USC Kicker David Buehler was not required to participate in the bench press at the 2009 NFL Combine, but he vollunteered to do so. Buehler put up the required 225lbs an amazing 25 times, a number that exceeded the performance of some of the top offensive linemen participating. Eugene Monroe, Michael Oher, and Ebon Britton, all projected as possible 1st round draft picks, recorded efforts of 23, 21, and 24 reps repectively. What does it mean? It means the 12 linemen that got outlifted should be embarrassed. Buehler is not your usual kicker, having also played running back and linebacker at a junior college before getting in to USC, and he does weigh in at about 225 lbs, but thats 100 pounds less than an average NFL tackle. I know this is been deemed a tackle heavy draft, but when half the projected 1st rounders are being out benched by a damn kicker, maybe some teams should rethink that....
A) The kicker is apparently really strong. B) The league is gravitating toward more agile lineman (tackles in particular), as opposed to the Jeep Grand Cherokees that we're used to seeing at left and right tackle. I doubt too many people care. Or rather, I doubt too many real football people care.
NFL people notice when a tackle lifts in the 20s....all three of those guys lost money today....conversely, Jason Smith of Baylor, the other 1st round prospect that participated put up 33 reps and look really good in all the drills....he is now the 1st tackle off the board in all probability....the remaining 1st round prospect tackle went AWOL before teams could interview him(Andre Smith), and now may fall right off the board....the other guy that got killed today, moneywise, is Hermann Johnson, who is 6'8'' and 368lbs and only put up 21 reps....
It's tougher for the linemen to put up that weight... their arms are longer. If they were projected as guards or centers, it'd be an alarm but so much of playing the tackles is the speedy pass rushers that the better number to evaluate those OT's on is with the cone drill/shuttle. Having said that, the low 20's is pretty embarrassing.
Yup, Jason Smith made a lot of $$$ at the combine. One of his question marks is his run blocking and he cleared up some of that with his strength and interviews. The guy has the mentality to be a beast. He wants to kick your ass all over the field whether it's in practice or in games. It's a hard combination to find an athletic guy like that and have that kind of mind set. Eugene Monroe is hands down the the most athletic OT in the draft and probably the most NFL ready OT, but he's got the dreaded "soft" label.
