The Blind Side

OK, sorry, I had to. Call it a cop out.

But when it comes to the NFL Draft, offensive tackles are on every team's radar. You can never have enough depth on the offensive line, especially at OT. Last year was an exceptionally strong class of tackles, with three going in the first eight picks and four in the first round. Each tackle had a case to be the first one off the board.

This year's class is on par with last year's in terms of depth. It's not as talented as last year's, at least in my opinion, but there are some excellent players available. First, the rankings. Then, the explanation.

1) Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
2) Anthony Davis, Rutgers
3a) Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
3b) Trent Williams, Oklahoma

There are two clear tiers in this year's class. Okung and Davis are the top tier tackles, both worthy of top 10 picks. Bulaga and Williams are the second tier tackles, and could go anywhere from 11-25. Some believe Bruce Campbell (Maryland) is worthy of joining that second tier, but on my board, he's just outside the top 25 and possibly outside the top 32.

Okung is the tallest and smallest of the group at 6-8, 299. He has tremendous overall athletic ability and is a well-rounded blocker. Davis is slightly behind on my board because of a couple of red flags. Make no mistake, he's a monster at 6-5, 323, and he can block. But he has dealt with some weight issues in the past. The Seattle Times' Danny O'Neil wrote about how Davis showed up to Rutgers weighing 360 pounds, but worked his way down to a manageable weight with hard work. Still, that is a slight concern. He's only a shade below Okung.

Bulaga and Williams are even on my board in the second tier. The former checks in at 6-6, 311, while the latter is 6-5, 306. The biggest question about Bulaga is his injury history. He missed a few games in 2009 with a thyroid condition, and suffered a shoulder injury a couple of years ago. They're both solid blockers, but a notch below Okung and Davis.