By now a distant memory, the Ohio State ‘Tattoos for Memorabilia’ scandal was one of the more bizarre incidents in College Football. Oakland Raider QB Terrelle Pryor was the face of the investigation that involved cars, rings, and other random things college kids like. I’ll save my rant about the idiots that run the NCAA for another day (PAY THE KIDS).
Ohio State Tackle Mike Adams was suspended for the first five games last year for his role in the scandal. That and a drug paraphernalia charge (the charges were dropped) has raised some concerns amongst NFL talent evaluators.
Fortunately for Adams, you can’t teach size. Destined for the first round, the senior’s lack of technique will not allow him to start immediately at left tackle. However, his agile footwork and ability to get to the second level will still make him a first-round pick come April 26th.
Vitals
Height: 6’7
Weight: 323 Pounds
Class: Senior
Born: March 10, 1990
Combine Numbers
40-yard dash: 5.40
Vertical jump: 28.5 inch
Broad jump:100 inch
Bench Press: 19 reps at 225 Pounds
3 Cone Drill: 7.94
20-yard Shuttle: 4.95
Arm length: 34 inches
Hands: 10 7/8 inches
College Stats
2011: Started seven games at LT
2010: Started 13 games at LT
2009:Played in six games and started four at LT
2008: Played in five games as a true freshman
What the experts say
He’s a talented kid with a big frame, long arms and natural movement skills. He can bend and if he can put it all together and continue to improve his footwork he could certainly mature into a starting caliber left tackle in the NFL.
Adams can struggle with speed rushers. When he went against Marshall’s Vinny Curry in 2010, Adams was able to block him well in the ground game, but Curry gave Adams a lot of problems in pass protection. Matched up against Illinois speed-rusher Whitney Mercilus last year, Adams had an ugly game. Ohio State only threw FOUR pass attempts the entire contest. Adams only had to block Mercilus in pass protection on four plays, yet Mercilus beat Adams for 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
There’s a lot of mixed opinion on him. He could play left tackle. Would I want to take him at 15? Probably not. But he’s a left tackle. He’s long (6-7 ¼, 323, 34-inch arms). He’s a pretty good pass protector. He’s a pretty good run guy. I don’t think [Adams’] issues are crazy. It’s not like he’s been in all sorts of bad trouble. If he was in a good locker room surrounded by veterans who pushed him and he had a coach like [the Eagles’] Howard Mudd, I think he’d be fine.
Mike Adams looks the part of a franchise left tackle. He has outstanding size, decent arm length and moves very well. It’s tough to grade Adams because he is wildly inconsistent and looks lost on the field at times. He also never really displayed a mean streak during the games I watched.
Adams already moves well enough to get into linebackers on the second level. He has a substantial frame with conspicuous muscle in the right places and the footwork of a dancer, albeit more like hip hop than ballet. On film he did well handling Wisconsin’s J.J. Watt (drafted No. 11 overall by Texas last year), but was befuddled by the nifty moves of Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan (drafted No. 16 overall by Washington last year).
Adams is a little risky because of his lack of consistency and killer instinct, but he has the size (6-7¼, 323), agility and long arms that teams look for in left tackles. The Browns have a need at tackle, and Adams has plenty of upside.
Adams might be the most gifted offensive tackle in the draft, but his inconsistent play will likely prevent him from being drafted in a slot that reflects his raw talent. He fails to consistently dominate elite rushers, despite possessing the length and movement skills to win isolated matchups. His failures are routinely attributed to mental lapses, raising concerns about his focus and concentration. With his maturity already in question due to a series of off-field incidents, Adams’ high draft status remains in jeopardy.
Adams is a risky prospect, but his physical tools alone help mitigate some of that. He has first-round potential, but his off-the-field concerns may cause teams to wait until the second round before selecting him.
From the quotes above we can certainly see a consensus among draft pundits. Adams has all the physical tools needed to excel at left tackle in the NFL. However, the concerns about Adams’ mental make up will push him down draft boards.
That said, it’s almost certain he’s off the board by the end of the first round.
