Continuing a look at potential draft picks for the Washington Redskins, taking a look at the first round and beyond.
Player: Cedric Ogbuehi
Position: Tackle
School: Texas A&M
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 306 pounds
Projected round: Second, though with injury concerns it could cause him to go a little later. Without the injury, he would be a first-round lock.
Games watched: Auburn (2013, vs. Dee Ford), South Carolina, Mississippi Statue, Missouri (2013)
What I liked: He definitely has good feet and that shows in pass protection. His issues were more about technique than agility. He moved his feet well when blocking and had no problem adjusting to the rush. You’d rarely see his feet stop moving. He showed good recognition on stunts. He can anchor fine and he does not get caught lunging or bending at the waist. He does a good job bending his knees and because of that, and his feet, he was able to recover when he appeared to get beaten around the edge. His agility should work well when trying to get to the second level, though most of the Aggies’ runs did not feature him doing so. He seemed to handle negative plays well, responding fine after giving up pressure or a sack. His skills would work well in a zone system, but he’ll have to improve to be able to handle one that requires other types of blocks (as the Redskins would). Good arm length.
What I didn’t like: Didn’t see enough power by him in the run game, which could be a function of how Texas A&M runs the ball out of their spread. But the result is not a lot of examples of him just driving men off the ball in the games I watched. He struggled in pass protection at times because of how he set. He’s a bit upright, so at times upon contact it almost looks like he’s about to sit down. That enabled defenders to move him back – it didn’t always result in a sack or even trouble, but he wasn’t always facing NFL-type pass rushers, either. Auburn’s Dee Ford moved him aside in part because of this (it also leads to him getting off-balance, so Ford would take him up and then power back inside). I’d like to see better technique in all areas; at times it looks like he needs to play stronger, but it might just be technique-related. On one run play, he came off the line too upright and lost his man. Occasionally he would raise his arms as the rusher neared him, but he wasn’t close enough to make contact. So he’d have to bring his arms back down and by the time he could raise them again, he’d have hands in his chest. He’s also coming off a torn ACL suffered in the bowl game vs. West Virginia. There’s concern about when he’ll be ready to even practice. With some linemen, you see their “nasty” side every game. Not with Ogbuehi. You saw it in flashes.
ESPN Insiders on his intangibles: “Team player and coachable. Very well-respected by coaches and teammates. Mature. A leader both vocally and by example. The kind of guy you want in your locker room. No off-the-field incidents or concerns. Some scouts have questioned mental toughness and say he spends too much time during practice week in the training room.”
Why the Redskins would take him: Because they want and need to upgrade their offensive line and there’s uncertainty as to who will start at right tackle this season. A high second-round pick could reasonably be expected to start.
How he fits: Ogbuehi played both tackle spots in college, but the Redskins obviously would move him to the right side. With work, he might be able to transition to left tackle someday. But I worry about his transition into a different style of offense and how long it would take. He has definite skills to be a solid tackle, but he has definite issues that must be addressed.