Buchsbaum's top 10
(as of March 9)

1. Leonard Davis
2. Kenyatta Walker
3. Steve Hutchinson
4. Jeff Backus
5. Dominic Raiola
6. Maurice Williams
7. Mike Gandy
8. Kareem McKenzie
9. Robert Garza
10. Matt Light

Positives: Excellent character and work ethic. Very durable and reliable. Has always answered the bell for the past four years and given good effort every time out. Played left tackle in college and more than held his own. A very steady player who understands blocking angles. Has improved every year. Good attention to detail and work ethic. The man he is blocking does not make many tackles. Had a solid week at the Senior Bowl and played left tackle in the game. Will be a first-round pick if he works out well after what he did at the Senior Bowl.

Negatives: Solid but not super. May not have the feet or quickness to be an upper-echelon left tackle on the next level. Speed and finesse will give him trouble. A little slow to shift his weight and to adjust. At times does not show great playing strength and power.

Summary: Very solid blue-collar player who probably is better-suited for right tackle or guard, but could possibly remain at left tackle after his strong Senior Bowl showing. May be somewhat limited athletically, but he still has gotten a lot better and really seemed to thrive on the pro coaching he got at the Senior Bowl.

Positives: Rare size. Is not fat, but he is one of the largest human beings you will ever see when he weighs in the 365-370-pound range because his weight is well distributed and he is about as wide as a barn, with a huge wingspan (36-inch arms), which makes getting around him almost as tough as circumventing the globe. Unusual athletic ability for a man his size. Will surprise you with his quickness and straight-ahead speed. Light on his feet for a 370-pound man. Looks almost like a dancing bear at times. Tremendous strength and power. Can cave in half a defensive line when he blocks down. Has a good, strong hand punch. Has pretty quick feet for a man his size and can bend his knees. Can be a super destroyer when he is focused and playing hard. Played left tackle in college and should be able to play it in the NFL if he keeps his weight in check and is in good shape.

Negatives: Has a tendency to tire and wear down and will do so a lot more quickly when he is over 370 pounds. Can be lazy. Will look for the easy way out when he tires and just leans on people instead of bending his knees and moving his feet and looking to finish his blocks. Is off balance because of sloppy footwork at times and the problem is compounded because he doesn’t have great agility when he weighs in at 370 pounds. Struggles to handle a counter move. Late reacting at times. At times looks like he lacks some explosiveness in his lower body. Is not an overly instinctive player on the offensive side of the ball yet, and he seems to lack some read-and-react quickness. Does not spend enough time in the film room to really study an opponent.

Summary: Rare talent. A planet person. People this size with this much athletic ability who play football on a high level come along about once every 10 years. Could be a super pro if he really goes to work, learns to control his weight, increases his stamina and endurance and becomes a real student of the game like Anthony Munoz did. But also could have a lot of problems with pass protection if he remains at left tackle and does not become a real student of the game. Poor agility drills could be a concern, but some players just do not test well on the 20-yard agility drill, which most NFL teams favor.

Positives: Excellent size. Thick, wide body. Good athletic ability and mobility for size. Runs and moves around well and seems to be light on his feet. Can trap and make the short pull. Has improved every year and been durable the past three seasons. Very smart.

Negatives: Seems to have a few plays when he lets up a little. No killer. Does not always work to finish his blocks. Has trouble adjusting to quick inside moves. Has not played much at tackle. Almost exclusively a guard. Has some trouble adjusting at the end of the long pull.

Summary: Looks the part and has the tools, but he leaves you feeling that he is not playing up to his ability. Good player who should be better than that.

Positives: Great intangibles. Tough and tenacious. Smart. Competitive. Hard worker. Good athlete. Shows quick feet. Very strong for his size. Dominates on his level. Held his own at the Senior Bowl after showing great improvement with the pro coaching he got over the course of the practice week.

Negatives: Lacks great natural size. Looks all pumped up at 295 and is not very tall. Lacks a really quick first step off the ball. Limited exposure to top competition.

Summary: Dominates on his level and showed he can compete with the big boys at the Senior Bowl. Really helped himself with the week he spent in Mobile, Ala., and learned a great deal in one week.

Positives: Excellent intangibles. Mean and nasty, tough and strong. Plays the offensive line with a defensive disposition and likes to dominate his man. Built the way scouts want a guard to be built. Has a big, thick, powerful body. Has the strength to be a physical and at times overpowering inside blocker. Uses hands well and can anchor. Has really improved his pass blocking. Can make the short pull and trap. Versatile. Could probably play center and right tackle.

Negatives: Still is not a top pass-blocker and at times has trouble working back when he gets on the edge while pass blocking. Does not adjust that well on the long pull. Lacks the feet to be a left tackle on the next level.

Summary: Is probably the best senior guard in the country. Also will have a chance to play right tackle and center, which should increase his value.

Positives: Great intangibles. Smart and tough. Excellent worker. Comes into the game prepared and ready to go. Studies his opponents and often can anticipate their moves. Plays left tackle in a passing offense and plays it very well. Improves every year and continues to grow as a player. Extremely efficient. Good arm extension. Uses hands well and does a nice job of punching with his hands. Can stun defenders with his blow. Plays with strength, leverage and a wide base. Has a mean streak.Will work to finish his blocks. Can be a muscle-and-maul guy.

Negatives: Not as quick and athletic as teams would like a left tackle to be. Does not have the quickest or best feet and can be out-quicked, out-finessed and outdone athletically if the opponent can get him isolated out on an island.

Summary: Much better football player than athlete. Has all the intangibles and seems to get it done despite some athletic limitations. Might be a better guard or right tackle at the next level. Could fall in the draft because he will not work out as well as some of the other linemen that he plays better than.

Positives: Excellent size. Long arms. Naturally big and strong. Good athlete for his size. Pretty light on his feet and agile. Can slide laterally and adjust his body. Has good balance and body control. Can be a powerful blocker when he bends his knees. Shows a good hand punch at times. May be able to play everywhere on the offensive line except center.

Negatives: Is not physical enough and underachieved as a senior. Too much of a finesse blocker. Rarely bends his knees, gets low and shows the type of power he has or finishes his blocks. Gets a little sloppy with his footwork at times. May not be quick enough to be a left tackle on the next level unless he becomes a much more technically sound player. Really struggles vs. an up-and-under move. Things may have come too easily to him in high school and college, and he never has had to go the extra mile to survive. Did not show the type of improvement that was expected from him as a senior. In fact, at times, it looked like he regressed.

Summary: A big man with fine ability who should be better and more dominating than he is. Would have been a first-round pick with a strong senior year but now is more of a wild-card entry in the draft.

Positives: Top competitor. Very tough, durable and intense. Very quick off the ball and athletic. Excellent first step and gets into his blocks quickly. Very mobile for a center. Versatile. Can play guard and has done some deep snapping in the past.

Negatives: On the short side. Played in an option offense and needs some work on pass blocking. Does not always play with great functional football strength and power. May get outsized by players Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa in the NFL.

Summary: Could be the best Nebraska center since two-time Outland Trophy winner and All-American Dave Rimington, but size and functional football strength is a concern.

Positives: Nice size. Long arms. Athletic for size. Good balance and body control. Has the quickness and feet to project to left tackle on the next level. Improved every year. Played in a passing offense and was a very efficient pass-blocker. Also was good in the running game when he wanted to be.

Negatives:  Has the tools to play OLT but was a right tackle in college. Was suspended for the first half of the 2000 opener for fighting in the Citrus Bowl. May be a little immature. Will get a little lazy about bending his knees at times, and when he plays too upright, he loses a good deal of his play strength.

Summary: Could have really benefited from one more year in college to continue to mature and improve, but he still will be a very high pick because of his size and ability.

Positives: Good athlete, worker and person. Moves well for a tackle. Has shown the most improvement of Michigan’s "Big Three" offensive lineman (Jeff Backus, Steve Hutchinson) in the past two years. Is doing a better job of bending his knees and playing with leverage. Has improved his size and strength. Understands blocking angles and position. Is now an efficient run-blocker.

Negatives: Lacks really big bones and features. Is not an overpowering run-blocker. Is cut a little high and can’t really sink his hips and anchor as firmly as teams would like. Has played right — not left — tackle in college.

Summary: An up-and-coming player who could be a starter in the NFL if he continues to improve. Is an effective but not overpowering player who rarely dominates but rarely lets his man make a play.