Editor’s Note: As we get ready for the 2012 NFL Draft, we’ll be “meeting” some players who just might find their way to Buffalo come April. In this series we’ll take a look at possible Bills draft picks and break down their abilities and potential.
Overview: This massive man is flying up draft boards. Could he be Buffalo’s top pick?
Strengths: Huge even by NFL standards at 6’6, 345 with long arms. Incredibly strong, especially in the lower body. He doesn’t lose many battles at the point of attack thanks to his sheer power. Once he’s locked into a defender, it’s all over. The bull rush is totally ineffective against him. Surprisingly fluid and fast for his size – he can get to the second level. Kills people in the running game. Uses his hands very well. Decent footwork. It’s not always pretty, but he does an okay job in pass protection. Was very effective in college despite playing against excellent SEC defenses. A natural guard, but was moved out to tackle for his senior year and for the Senior Bowl and he held his own.
Weaknesses: Not explosive and is pretty slow off the snap. Will get beat by speed rushers on occasion. Doesn’t always have great recognition – on some plays he won’t figure out who to block and won’t hit anyone. Doesn’t really bend his knees well and gets bent over at the waist a lot, throwing him off balance. Despite his incredible strength, he doesn’t have a real mean streak.
How He’d Fit in Buffalo: The Bills would love his versatility – he could try and play tackle, and if that fails he’d be certain to succeed at guard. He could conceivably play everywhere on the line but center, although I have real doubts he could play left tackle in the NFL.
The Bottom Line: Glenn is a very interesting prospect. He’s a truly incredible athlete for his size. And his off-the-charts strength is something to behold. He’s going to be an effective NFL player for a long time. But does he have value at #10 for the Bills? I’m not so sure. I’d be hard-pressed to agree with taking a guard at #10 (and Stanford’s David DeCastro is probably a better guard anyway), so if you’re taking him at #10, you’d better believe he can play tackle. And I just don’t know if Glenn handle left tackle (where the Bills would try him) in the NFL. He’d be better off being allowed to stay inside and just maul people.
Previously:
North Carolina DE Quinton Coples
Boston College LB Luke Kuechly