Buchsbaum's top 10
(as of March 10)

1. Chris Samuels
2. Stockar McDougle
3. Chris McIntosh
4. Adrian Klemm
5. Todd Wade
6. Travis Claridge
7. Cosey Coleman
8. Chad Clifton
9. John St. Clair
10. Marvel Smith

Positives: Four-year starter who improved a lot as a senior. Has developed a good work ethic and solid intangibles. Tough, blue-collar-type mentality. Aggressive and tenacious run blocker who works to finish his blocks. Improving pass protector. Very durable and prides himself upon being ready to answer the bell every week. Can line up at either guard slot or at right tackle.

Negatives: Does not have the athletic ability or foot quickness scouts look for and probably can’t play left tackle. Will get outquicked and beaten by athleticism at times. Has a tough time handling counter moves. Does not redirect as quickly as scouts would like. Is a little stiff in his movements and does not play with natural hip roll and explosion.

Summary: Tough, solid, blue-collar offensive lineman who can play guard or right tackle, but he has athletic limitations and limited potential from an athletic standpoint.

Positives: Excellent size. Works out very well in the weight room. Bench-presses almost 460 pounds, squats 650 and has a 30-inch-plus vertical jump. Also has run some times of under five seconds flat on a fast rubber surface. Had a great Combine workout. Has started at both left and right tackle spots and can play guard. Strong in the upper body and has a strong hand punch.

Negatives: Lack of focus and concentration could be a problem, although it may be something that can be fixed. Does not play to workout numbers and does not appear to have the movement skills or feet to play left tackle on the next level. Doesn’t play with good knee bend or leverage. Is late off the ball way too often. Rarely shows dominance in the running game.

Summary: Works out a lot better than he plays. Looks more like a guard or a right tackle than a left tackle. Must do a better job of bending, playing with leverage and coming off on the snap of the ball. But after the Combine, if he continues to work out well for OL coaches, he could be a top pick.

Positives: A big man with a big frame. Shows flashes of dominance in the running game. Plays faster that he times and is fairly light on his feet. Can pull and adjust on the move fairly well.

Negatives: Very raw around the edges and still has not mastered the fine art of pass-blocking. Struggles on pass protection because his feet are always trailing his body and he has trouble with quick change of direction. As a result, has plays when he flat out misses, and his man comes in free on the quarterback. Does not always get good fits in the run game and at times gets bad fits. Was not the super player I was expecting to see after reading his clippings. Did not run a good 40-time at the Combine and looked a little soft in terms of body build.

Summary: Could have been a special player if he had gone back to school and developed his body. Still will probably be a high pick because of his size, athleticism and upside potential, but if you grade his entire ’99 season, he did not play as a first-round pick should on a consistent basis and did not work out as well as he was supposed to at the Combine.

Positives: Good size. Very athletic and light on his feet. Can move well laterally and adjust to movement. Has good balance and body control. Can get a lot better with improved strength, technique and understanding of his position. Made huge strides playing in June Jones’ offense in ’99 and continued to progress at the Senior Bowl.

Negatives: Still raw around the edges and needs lots of work. Has to get stronger and more physical in the running game. Inconsistent pass blocker (see Tulsa game) because he has lapses in technique and seems to get sloppy about his footwork and positioning at times. Has a tendency to give more ground than he should and does not always bend his knees and get into a correct blocking position.

Summary: Has a chance to develop into a legitimate NFL left tackle if he will pay the price, but he is not ready for prime time yet. However, playing in the Senior Bowl helped him shorten the time gap until he is ready.

Positives: Huge and massive. Great natural strength and explosion. Comes off the ball well. Can roll his hips. Mean and nasty. Dominates in the running game. Very athletic for his size. Quick moving. Shows pretty good feet and recovery. Has really improved his pass-protection skills and cut down on his penalties.

Negatives: Slow reacting at times. Needs reps and a lot of practice. Has some trouble reacting to stunts and to new looks he did not practice for. Has too many breakdowns in pass protection and will get beaten wide at times because he is either late reacting or does not play with good footwork and technique. Is much more of a right tackle than a left tackle. Is not fat now, but he really should play at about 335 and his weight could become a problem.

Summary: Consistency and ability to adjust on the fly are the key factors. Can become a top run-blocking, Pro Bowl-type right tackle if he can keep his penalties to a minimum and is prepared well for each opponent.

Positives: Top competitor. Excellent intangibles. Smart and football smart. Has good instincs and inteligence. Very durable. Started every game from ’96 to ’99. Has exceptional size and size potential. Looks trim at 311. An effective and at times dominating run blocker who can muscle, maul and overpower defenders at the point of attack. The man Ron Dayne loved to run behind in college. Has some lower-body explosion and can anchor. Is very hard to bull-power rush against.

Negatives: Has marginal feet and lateral movement for a left tackle on the next level and has spent his entire college career on the left side of the line playing in a left-handed stance. A little high cut and not that flexible. Will overextend and have balance problems when he either can’t or does not bend at the knees. Has some trouble handling the wide pass rush.

Summary: Pass protection will be the key, and he has some limitations in that area. Will probably be a first-round pick, but he is no Paul Gruber when it comes to moving his feet and pass-blocking at left tackle. However, McIntosh can be a dominating run blocker.

Positives: Understands blocking angles and position. Has quick, strong hands, which he uses well. Has good initial quickness off the ball. Can lock out with his arms. Can reach from the side. Has some recovery ability. Generally plays the game hard.

Negatives: Lacks long-range mobility. Is not built like a conventional center. Has long legs and does not have that much lead in his butt or in his base. Is taller than you would like a center to be and may have trouble with nose tackles and defensive tackles who play low to the ground. Will struggle to break down at times and is not that explosive in his lower body. Seems to do a lot of grabbing and borderline holding.

Summary: A lot like the Bucs’ Tony Mayberry, but he may not be quite as athletic, although he may be a little bit bigger and more powerful than Mayberry was when he came out of Wake Forest.

Positives: Good size. Went from 290 pounds to 317 without losing his flexibility or movement skills. Outstanding athlete. Durable and flexible. Fine balance and body control. Agile and nifty for size. Has quick feet and is very light on his feet. Good recovery ability. Can bend his knees and play with leverage. Has good power in his initial hand punch. Has become a much bigger, stronger and more physical run blocker. At least on the college level, he has handled speed off the edge and inside counter moves. Can get down the field and lead plays and block on linebackers. Adjusts well in space. Improves every year. Up until the Orange Bowl had started every game and was very rarely taken out for breathers.

Negatives: Seems to get bored at times and will have lapses in concentration. Not quite as consistent as he should be. Does not always bend his knees and can get pushed when he plays too upright. Had knee problems or pain during the ’99 season, which got worse before the Orange Bowl. This needs to be looked into. Had his knee scoped after the Orange Bowl, missed the Senior Bowl and could not work out at the Combine. Will have to attend the second Combine to have his knee re-checked.

Summary: A very athletic player who can play left tackle on the next level and play it at a very high level. In some ways, he will remind you of Lomas Brown when he came out of Florida. But knee problems must be looked into.

Positives: Nice size. Steady. Coaches call him the best athlete on the offensive line and, at times in ’98, he looked like it. Has shown good balance, body control and feet in the past. Can pull on the counter trey. Does not get flagged very often. Looked like he could be special at times in ’98.

Negatives: Despite all the coaches’ grades and his awards in ’99, he did not appear to play that well and looked less athletic and physical than he had in the past. Played too upright. Rarely played with good knee bend. Seemed slow to redirect at times and had a very hard time adjusting to the inside rush, especially when the defensive linemen started wide and countered back inside.

Summary: An enigma. Looked like he might develop into a very good player and first-round pick as a third-year sophomore in ’98, but he did not look nearly as good in the ’99 tapes I saw and seemed to be less athletic. Teams need to check to see if he had any hidden injuries or problems and then work him out this spring. If he regains his ’98 form, he could be a late No. 1 or No. 2, but off last season alone, I would not take him that high.

Positives: Great size. Big, not fat, with a huge wingspan. Athletic for size. Surprisingly light on his feet. Has some speed and quickness and can bend his knees. Durable. Productive most of the time. Has improved every year.

Negatives: Due to height and some lapses about bending his knees, he will let defenders get underneath him at times. Needs to improve his technique. Average feet. Is probably better-suited to stay at right tackle and is a one-position player. Has a hard time blocking the wide rush because of his footwork and technique. Is not a go-for-the-throat killer. Must take medication or else he will have a problem staying focused.

Summary: Combination of size and potential should make this player a very high draft pick if somebody is looking for a right tackle.