X

Have feedback / suggestions? Let us know!

NFL

Evaluating Cedric Ogbuehi’s 2015 NFL Draft Stock

By @Spencer_NFL

Cedric Ogbuehi Texas A&M

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cedric Ogbuehi was supposed to be the next star left tackle at Texas A&M. Just like Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews before him, Ogbuehi was thought of as a top 10 lock. His time at left tackle lasted nine games. He’s now back at right tackle and NFL teams are left wondering, what went wrong?

The answer may be simpler than you think. Nothing went wrong; Ogbuehi’s flaws were just exposed on the blindside. Right defensive ends are much more skilled at rushing the passer than what he was used to as a right tackle. It also helped that Johnny Manziel, one of the best scrambling quarterbacks, played behind Ogbuehi prior to this season. Put that together and you get a prospect who was way overrated coming into the year and doesn’t have the necessary skill set to be a left tackle.

He’s a talented player, but he’s not a franchise left tackle that teams covet at the top of a draft. The most obvious reason why he couldn’t sustain the left tackle job was his susceptibility to the outside speed rush. This is especially surprising because Ogbuehi is very agile for someone his size. Even when he initially engages a defensive end, he too often gives up on the play after initially winning the battle. Even at right tackle, Ogbuehi made this mistake against Missouri. He forced Markus Golden well to the outside and then turned around to see where the quarterback was. When he turned, Golden got by and picked up half a sack. His inability to sustain blocks hurts his quarterback’s ability to extend the play.

To be considered one of the top tackled prospects in the country, he has to be doing something right. His agility does allow him to engage with speed rushers or force them well outside. Once engaged, he shows great strength to dominate his opponent in the run game. Along with his agility, Ogbuehi has proven to be capable of making blocks on the second level of a defense. In these areas, he is as good as or better than any tackle in the country.

Although he’s allowed six sacks through 10 games, Ogbuehi is still considered one of the top offensive line prospects. The top OT prospects are so closely rated that I wouldn’t be surprised if he were the first or sixth tackle off the board. I currently have him grouped with Andrus Peat (Stanford), Spencer Drango (Baylor) and Cameron Erving (Florida State) as the second tier of OT prospects behind Brandon Scherff (Iowa) and La’el Collins (LSU). With offensive tackle being a priority in the draft, it’s doubtful that Ogbuehi slips outside the top 50 picks.

Shawn Spencer is an NFL Draft writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Spencer_NFL, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Related: Evaluating Melvin Gordon’s Draft Stock After Record-Setting Performance

Evaluating Brett Hundley’s 2015 NFL Draft Stock

Share Tweet
Trending Now on