Tuesday, April 13, 2010

State of the Franchise - Draft Roundtable Edition - Part 3

Here is the final piece of the Chiefs draft roundtable.  One of the popular picks from mock drafts for the Chiefs is Bryan Bulaga, OT - Iowa.  Thankfully, I have a friend from Iowa and this side of Kirk Ferentz I am convinced nobody knows more about Iowa football than he does.  As such, I retained his services for an analysis on Bulaga.  For part one of the draft roundtable see here and for part two see here.


Hello jeff-report loyalists, I’m going to be pinch-hitting for Jeff on part 3 of Chief’s Draft Roundtable, not because I know anything about the Chiefs (other than Chief’s fan have this unbecoming tradition where they chant and point that they chant at opposing fans “we’re going to beat the hell out of you” at Arrowhead) but because I know something about Iowa Left Tackle Bryan Bulaga, the subject of Part 3.

I’ll start about analogizing Bulaga to a Honda Civic; nobody really “craves” a Honda Civic or in Iowa Football Coach Kirk Ferentz’s words the Civic “is not sexy,”  but purchasers are pretty happy with their Civic after then have driven the roomy, 6-seater-family vehicle over 150,000 miles with minimal repair costs or problems. Bulaga is much the same; he isn’t sexy but will be a dependable and effective NFL lineman who approaches the game the right way and can be cog on the Chief’s  o-line for years to come.

The Case for a LT at # 5: First, positional cost highly favors drafting a LT at the # 5 position. No matter who the Chief’s select they will have to pay the pick some astronomical amount money, such that he could reopen all the schools the KCMO school district just closed. At least LT is a “money” position, thus paying a LT rookie a high price makes more cap sense than making Eric Berry one of the highest paid safeties in the league as a rookie.  Second, positional value also favors LT. Anyone who has seen “The Blind Side” is acutely aware of the value of a hulking but nimble LT (and is aware that Sandra Bullock is hot for being old). The Chief’s have invested in Matt Cassel, part of that investment is ensuring he has the time throw the ball.


The Case for Bulaga: Bulaga has been an exceptional talent since he came to Iowa. He is one the few players to start as a true freshman o-lineman for Iowa, and the only lineman to be successful as a true freshman. He is a focused, disciplined, and coachable player. Bulaga will bring a business-like approach to the game; he will be diligent in conditioning, preparation, and technique improvement. If I’m the Chief’s and I’m investing # 5 money in a player, then I want to make sure my selection has the right demeanor, Bulaga does. Athletically, he is above-average, however probably not elite for NFL LT’s.  He is a true junior, thus strength wise he likely will continual to mature.  He probably needs to continue to develop lower-body strength, but strength should not be an asset. His technique is still raw, at least in Ferentz’s opinion. However, Ferentz has a reputation of being an O-line guru and was an NFL offensive-line coach before making Iowa a college football dynasty (I’m biased), so Bulaga has received good coaching.  There is no reason to think Bulaga will not continue to refine his technique in the NFL. Bulaga is also a fairly physical player, especially on run-blocking. He showed good drive and some nastiness, and he could often be spotted 5 yards down-field assaulting some poor LB. 
       
The Weaknesses of Bulaga: As I said earlier he is not an NFL LT elite athlete. His feet are good but not great. He had some trouble this year with speed-rushers. Particularly UM’s Brandon Graham and UW’s O’Brien Schofield; however these were the first 2 DE’s Bulaga faced after coming back from 3 game absence do to a thyroid condition (so some of his struggles may be attributable to rust). Each player showed a penchant to beat Bulaga on a speed rush outside. After beating Bulaga outside, they were able to beat him across his face to the inside which a quick speed move.  In the NFL Bulaga will need to refine technique to deal with these speed rushers because his feet are probably not elite enough to overcome average technique. Bulaga showed no problems with “power” DE’s and he dominated GA Tech’s Derrick Morgan (projected Top 20 pick) in the Orange Bowl.

Overall: The Chief’s will get a solid dependable player if they pick Bulaga. If he doesn’t have the feet to become a great LT, he could be a mainstay at RT or an in-line mauler at a guard position. However, the Chief’s likely will only draft him if they think he can play LT, and I think Bulaga will be an effective LT in the league. His business approach, strong frame, above-average athleticism, and general fluidity* will make him successful. He might not be an annual pro-bowl guy or a guy who gets a ton of hype but a player who keeps his QB clean and competes every game.     
  
Look forward to Part 196 of Chief’s Draft Roundtable, when I will return to give my opinion on whether the Chief’s should draft, at # 5, Iowa special team’s ace, senior walk-on Jayme Murphy, aka “the Irish Carbomb.”

*coincidentally, these are also the characteristics Jeff looks for in an ideal mating partner

No comments:

Post a Comment