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Some would have you believe the left tackle position is under siege.

College spread offenses that don't teach NFL-style blocking schemes, limited time for padded practices and edge-rushers' technical advancements have left the league's blindside protectors in a state of regression. You hear it all the time. And there are relative "busts" coming out of college every year who some coaches and executives cite as the prime examples of the theory that it's too hard to project NCAA blockers into a pro setting.

In truth, the secret to finding a great young left tackle is the same as doing so at any position: the proper combination of player, scheme and team. If your offense is designed around a power-based counter/trap attack, and you select a guy in the first round who blocked out of a two-point stance for a quarterback who took a bunch of short drops and got rid of the ball to receivers who ran simplistic route concepts, it might not be the player's fault that things don't work out.

Coaches and executives must be on the same page. The former must identify the traits and attributes in prospects that best fit their systems. It's the evaluator's job to understand what can be built on and what might not work for what they do.

With that in mind, high-quality left tackles come into the league every year under these conditions. They can be first-round stars or second-day surprises, but when their talents match with the ideal environment, they'll thrive. Other coaches and evaluators will continue to run outmoded concepts, refuse to adjust and wonder why they're behind the proverbial eight ball.

NFL1000 offensive line scout Duke Manyweather has been watching the NFL's left tackles all year. These are his final grades and evaluations for the 2017 regular season, which are based on these criteria:

Pass Protection: 25 points. How does this lineman handle edge-rushers one-on-one? Can he ride a defender in an arc around the pocket? How well does he adjust to maneuvers such as end-tackle stunts? Can he adjust his placement for inside counters?

Run Blocking: 20 points. Does this lineman pinch inside well to seal the edge? Does he have the power and leverage to drive-block consistently? Can he hit the second level and block his targets to free his running backs at linebacker depth?

Power: 20 points. Does he put his hands on the defender's numbers and push him back? How is his upper-body strength? Is he strong enough to one-hand his way through a block if a defender does something he doesn't expect?

Agility: 25 points. Does he have the agility and light feet to move through a blocking progression against a fast, aggressive pass-rusher? Can he block at the second level on screens and other short passes that require vertical movement? How is his footwork on sweeps and pulls? How quick is he off the snap to deal with whatever's in front of him? Can he regroup after a missed block to clean things up?

Position Value: 10 points. This takes into account positional importance when comparing scores to other spots on the gridiron. Left tackles are given 9/10 points across the board, leaving them with a maximum score of 99/100.

Make sure to check out all of the NFL1000 rankings from the 2017 season.