles we've talked about so far they're in the 320ish range for for weight he weighs almost 360 fucking pounds yeah you just put him up there maybe the Eagles trade for Darwin he's a guy that's not gonna play he's a guy that has to be rotated in and out to play there's no way he's gonna play he's got some weaknesses like especially um he's late to recognize uh spin moves so if you're gonna pull a spin move you're getting right by him I can see a guy like a mica parsons embarrassing Caden Proctor like that's the thing like I that's why like on the bull rush it to go to guard and that's the thing is like you put Caden Proctor could be on the other side of some very bad highlight reels from edge rushers coming at him and like pulling off because you're not going up against other guys in college anymore. You're going up against the fucking pros.

SPEAKER_03 25:26

And that's also what we've just been talking about. You look at the like Fano how he's willing to play anywhere.

SPEAKER_00 25:31

Uh Procter he's been a left tackle exclusively so he has no experience anywhere else on on the line so so you would benefit from a team though that has a good already a stable offensive line and good coaching because then you could coach him into other positions.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

Yeah I think that would be um that would probably be the best case um best case for Proctor. Moving on fellas Caleb Lomu we talked about him a little bit uh Spencer Fannel the offensive tackle one of this draft voluntarily moved to right tackle so Caleb Lomu could get a start at left tackle that's probably one of the most compelling endorsements any tackle prospect can get uh but Lomu is a red shirt sophomore with limited experience against elite competition. His Texas his Texas tech tape was flagged as shaky how much weight do you put on a prospect's physical ceiling versus their current readiness and at what age and experience level does the high ceiling stop being an exciting projection and start being a risk you can't take in the first round I don't know like he's just he's polarized right like you've got on one side you've got Fano on this side you've got Lomo like sorry Lomo but oh man like I don't know there's just something about him that just I don't I'm not sold on to be honest yeah he's he's got a bit of an issue with penalties.

SPEAKER_03 26:55

That's and that's huge because if you if you're penalized in college that means guys that means guys are getting around you and you're holding because they're beating you and in the NFL level that's only going to get worse cowboys know all about that the penalties y'all about to learn Steelers fans y'all about to learn what you're about to learn them the magical roller coaster that is the yellow flag every the terrible towel will be coming out of the ref's arse when Mike McCarthy's evidently getting you fucking 17 penalties a game like he's another guy like a state of market Michael Parsons on the guys that can bull rush he's gonna get pushed back because he doesn't have that leverage.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

Yeah no I I I agree with you and like we won't spend too much time diving into Mr. Lomo unfortunately but um I do think that playing alongside a Spencer Fano definitely helped his stock um but I think at the same time teams have gotta teams gotta look at him and be like okay what are we really getting here um fella moving it along um I'm gonna do a quick one Blake Miller Clemson um I really like him I think he's really good uh he started 54 consecutive games at Clemson more than any non-specialist school in more than any non-specialist in school history a scout says he missed one practice in four years character reliability at the top of his class um but his weaknesses do include upright posture and inconsistent technique um things you probably hope 54 starts would have fixed by now um listen is elite consistency and durability and all that you know great character stuff enough to justify a first round offensive tackle pick even when the technique ceiling isn't elite and we're talking probably late first round if that yeah I'd be a little shocked if he goes in the first round I think he's more likely to be a second rounder. I can see him baiting him though on the interview I can see him having great fucking interviews and like baiting a team into being like galaxy this is one other thing like we sit here we play we play Madden we play college football we sit on our podcast mics and we talk about like you know what this guy's fucking amazing at football go and draft him but like we've all played um we've all played I think we've all played adult rec sports at one point even we've all played it together at one point we've played we've played that you could I've played against some guys that were insanely fucking talented at the sport probably what three four five six levels ahead of where everybody else was and they were just a dick to be around and they were just like you hated every time they stepped into the locker room or onto onto the playing field or onto the ice now do you think that teams when they're picking these guys like we obviously don't give a fuck whether or not the guy is a great human being or not unfortunately like Walter Payton awards don't really mean much to you and I or people that are not in the locker room but do you think you when like let's say you have a pick and it's like I can get Blake Miller this really high character guy he's got maybe a couple physical like you know skill tools missing that maybe we can coach into but his teammates love him. Like they die for him or you got a guy that's like really fucking good but there's character issues. I'm taking a locker room guy 100 out of a hundred times yeah I can see this guy sliding to the first round if a team really needs that's what I'm thinking like I don't think he's first round on talent like I don't think he's like talent he's six seven too he's six seven he's 317 pounds obviously he's not proctor size when it comes to the weight but he's proctor size when it comes to the height and maybe it's like you look at a Caden Pro I'm not picking up I'm not saying before somebody comes in my DMs and guards going you guys fucking saying this about kid no I'm just using an example of like you comp Blake Miller against another guy that's six seven but Blake Miller oh six seven uh but you uh really really I had to do it it was right there I had to do it also did you know Rashawn Gary and Donovan Azuraku are in uh have changed their numbers to be six seven oh yeah it's gonna be the menacing time uh but you look at it I I can see it I don't think he he's sliding into the first round solely off of his play but I think it's the character and the leadership his leadership his character you add this guy into a locker room like if you're picking near the end of the first round like you're probably already a team that's pretty good. Yeah right like you're already a team that's good enough where you're like okay like we're missing some guys like Buffalo I wouldn't like I don't hate it like obviously they need other things but if you could help out your boy Josh Allen and like you get a guy where the pressure's not there right away to be the star but New England Diana Rossini reports Blake Miller going but my point is is like you do get like you get the guys that have great characters sliding down so I can see that I can see that happening well isn't that why Mikhail Lemon's stock went down because bad interviews bad character right yeah I I that's the thing is like you see a lot of teams so this guy's stock probably went up because of all that and like a lot sometimes it's uh sometimes warranted sometimes not really warranted like teams look into stuff but like the Shadoer thing like shadoer's tape and talent how the fuck do you go from being like a top 10 or top 15 pick top 30 pick well there's arguments that he was going to be the number two pick. Yeah like how do you go how do you fall that much and like it's like teams interview they're like I mean do we really want to bring I if the Browns owner was a complete psychopath and just desperate to sell jerseys I think he probably would have even slid even more I think he would have slid even more and and that's the that's the thing there like Baltimore wanted to draft him but he refused to he said I'm not playing behind Lamar Jackson. So I don't know um all right fellas moving it on we're almost uh we're almost gearing up towards the end here but uh my max Ianicor I think I spelled pronounced his name correct uh he is um from Arizona State uh 6'6 321 pounds uh he played his first football game in 2021 football uh he's a projected first round pick in 2026 that is one of the fastest ascents in recent NFL draft history at the offensive tackle position the argument for drafting him if he's this good after three years of football or I guess five five years of football the ceiling is genuinely unknown the argument against six holding penalties in 2025 technique that is obviously visible as raw and the reality that you're getting that you're projecting a player whose foundation was built in less time than most prospects spent in high school which argument do you think wins in the draft room?

SPEAKER_03 33:22

I think it's a bit of a problem that he started that late especially if you want to be a lineman in the NFL it's gonna be it's very different than college football like we said if you're getting beat off the line from these edge rushers you're gonna have a problem at the pro level yeah so that's probably why his stock is not as high as the other guys even though his size is still there if you have the right offensive line coach it's it's coachable like if you like if you're like he's obviously not he's not he's not a rookie starter but he's a project and I mean if his his ascent in what four or five years is this good like I wouldn't put a first round pick on him at all but like I could see him slide into like the fourth but like a lot of this stuff is is coachable so he needs time to develop that's what I mean like it's it's coachable and it's a project as long as you know you're drafting a project and you're not drafting a guy that you're expecting to to slot in right away.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

No I agree. I agree last one for the tackles fellas this is my sleeper Travis Burke Memphis he's slated to go in the third round and you're probably like wow that's why are we talking about a third rounder like you know like what's the what's the point um first of all let's start with the uh with the good here um he was projected as a potentially undrafted free agent in the summer before his senior year at Memphis he then played his way to a third round grade he's six nine he's huge a big boy he is huge uh his father coaches offensive line at a Florida high school uh the late bloomer story is compelling um you know he does have some weaknesses high hip feet get stale trouble resetting now is Travis Brooke do you think a six foot nine diamond in the rough who just needed the right situation or is there a reason scouts had him as an undrafted free agent before his senior year um at what point do you think a late bloomer becomes you know what this is who he is he is huge though he's a big guy and apparently he's a mean motherfucker yeah he is he is a like an absolute like he does not hesitate to grind defenders into the ground like he is he's mean and you know what I we talked about this before there is something about being the coach's kid and there's something about having that like you know different take on the game the the extra coaching you may get on through a text being like hey congrats uh did you eat dinner today also this is what's really fucking bad about your game like there's benefit to that um so I do think that like there is opportunity there he's a flyer like I guess I you take a flyer on a guy who's six nine like he's a flyer especially if he can be coached up and developed into if you can even get him to the point where he's getting starting reps in the NFL you've won you've won you've won the third round debate at offensive line there like he he just needs to start not right away eventually he just needs to start that's all I'll say um fellas let's move into the guards I mean guards is very simple oh like Vega Ione Penn State number one um he's the number 12 overall player in the beast Brugler's highest ever grade for a guard um guards almost never go top 15 in the NFL draft uh the conventional wisdom always says take tackles edges cornerbacks qbs in the top 15 not interior linemen uh but i only allowed zero sacks zero penalties in his final two seasons here's probably the question I have for you if the best player available at number 12 is a guard do you take him or does positional value override the board and I said 12 I didn't say cowboys we don't need them no we I'm just saying if if you're number 12 if you're number 12 let's say I mean that's huge no socks allowed no penalties that means you're not getting by him and that means he's not losing the battles because if if he's not taking penalties you're not yeah he's not losing the battle so he's winning those battles yeah no I have could also not be going to his side though I I like him I think he's he's good I think he's he's gonna be like he's got good comps I think Tyler Booker and him have very similar tape if you're looking at a comp player um I would rate him a slightly higher than Tyler Booker just coming out of um just coming out of college um but he's a very very good player and he can play other either guard left guard or right guard yeah he is versatile there versatile um powerful hands man he's a big guy um big big guy I think giants gotta take him or sorry not Giants fucking lions lions gotta take him I think he'll be sitting there I think he'd be sitting there what are they picking 17 17 17 that's a good pick at 17 if he's sitting there at 17 you couldn't yeah like you got to go and you got to take him uh it's number two I got Chase Bizontis um Chase Bizontis was the highest rated interior offensive line recruit in his entire high school class uh he's now in the one to first to second round range as a guard uh short arm length is real uh Bruegler lists it as his first weakness I know I wouldn't say as a guard short arms matter as much as they do on tackle um when a player has elite and we talked about this before recruiting profile expectations but then he doesn't follow that up in college like and it's not like he's not trying like a five star recruit coming out of high school is not translating into a top 15 top 20 pick in the NFL draft do you take that as a red flag it's hard for me to say no because I always find myself watching the videos of like where are they now and it's like five star recruits that never panned out and I'm always like I always find myself looking at that stuff and it's all it's almost like getting notoriety and I obviously no you gotta you gotta label them five star, four star, three star to compartmentalize who they are as players but it almost feels like giving a 17, 16 year old, 15 year old kid the label five star recruit is kind of asking for you know it to go to their head.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

It's like I don't know a lot of pressure on those five star recruits right it's a lot of pressure but it's also like now like the girls that are in high school like you might be an ugly motherfucker. You might be a fucking ugly boot fucking ugly motherfucker. And then next thing you know you school word runs around oh Eric is a five star recruit. That means he's gonna go to Alabama. Oh he might go to Georgia he might go to Texas oh he might go there he might go there and next thing you know now you're getting attention from all the people that probably never really cared about especially offensive linemen. I feel like they're the most like yeah the the the last people to probably like have like the have the Riz on a football team is the defensive tackles offensive tackles guards um just because they're just eating all day as as you know from Caden Proctor's McDonald's order. But yeah I think it's hard to stay focused when you're like a five star recruit coming out of high school and then gets to your head.

SPEAKER_00 40:25

It does and I think there's tons of distractions could be with this guy maybe a bit of a fatigue problem.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

He played 800 1800 college snaps so it's like penalties too penalties asking him to yeah but asking you're asking a lot out of him right and like you said if he's a five star coming out of high school they're gonna be like hey we're running it to your side okay we're the screens going to your side you're gonna run out here you got a block you gotta make the the pull or whatever so if you ask that much for that guy like you're probably gonna see some drop off you're gonna see some fatigue yeah I mean he can he completed competed in every drill in the combine and he's a gem he works hard he's a gem round he works so hard yeah hey they had a top 30 visit from the Raiders that's yeah you can see him the Raiders drafting him yeah penalties on a middle's offensive line not just yeah some things just go together some things are very poetic and I think those two things we mentioned they they get they get going um moving on fellas I'm gonna move it on move it on here Emmanuel Pregnon from Oregon 6'4 uh 314 pounds um his family immigrated from the Ivory Coast to the Denver area as young as four children raised primary by his mother he's in his sixth college season he started out Wyoming went to USC then transferred to Oregon six years of college football experience COVID super senior yep a multiple program second to third round grade is a player who needed six called seasons and three programs to find his footing a cautionary tale about developmental timelines and I know okay so previously before the NIL and transfer portal era if you had seen this you would have given him a big ass fucking red flag being like this guy's a fucking lunatic now I don't know so much I don't know what schools did he go to he went to Wyoming USC and then he went to Oregon.

SPEAKER_00 42:14

Yeah and so who's the quarterback at Oregon Dante Moore Dante Moore so I think he could have benefited from the success of him.

SPEAKER_01 42:22

We've seen him making some plays and be like oh well they're they're they're look how many touchdowns he's throwing I think if you have a star it's always better to go to the better quarterback if you're if you're an offensive lineman because sometimes like they they'll make you look good um they'll at least get you more attention than you normally would have gotten like I don't think he gets the same attention he got now being at Oregon that he did if he was still at USC. I think I think that'd be a tough pick just because his age 24 big old man that's the only thing like by the time he start by the time he becomes an everyday starter you're looking at like 26 27 like do I think of the school like say he's a six year senior do I think of that as a red flag in its own no but then you think about it okay now he's yeah he's 25 years old or all these other kids are 21 22 years old you know they've still got time to develop at 25 years old like if you're expected to be you're expected to be in your partner like day one's like 25 yeah is when you enter your prime so he's he's got an uphill battle ahead of him because where is your ceiling because if you're supposed to be in your prime already yeah how much like more room of growth do you have no for sure um keep it in movement I really like this kid remember when I talked about small towns and how much the you know the farm boys Keelan big red rutledge six four 316 pounds from Georgia Tech he is a bit of a monster big red is um I encourage everybody to go search him up and um just have a look at him have a you guys do it right now actually you all have Instagram let's just nope this is the guy look at his name look at his face just Look at no look actually look at what he looks like.

SPEAKER_03 44:01

No, I know what he fucking looks like.

SPEAKER_01 44:03

Did you see the beard? Yeah. Like he looks like he looks like a menacing ginger. Like, I've never seen a ginger look this fucking menacing.

SPEAKER_03 44:10

No, I was gonna say, if there's ever a big boy in the trenches that you actually want to watch tape on, go watch this guy's tape. This guy is a fucking animal. This guy is my favorite guard right here. He is probably one of the best polling guards. Yeah, he pulls, he gets those first couple steps in, and he's fucking gone. He's blowing you the fuck. If you're blitzing, he's gonna run you the fuck over. He's gonna put you on your fucking ass. Like his bull rush off the fucking poles, man. Just go watch him. Five steps in, blows a guy out, runs up to that second level, blows that guy out. He keeps running. If there's if you're in fucking front of him, he's gonna blow you the fuck over too. Like he does not stop. He is a fucking animal. And whoever gets him is gonna be really fucking happy.

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Yeah. Yeah. Guy's got a motor. And actually, that's that's the way Georgia Tech does it, right? They're allowed all the read options to roll it outside.

SPEAKER_01 45:10

So just watch him pull up from their screen. I was gonna hey you said it all there. That that's a little, that's a little that. That's why we have him out here. Uh that was I can't say it any better. I think he is a he's yes, he's got his weaknesses, he's got choppy steps. Yep, he'll fall step at a time when he's stressed.

SPEAKER_03 45:31

When you're when you're that good of a blocker, and like those are the things that get your team, your fans, fucking riled up. He is because you're gonna see him bowl over some of these big fucking star edge rushers coming off the edge. Like Micah Parsons, he will put Micah Parsons on his fucking ass. There is uh he there's also you guys would hope. Oh, I'm fucking dude.

SPEAKER_01 45:53

When it happens, when it happens, we're clipping it and I'm fucking posting it everywhere. And I know uh we hey, we traded, we traded Osadigizua. We have an extra third rounder. Um see, you want him again. I would love everybody.

SPEAKER_03 46:08

I would fucking love this kid. I would fucking love this kid. Like whoever gets maniac, whoever gets him is gonna be real fucking happy with him.

SPEAKER_01 46:18

Now I now the next guy I have is he has he has fucking Yinzer written all over him. Jennings Dunker.

SPEAKER_03 46:26

Now there's a guy you want to go look at. Go take a go look at his mugshot. Go look at him.

SPEAKER_01 46:31

Go Google Jennings Dunker. Google him, man. He looks like a Jennings Dunker. Oh, your phone's dead. Here, let me show you. Let me give you let me tap in here with Mr. Uh with Mr. Dunker.

SPEAKER_03 46:43

Um fucking Paul Bunyan on the O-line.

SPEAKER_01 46:46

Does that not scream Yinzer?

SPEAKER_00 46:48

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:48

Yeah, Jennings Dunker. Fucking dirty. That screams just fucking dirty. Definitely. He is he is definitely the looker. He's definitely gonna get some crazy fucking endorsements. Um now what I've got on him here. So I've got um, you know what, he played right tackle at Iowa, one of the best offensive line units in the entire country. Uh, he's a Joe Moore award winner. Um, Analyst and Bruger both project him as a guard in the NFL, not a tackle. He'll be playing a different position in the pros than he played in college. For an offensive lineman, does a position change like that on your way into the NFL, moving him from uh moving him inside from the tackle to the guard represent a demotion or is it a value unlock, you think?

SPEAKER_03 47:29

I don't think it's a demotion. I mean you might you might think of it a demotion, but you got to realize like, excuse me, when you're going from college and then you go to the NFL, like it's it's different. It's a different game. And like we were just talking with the with the quarterbacks in the other episode, everyone wants to play that one position, but you get to the higher the next level you go. There can only be so many in that position. Moving to a guard isn't a demotion if you've got that, if you've got all the right skills.

SPEAKER_02 47:56

If you want to be an everyday starter, you gotta make those decisions, right? Yep. I'll move, I'll take that spot.

SPEAKER_01 48:02

Yes, sir. Versatilly's big. We're gonna wrap it up. I got the last guy. I got the last guy here. He's the strongest guy out of his whole entire class. He unfortunately went to Oklahoma. But wait till I tell you his story. Fabichi Nuahu. I think that's how you pronounce it. I could be wrong. I could be very well. Uh his parents were born in Nigeria, actually. Uh his uh name is NWAW. So I'm gonna go with Awaiu. Yeah, maybe I'm wrong. I could be wrong. Um, Fabichi was a walk-on at North Texas. He transferred to Oklahoma, became a scouter, and NFL scouts called him the strongest dude in that program. His weaknesses are all about athleticism, slow twitch, clunky in space, limited range. But his strength is his strength. Literally, in an era where NFL offenses demand interior alignment who can pull, get to the second level, and function in space. How far do you guys think raw physical power takes you as a guard?

SPEAKER_02 49:06

A long way, a long way. Definitely, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:08

Like it is as long as everything else is coachable, right?

SPEAKER_02 49:12

I also like how his eyes are always in the right spot, always searching for his next victim, his next block.

SPEAKER_01 49:18

Yeah, he he's talk about a guy.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

He's always looking to put someone down.

SPEAKER_01 49:23

You talk about pushing Micah Parsons into the ground. Like, this guy is like from a walk-on to a potential third or fourth round pick, he can do it.

SPEAKER_00 49:30

He's fucking tough. But Brandon's right when it comes to coaching these guys. Like the reason why Fano and Maui Goa uh are standouts is because like Fano, especially, is his footwork. So if like these guys, their footwork and then their hand placement, if they can be coached well, they all have the size. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:49

No, he he definitely um his character is always really good too.

SPEAKER_02 49:53

He's a leader, doesn't take very many penalties.

SPEAKER_01 49:56

Yeah, and I think like you put him in a program where you've got other guys like there that he's not relied upon to be the guy right away. I think you can coach him into you can coach him into a spot where it's like he could be very well that guy. Yep, yeah. No, it it's gonna be exciting. It's gonna be exciting to see somebody. Another guy the cowboys want, right?

SPEAKER_02 50:14

Oh no, no, they want everybody, not really.

SPEAKER_01 50:17

I I really like everybody. They need that. I I wouldn't mind a guard. I feel like a lot of people are gonna get mad, and Brandon himself is gonna get mad when I say this, but it's that is also a need. Like they still need to, they still need to but at the right time, yeah. Like, I think you can get a guy in the later rounds, you don't need to reach for him. Guys, like that we're going through right now. We're the purpose of this exercise, and you may be listening to this, and you may have to come back, you may come back to these episodes the way social media, algorithms, Instagram, all that stuff works. He may very well be drafted right now. Like he may, he very well might be going on, I don't know, Tennessee, for example. And some Titans fans are gonna come in. Um yeah, the Titans fans are gonna come in, they're gonna they're gonna listen in on it. So um, it'll be interesting. Are we good? Is that it for the big boys? I think that is it for the big boys. How are you fellas doing?

SPEAKER_03 51:11

Fucking great, good man. We're just pumping this shit out now.

SPEAKER_01 51:15

It's good times, good times. We'll be out with another episode very soon, very shortly. It will be the bona fide KK Love Bracket where he p possesses his roses and gives his love to his one true college football fandom. It'll be very interesting. Until next time, though, if you do have any inquiries for KK or any of us actually, um hit us up. Redzone Blitz Podcast at gmail.com. Uh Redzone Blitzpod and all the socials. Uh Matt, where can the ladies of Pittsburgh find you? Um, if they want to DM you, please plug in your social. My social? Yeah, what's your Instagram?

SPEAKER_00 51:50

My Instagram is I don't even know my Instagram.

SPEAKER_01 51:53

We're gonna call it, we're gonna call it, we're gonna give you, we're gonna work on this username. I'm gonna say it's Matt RBZ. Oh, it's Matt Caprudo99. That's it. There you go. All right, hello, how are you? Um, until next time, this is G.

SPEAKER_03 52:05

Random.

SPEAKER_00 52:05

I'm Matt KK.

SPEAKER_01 52:06

And we're up.