The 2007 NFL Draft is less than a week away, so THN is taking a look at each position’s top five prospects. Up next are the centers:
#1
Name: Ryan Kalil
Class: Senior
School: USC
Height: 6030
Weight: 297 pounds
About the only knock on Kalil was his size but he showed up at the NFL Combine with fifteen extra pounds and still looked as quick and fluid as ever. In fact, he was one of THE best looking prospects at the Combine. His unique combination of quickness and intelligence will be an asset to some lucky NFL team. He’s a justifiable first round pick but centers don’t typically go in the first round, so he may slip to the early second round.
#2
Name: Samson Satele
Class: Senior
School: Hawaii
Height: 6020
Weight: 311 pounds
Very quick, and very athletic but having played in an almost exclusive passing offense, some of his technique will need to be improved on to excel at the next level. He’s a solid second round pick.
#3
Name: Doug Datish
Class: Senior
School: Ohio State
Height: 6040
Weight: 302 pounds
A veritable rover; Datish can literally play any position on the offensive line, including long snapper. Played behind Nick Mangold who walked right on to the Jets starting line last year. Datish could do the same and should hear his name called some time on the first day.
#4
Name: Dustin Fry
Class: Senior
School: Clemson
Height: 6030
Weight: 315 pounds
Extreme strength; he bench presses over 500 pounds. His great use of leverage and an excellent punch make him a miserable opponent for defensive tackles. Needs to work on his technique and foot speed, but his drive blocking will entice someone to make him a first day selection.
#5
Name: Leroy Harris
Class: Senior
School: NC State
Height: 6030
Weight: 302 pounds
Great college career having started 42 straight games since his freshman year, and played all three interior line positions last season. He suffered an ankle injury late in the season that kept him out of two contests, but that shouldn’t stop Harris from coming off of the board in the first three rounds.
Check out more at THN’s exclusive 2007 NFL Draft section.
Edit: This blog was archived in May of 2016 from our original articles database.It was originally posted by Mark Solway