Iowa's Brandon Scherff is widely considered one of the top offensive tackles in college football, but could a position change be in the offing for him at the next level?
NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock says Scherff could fit best at guard in the pros and compared him to 2014 draft picks Zack Martin and Joel Bitonio, who both played tackle in college but are starting at guard for their respective teams (Cowboys and Browns) as rookies.
Martin was selected 16th overall and Bitonio went 35th (third pick of the second round).
"I like the nasty," Mayock said of Scherff in a Mayock's Slant video. "I think he can play inside. He's tough, aggressive, and he finishes."
NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt said before the season that Scherff could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, and while tackles have gone that early, guards typically have to wait a while before hearing their name called.
Mayock said Scherff has "a very high grade from the NFL scouts, and it's for a reason."
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound senior had to overcome reported knee surgery in early September to continue playing at a high level this season. An NFC East director of scouting recently told NFL Media analysts that Scherff has been "better than ever" since returning from the knee injury.
"(Scherff is) a better prospect than (former Iowa first-round OTs) Bryan Bulaga and Riley Reiff. Top-15 potential," the scouting director said.
Bulaga and Reiff were both picked 23rd overall (Bulaga in 2010 and Reiff in 2012), and former Iowa OT Robert Gallery went second overall to the Raiders in the 2004 draft before eventually sliding inside to guard, where he went on to play solidly despite being largely regarded as a bust.
There might be some debate in the coming months about which position will suit Scherff best in the NFL, but he should be prepared for whatever comes his way, given his schooling with the Hawkeyes.
"Whenever an offensive lineman comes out of the University of Iowa, you know he's been well-coached," Mayock said.
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