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Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

With the injury-plagued struggles late in the season out of the way, the long view has been kind to the top tackle in the draft. Brandon Scherff doesn't just possess uncommon strength—he has the kind of gym and field presence that puts Iowa's famed strength and conditioning staff in awe.

His exploits are well-known to Iowa fans, and fans of the NFL draft are becoming familiar with them as well, including a famous video of his 410-pound hang clean.

But it's not just lifting highlights on YouTube that make Scherff a standout prospect in the NFL draft—it's how his ridiculous physical presence translates to his play on the field. Unlike the other tackle-guard converts listed so far, Scherff plays with outstanding balance consistently and is rarely caught out of place or with his feet out from under him.

He knows how to use his hands and arms to create separation and has a feel for pass-rushers and how they win. That combination of instinct and strength makes it difficult for players to get past him, and he knows how to use his weight, either as a weapon or an obstacle depending on the situation.

Scherff is difficult to push back and is rarely beaten on bull rushes, which is why his underrated quickness is such an asset. Opponents resort to deception and speed rushes more than anything else in order to win, and he has enough functional ability there to counter the more predictable pass rushes he forces defenders to use.

Like Collins, he can end pass rushes with his punching ability and take people out of plays early, but he's harder to dip around and can do much more as a tackle on the edge, even as many in the NFL still target him as a guard.

Scherff's quickness also allows him to be a dominant blocker in any run scheme, and he can operate as a pulling guard or zone-blocking tackle, however the NFL wants to use him. Obviously, his biggest strength is as a power-scheme run-blocker, but any team would be happy to have him in its running game.

That said, it's not elite quickness, and there's good reason to think the faster edge-rushers in the NFL may have a step on him. He has less to clean up than the other tackles on this list in terms of technique and the ability to recover from that, but it would be misleading not to point out that he will have to recover and keep up against speed-rushers, especially those lined up wider or with flexibility.

If he can't win on first contact, that lateral movement may create problems in the passing game.

He has injury concerns as well, and they may drop him out of the top 10 (or, if his combine medicals go poorly, out of the first round entirely). He's had the opportunity to demonstrate his toughness (he played through a torn meniscus and returned to practice a day after surgery to repair it, playing in next week's game against rival Iowa State), but the bigger concern is availability, not toughness.

With a history that includes a dislocated ankle, a broken leg and knee issues, the appeal of a player like Scherff may be restricted by the specter of injury.