The 2017 NFL draft class is considered strong at more positions than any draft in recent memory. One group that is not considered deep nor strong is the offensive line, and some consider it possible that this is the first draft class since 1984 that an offensive tackle will not be drafted in the first 16 picks. Being a weak class doesn’t mean it is a talentless one, however, and there are plenty of players in this draft class who are able to provide help to OL needy teams. Today we’re going to take a look at this draft class’s Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) and whether they did enough to help their draft stock.

2017 Draft Class OL RAS Player Name Position Year RAS Player Name Position Year RAS Garett Bolles OT 2017 8.68 Forrest Lamp OT 2017 8.45 Conor Mcdermott OT 2017 8.1 Taylor Moton OT 2017 7.61 Cam Robinson OT 2017 7.43 Jessamen Dunker OT 2017 7.11 William Holden OT 2017 6.34 Antonio Garcia OT 2017 4.71 Sam Tevi OT 2017 4.43 Sean Harlow OT 2017 4.41 Julie'n Davenport OT 2017 4.23 Erik Austell OT 2017 3.74 Zach Banner OT 2017 3.08 Adam Bisnowaty OT 2017 2.7 Dan Skipper OT 2017 2.36 David Sharpe OT 2017 1.84 Nathan Theaker OT 2017 1.67 Daniel Brunskill OT 2017 1.53 Ethan Cooper OT 2017 1.48 Jerry Ugokwe OT 2017 1.05 Chad Wheeler OT 2017 0.92 Avery Gennesy OT 2017 0.42 Justin Senior OT 2017 0.31 Ben Braden OG 2017 9.64 Nicolas Siragusa OG 2017 8.85 Dion Dawkins OG 2017 7.71 Corey Levin OG 2017 7.35 Dan Feeney OG 2017 6.45 Isaac Asiata OG 2017 5.15 Danny Isidora OG 2017 4.59 Dorian Johnson OG 2017 4.12 Jordan Morgan OG 2017 2.39 Cameron Lee OG 2017 2.31 Damien Mama OG 2017 0.47 Ethan Pocic OC 2017 6.96 Kyle Fuller OC 2017 4.06 Chase Roullier OC 2017 3.3 Jonathon Toth OC 2017 1.61 Pat Elflein OC 2017 0.89

Offensive Tackles

Headlined by Cam Robinson, Ryan Ramczyk (who did not measure due to injury) and Garett Bolles, the offensive tackle class checked boxes at the top. Bolles topped out the class and measured among the elite for RAS, while Robinson came in well above average as well. Forrest Lamp measured out as a tackle and his athleticism was fantastic, but his size and short arms will likely see him inserted on the interior of a line somewhere, be it at guard or center. We’ve talked before about how Taylor Moton of Western Michigan was a big winner of the combine and it shows up here as he was the fourth highest rated OT for RAS.

Big men like Chad Wheeler, Dan Skipper, and Zach Banner all wowed during weigh-ins and measurements but none were able to impress with their overall physical measurements. Conor McDermott, on the other hand, is a very large offensive tackle at 6-foot-8 1/8, but also managed to measure above average in his explosion drills. More impressive, he measured out elite in the agility drills, a rare trait for someone so large. He’s one to watch from a developmental perspective.

Offensive Guard

Headlined by the aforementioned Forrest Lamp, Dan Feeney and Dorian Johnson, the guard class has some intriguing prospects, but the value of any of these players is all over the map. Michigan’s Ben Braden measured out the best of this class and his athletic potential should intrigue teams after his performance. Nico Siragusa of San Diego State (no relation to that Siragusa) also measured out elite for RAS and did well enough in drills that he probably helped his draft stock significantly. Feeney did enough to help his stock, but Dorian Johnson may see himself slide due to measuring below average.

OG and OT tend to rely on athletic ability more than most other positions. In fact, 84 percent of all Pro Bowl offensive tackles and guards since 1999 measured with a RAS over 5.00. The few that did not were drafted more than a decade ago, with the sole exception being Kelechi Osemele. No other OT or OG with a RAS below that 5.00 threshold drafted since 2006 has made a Pro Bowl . The trend towards athletic offensive lineman started in the early 2000s and has hit its stride since.

Centers

I’ve mentioned before that I have been unable to show a clear athletic trend using RAS for certain positions and center is one of them. It’s a cerebral position, so it makes perfect sense that there are traits not measured during the combine that can make a center great where others with athletic ability may struggle. Two of the best centers in the NFL, Travis Frederick and Rodney Hudson, both measured near the bottom of RAS, so measuring poorly isn’t the red flag it is at the other offensive line positions, as long as the player has good tape.

This year’s center class is headlined by Pat Elflein of Ohio State and Ethan Pocic of LSU. At the opposite ends of the athletic spectrum, Elflein measured out extremely poorly at the combine while Pocic was the only center present that measured in above average.

Pro Bowlers

Below is a table containing all Pro Bowl players who qualified for RAS since 1999. Remember that anything over 5.00 is considered good while anything over 8.00 is considered elite. The heavy concentration of players with elite scores shouldn’t be alarming as the level of athleticism it takes to stonewall pass rushers like Ezekiel Ansah, Von Miller and Vic Beasley consistently ought to be pretty high.