There is no clear-cut pecking order among offensive linemen in this draft, and NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said two surprising names could sneak into the first round.
Fisher (6-foot-6, 306 pounds) was a three-year starter for Oregon; he was a reserve guard as a true freshman in 2011, started at right tackle in 2012 and '13, then started at left tackle last season, when he missed two games with a leg injury. He never played offensive line until he arrived at Oregon; he was a tight end and defensive end in high school in Traverse City, Mich.
Smith (6-6, 338) surprised a few analysts by leaving Penn State following his junior season, but he already had graduated and it appears the move is going to pay off. After redshirting as a true freshman in 2011, he was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Nittany Lions. He missed two games in 2014, but Penn State never released information about his injury.
NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein said Fisher would seem to fit best in a zone-based scheme, but touts his athleticism and his ability to play both tackle spots and even guard if needed. Smith is a powerful player, but he might lack the athleticism to be a left tackle, meaning a move inside -- or to right tackle -- could be in his future.
Numerous teams likely would be interested in an offensive lineman late in the first round or early in the second: Denver at pick 28, Indianapolis at 29, New Orleans at 31, New England at 32, Tennessee at 33, Tampa Bay at 34, Oakland at 35, Jacksonville at 36, the New York Jets at 37, Washington at 38, Chicago at 39 and St. Louis at 41.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
