NFL Combine: Offensive Linemen Prove Position Depth

With day two of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in the books, one position group that stood out was the offensive linemen. View the story to see who shined brightest.

On day two of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, the offensive line position showed just how deep the class is. This is the first draft since 2013 that we could see an offensive lineman drafted first overall. Several players moved their names up NFL Draft boards with a strong performance in Combine drills. Here are some of the offensive linemen that caught our eye.

Offensive Linemen Showing Superb Athleticism

One of the major traits that stood out was the overall athleticism of these prospects. During the Wave Drill, which forces you to move your feet, gain ground, and react, Ikem Ekwonu displayed his tremendous footwork and the ability to gain ground. His measured wingspan (84 2/8"), combined with his movement skills and the ability to marry his footwork with his hand technique, verified that he will be a tackle at the next level, despite rumblings of teams wanting to move him inside to guard.

During the interviews, when Ekwonu was asked about the chance to be the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he said: "It would mean a lot to me, be the third N.C. State player to be No. 1 overall. I've worked really hard throughout my years at N.C. State and throughout the offseason. I wouldn't be shocked if I went No. 1 overall. I feel like that is something I put the work in for it. I feel like when the time comes, I would deserve it."

One prospect that surprised during the Wave Drill was Dawson Deaton, the center from Texas Tech. He showed off his athleticism with quick feet and the ability to eat up the turf. During the pulling drills, he quickly got out of his stance with an explosive kick-step and fluid hips out of the turn. Ranked as the 35th overall guard in the NFL Draft Bible rankings, Deaton has the position versatility to play along the interior of the offensive line. He likely did enough to move up those rankings and proved he should be drafted in this strong class of offensive linemen.

Dawson Deaton is a OC prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.68 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 17 out of 497 OC from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/3u2iVmx6Yr #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/CzVDTnxFGx

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 5, 2022

A prospect that many had their eyes on was the interior offensive lineman from Boston College, Zion Johnson. He's built quite differently than most offensive linemen—possessing a dense, but strong upper half and a thick and powerful lower half. He was an extremely smooth mover in the Wave Drill, quickly getting his feet out of the dirt and keeping a wide base, never bringing his cleats together (heel-clicking, which causes balance issues). Johnson showed ridiculous athleticism in all the drills that he performed. His movement was effortless in the pulling drills, changing direction with ease when he got to the turn. Johnson showed a fluid lower half in his kick-slide and paired his hands with his feet in the bag drills.

Another prospect that was a pleasant surprise was the Memphis offensive lineman, Dylan Parham. His explosiveness and quick step out of his stance were evident. He was fluid in his hips and moved effortlessly through the down-blocking drill and in the bag drills. He also showed the pop in his hands and the ability to move with fluidity while covering a lot of ground. Parham's showing of proper punch timing with great athleticism will have him shooting up NFL Draft boards.

When he was asked about playing three out of five offensive line positions at Memphis, this is what Parham had to say: "I just want to be competitive at every position when I get to the league—having that availability at any position. I really do enjoy the center position. I'm learning it as I go along, so I'm just continuing to work at that, making that easy, making calls, making checks. Feels very natural at this point."

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