Alijah Vera-Tucker – Page 10 – Syndication Server

NFL draft rumors: Chargers prefer Rashawn Slater over Penei Sewell

Position flexibility is an intriguing trait to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers enter the draft in hopes of getting one of the top offensive tackles to protect quarterback Justin Herbert’s blindside.

Herbert has publicly expressed that he would love to reunite with his former teammate from Oregon, Penei Sewell.

Landing him would likely require a trade-up, and so would former Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater, who the team might favor over Sewell, another lineman highly sought of.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, a couple of people he has talked to believe Los Angeles is one of the teams that has Slater ranked higher because he’s viewed as more versatile and able to play multiple positions on the line.

Slater proved that he can play the left tackle position at a high level in 2019, but he demonstrated the same capability at right tackle in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Due to his lack of arm length, many believe that he should get kicked inside at the next level, but Slater is technically sound and has the athleticism and smarts to overcome any measurement concerns.

He should be given the opportunity to prove himself at left tackle right off the bat and if he doesn’t pan out, he can easily slide in at guard or center.

The fact that L.A. could have Slater over Sewell due to position versatility makes me wonder if USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker is higher up on the team’s draft board than Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw.

Vera-Tucker put together a solid season as the Trojans’ left tackle this past season and he has plenty of experience at guard, where many project him to play in the NFL due to his lack of arm length.

In my opinion, Vera-Tucker comes with highly impressive athleticism, movement skills and functional strength to match and stymie pass rushers, and I believe he could be a fine blindside blocker in this league.

Only one more day until we find out.

Cory Bonini’s 2021 NFL mock draft 4.0

Check out the final mock draft update for 2021.

Here’s my final 2021 NFL mock draft. I’ve projected a pair of trades inside of the top 10, each denoted with an asterisk.

We published more mock drafts and player profiles than ever before this year, so be sure to check our 2021 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of the offerings.

2021 NFL Mock Draft notables

In the last release, a projected Chicago-Atlanta trade gave the Bears their quarterback of the future. In recent weeks, I’ve come around to the idea of the Falcons taking Florida TE Kyle Pitts here. The offense will find ways to get him involved early on, and new head coach Arthur Smith is a former tight ends coach, so you know he’ll be excited to see what he can do with the phenom.
That doesn’t mean the Bears won’t make a deal to get into the top 10 for a passer. Carolina lessened its need for a cornerback after signing veteran A.J. Bouye, and I don’t see quarterback being a realistic option after the Sam Darnold trade — if for no reason other than politics. There is still a need for receiver help and a tight end upgrade, but both can wait. The Panthers and Bears swap No. 1 picks, in addition to Carolina picking up future choices for going down to No. 20, which enables Chicago to land North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance to learn in the short term behind Andy Dalton. Provided the GM and coaching staff survives, here’s their chance to get it right after whiffing on Mitchell Trubisky.

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I have the New England Patriots mocked for a trade with the Detroit Lions to get into the No. 7 spot to select Justin Fields, leapfrogging other quarterback-needy franchises that may be looking at dealing with Carolina for the eighth pick. Fields can learn for a year behind Cam Newton and then take over in 2022. Josh McDaniels’ system is notoriously complex, and there’s no need to throw Fields to the wolves in the upcoming season’s opening few weeks. If Newton struggles or gets hurt, then all bet are off as to when we’ll see the Ohio State product. I believe McDaniels will indeed replace Bill Belichick one day, and the current OC will have a say in which player he prefers to mold his playbook around.
The trade sends Detroit down to 15, where they can still land the best receiver remaining. It could be DeVonta Smith, if the Philadelphia Eagles find Jaylen Waddle to be a better fit for their plans. Waddle could “fall” a few spots and give Detroit the playmaker it likely would have chosen at No. 7.

Pick	Team	Pos	Player	School
1	Jacksonville Jaguars	QB	Trevor Lawrence	Clemson
2	New York Jets	QB	Zach Wilson	BYU
3	San Francisco 49ers (via MIA>HOU)	QB	Mac Jones	Alabama
4	Atlanta Falcons	TE	Kyle Pitts	Florida
5	Cincinnati Bengals	OT	Penei Sewell	Oregon
6	Miami Dolphins (via PHI)	WR	Ja’Marr Chase	LSU
7	New England Patriots* (via DET)	QB	Justin Fields	Ohio State
8	Chicago Bears* (via CAR)	QB	Trey Lance	North Dakota State
9	Denver Broncos	LB	Micah Parsons	Penn State
10	Dallas Cowboys	CB	Patrick Surtain II	Alabama
11	New York Giants	EDGE	Jaelen Phillips	Miami (Fla.)
12	Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA>SF)	WR	DeVonta Smith	Alabama
13	Los Angeles Chargers	OT	Christian Darrisaw	Virginia Tech
14	Minnesota Vikings	OT	Rashawn Slater	Northwestern
15	Detroit Lions* (via NE)	WR	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama
16	Arizona Cardinals	EDGE	Kwity Paye	Michigan
17	Las Vegas Raiders	LB	Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah	Notre Dame
18	Miami Dolphins	RB	Najee Harris	Alabama
19	Washington Football Team	CB	Caleb Farley	Virginia Tech
20	Carolina Panthers* (via CHI)	OT	Dillon Radunz	North Dakota State
21	Indianapolis Colts	DE	Gregory Rousseau	Miami (Fla.)
22	Tennessee Titans	CB	Jaycee Horn	South Carolina
23	New York Jets (via SEA)	RB	Travis Etienne	Clemson
24	Pittsburgh Steelers	OG/OT	Alijah Vera-Tucker	USC
25	Jacksonville Jaguars (via LAR)	S	Trevon Moehrig	TCU
26	Cleveland Browns	WR	Kadarius Toney	Florida
27	Baltimore Ravens	EDGE	Zaven Collins	Tulsa
28	New Orleans Saints	CB	Greg Newsome II	Northwestern
29	Green Bay Packers	OT	Jalen Mayfield	Michigan
30	Buffalo Bills	EDGE	Azeez Ojulari	Georgia
31	Kansas City Chiefs	OG/C	Landon Dickerson	Alabama
32	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	LB	Nick Bolton	Missouri

*projected trade

Prospect for the Pack: USC OL Alijah Vera-Tucker

Draft profile for USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, a potential pick for the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers will enter the 2021 NFL draft hoping to find a few more valuable pieces to add to an otherwise talented roster after winning 26 regular-season games and making the NFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons under coach Matt LaFleur.

Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect capable of landing in Green Bay later this month.

Up next is USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker:

What he can do

– Played both left and right guard and started for six games at left tackle during the 2020 season. There is Elgton Jenkins-like versatility to his game, with some potential at offensive tackle and a high ceiling inside at guard

– Similar height, weight and agility times as Elgton Jenkins

– Lack of length is a real concern and a major reason why teams will want him inside at guard. Doesn’t have the typical offensive tackle frame. Wide-framed

– Was a dominant player at left tackle for much of 2020. I’d want to see him fail at offensive tackle before committing to a full-time switch inside

– Pass-blocking is a plus trait and a valuable projection to the next level. Could eventually be one of the best interior pass-blockers in football

– Tested like a top athlete even at offensive tackle. RAS of over 9.0 at both tackle and guard

– Showcased all the necessary traits of a guard in the zone run game. Sure-fire scheme fit

– Always on the hunt and looking for work. Awareness is high. Executed well against stunts and twists from both tackle and guard alignments. Football IQ looks high

– Was rarely penalized

– Struggled with future first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux in the Pac-12 title game. Highlighted some of his potential issues at offensive tackle at the next leve

– Team captain in 2020

How he fits

Teams may want to experiment with him at tackle, but he’s a Day 1 starter at guard. With Vera-Tucker on the roster, the Packers could move Jenkins or Lucas Patrick (preferred) to center and not suffer a dropoff of any kind on the interior. Like Jenkins, his experience at offensive tackle would provide another layer of protection at the position, but his upside as a Pro Bowl guard would provide the most immediate and long-term impact. At full strength, the Packers offensive line could look like this, from left to right: David Bakhtiari, Jenkins, Patrick, Vera-Tucker and Billy Turner. The Packers would be dominant on the interior while remaining versatile with the individual pieces. There’s a chance Jenkins and Vera-Tucker could be the best guard tandem in football. But would the Packers want to move up in the first round to take an interior lineman? Steep price to pay.

NFL comp

Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus compared him to former Packers Pro Bowl guard T.J. Lang. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com gave him a Will Hernandez comparison. The two comps highlight his potential at guard, both in pass protection and as a run-blocker.

Where Packers could get him

Most likely in a trade-up scenario should he fall into the 20s. The majority of analysts see Vera-Tucker as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman and a good bet to go within the first 20-25 picks. If the Packers love him and he falls into range, a move up the board could be possible.

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Washington gets offensive help in latest CBS three-round mock draft

The Washington Football Team enter the 2021 NFL draft with few major holes. Two areas of concern for the WFT are offensive tackle

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The Washington Football Team enter the 2021 NFL draft with few major holes. Two areas of concern for the WFT are offensive tackle and linebacker. Washington would also like to find its quarterback of the future, but that’s probably too costly in next week’s draft.

In the latest CBS Sports three-round mock draft by Chris Trapasso, the Football Team gets some help on the offensive line, but not at linebacker. Also, Washington lands an intriguing prospect at quarterback.

At No. 19 overall, Trapasso has Washington going with USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker with Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater off the board. Surprisingly, Christian Darrisaw is still available and goes two picks later to the Indianapolis Colts.

With Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah off the board, Alijah Vera-Tucker was the leading vote-getter over Christian Darrisaw.

I believe Vera-Tucker is going to be a good NFL player. He has All-Pro potential at guard. While Washington could use some help at guard, it isn’t a pressing need. Offensive tackle is.

No one knows if Vera-Tucker will be an offensive tackle in the NFL. There are some who believe Vera-Tucker can be a Pro Bowl offensive tackle.

Darrisaw is clearly an offensive tackle — and a good one.

At pick No. 51, Washington goes with Stanford quarterback Davis Mills.

I see the intrigue with Mills. He has the size, arm strength and accuracy to make it at the next level. There are questions around his injury history and inexperience. Don’t be surprised if someone snags Mills before Washington gets the chance in the second round.

With its two third-round picks, the WFT adds LSU cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. and Notre Dame tight end Tommy Tremble.

I love both of these selections. Vincent opted out of the 2020 season, but he has played the best competition in college football at LSU. He is ready to play immediately and gives Washington an immediate slot defender as Kendall Fuller likely remains on the outside.

Tremble has played behind other talented tight ends at Notre Dame. He has good size (6-foot-4, 247) and athleticism to make an impact in the NFL. Tremble isn’t a traditional tight end, as he is more of a Jordan Reed-type. He can move around the line of scrimmage and make plays downfield. He would be an ideal complement to Logan Thomas.

If Trapasso’s scenario plays out, this would be a solid three-round haul. I would want more immediate help than Mills in round two, but if you like the player, especially at quarterback, you get him.

Alijah Vera-Tucker is ‘one of cleanest, safest picks’ in 2021 draft

Could Vera-Tucker be there at 21?

The Indianapolis Colts have made it clear they will be on the hunt to find a new offensive tackle to replace 10-year veteran Anthony Castonzo, who announced his retirement this offseason.

Looking toward the 2021 NFL draft, the Colts will have their eyes on a number of prospects. That includes former USC offensive tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker, who Daniel Jeremiah called one of the safest prospects in the entire draft.

“I also think along the offensive line, man, I mentioned his name a little bit, but Vera-Tucker, he’s one of my favorite players in the whole draft. He can play darned near anywhere,” Jeremiah said on his pre-draft conference call with the media. “I think he’s going to be an All-Pro guard. He can hold up at tackle if you wanted him to. But you want to get better along that offensive line, I think he’s just one of the cleanest, safest picks in the whole draft.”

It should be noted that most don’t believe Vera-Tucker will be available for the Colts at No. 21 overall. Because of how dominant his play is both as a tackle and potentially as a guard, it’s hard to see him falling to the Colts.

But it is the NFL draft, so anything can happen. Vera-Tucker is being viewed as a guard mostly because of his short arms (32 1/8 inches). But his movement skills, technique and competitive drive would make him a perfect fit for the Colts.

They have also been an organization that doesn’t live and die by the arm length threshold for offensive tackles, which is typically 34 inches. Braden Smith was drafted as a guard in 2018 for this very exact reason but has proven to be one of the best right tackles in the NFL.

This is mostly due to his footwork, mirroring ability and sound technique when it comes to hand placement. Having long arms helps, but it won’t ruin the career of an offensive tackle.

It will be interesting to see if Vera-Tucker is available at No. 21 because if he is, it will be hard for the Colts to trade back from that spot.

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OG Veer-Tucker finds himself viable trade-back draft option for Cowboys

Dallas has options at 10 and targets if they move back. The USC product may fall into the latter, but could be just what the doc ordered.

Earlier this week on 105.3 The Fan, exeuctive VP Stephen Jones spoke about trade interest in the Dallas Cowboys’ No. 10 pick, stating, “We’re starting to get a few calls, and I think it will only pick up as we get closer to next Thursday. It will only pick up.” With 10 selections in this years draft its likely the Cowboys do some moving around but the big question is would they be willing to move out of their first-round slot if it meant moving away from offensive tackles Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater, or cornerbacks Patrick Surtain or Jaycee Horn.

Generally, when a team trades out of a pick they have a target group of players they would feel comfortable drafting from their new position. Who could be a target for the Cowboys? Greg Newsome, the corner from Northwestern could be in play. Maybe Micha Parsons the Penn State linebacker or Kwitty Paye the pass rusher from Michigan. One prospect who should be garnering much more conversation with the top players at their position is Alijah Vera-Tucker the OT/OG from USC.

6 prospects who could keep Colts from trading No. 21 pick

Who could keep Indy from trading back?

With the 2021 NFL draft officially one week away, the Indianapolis Colts will be weighing their options of staying put at No. 21 overall and selecting a player or moving back to add more picks in later rounds.

We have talked plenty about the Colts trading down from No. 21 in the draft. Because they gave up their third-rounder in the trade for Carson Wentz, it’s easy to see Chris Ballard trading back to recoup a pick in that round.

We have already taken a look at which teams the Colts could trade with and the history that comes along with trading back from the No. 21 pick.

But what happens if a player the Colts really like falls to their pick? Ballard won’t automatically trade back if there’s a player high on their board that’s available.

So let’s take a look at six prospects who could keep the Colts from trading back from the No. 21 pick:

Todd McShay makes three picks for the Vikings in a recent mock draft

Who do you think the Minnesota Vikings should take in the 2021 NFL draft in April?

The Minnesota Vikings have 10 picks in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft. The draft, which starts on April 29, will be one of the more important ones for the Vikings in recent memory.

This is not a Minnesota team in the midst of a rebuild. Yet, the Vikings have to add some players who are presumably expected to come in and contribute right away.

Minnesota has three picks in the first three rounds at the moment, so the team will have to make the most of them. ESPN’s Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. recently did a dual mock draft where they made those picks for the Vikings. It just so happened that McShay made all of the Vikings’ picks, so here they are:

Morning mock draft: PFF slots versatile OL to Bills

Buffalo Bills select Alijah Vera-Tucker in Pro Football Focus 2021 NFL Draft mock.

In Pro Football Focus‘ latest mock ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft on Monday, the Buffalo Bills select USC prospect Alijah Vera-Tucker.

While the Bills did address their offensive line during free agency via re-signing the likes of Jon Feliciano and Daryl Williams, Vera-Tucker could still be a positive addition.

First, here’s PFF’s breakdown of the pick:

Vera-Tucker has had success at both guard and tackle at USC, and that versatility only enhances his value. He was excellent in pass protection last year at tackle, allowing only eight pressures on 305 attempts. He allowed just seven pressures on 590 attempts at guard in 2019.

Vera-Tucker has some stickiness as a run-blocker, especially at the second level, where he can lock onto linebackers to open up running lanes. He can start immediately at guard while doubling as a swing tackle in Buffalo.

Along the offensive line the Bills don’t have any glaring spots that need to be addressed. In addition to Feliciano, Cody Ford and Ike Boettger will both be back at guard. In the short term, that position would be Vera-Tucker’s best chance to start in 2021.

Vera-Tucker’s prowess as a run blocker is an intriguing prospect for the Bills by comparison to those returning. Perhaps his addition could help running backs Devin Singletary and Zack Moss improve from their form in 2020, which was well below a good standard.

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Cletis Cutts’ 2021 NFL mock draft

Check out the latest mock draft from our staff at The Huddle.

Cletis Cutts’ mock draft of 2021 is now out. Sound off on social media and let us know what you think.

We’ll be unveiling more mock drafts than ever before this year, so be sure to check back with our 2021 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of our offerings.

2021 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

Pick	Team	Pos	Player	School
1	Jacksonville Jaguars	QB	Trevor Lawrence	Clemson
2	New York Jets	QB	Zach Wilson	BYU
3	San Francisco 49ers (via MIA>HOU)	QB	Trey Lance	North Dakota State
4	Atlanta Falcons	TE	Kyle Pitts	Florida
5	Cincinnati Bengals	OT	Penei Sewell	Oregon
6	Miami Dolphins (via PHI)	WR	Ja’Marr Chase	LSU
7	Detroit Lions	WR	DeVonta Smith	Alabama
8	Carolina Panthers	OT	Rashawn Slater	Northwestern
9	Denver Broncos	QB	Justin Fields	Ohio State
10	Dallas Cowboys	CB	Patrick Surtain II	Alabama
11	New York Giants	LB	Micah Parsons	Penn State
12	Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA>SF)	WR	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama
13	Los Angeles Chargers	OT	Christian Darrisaw	Virginia Tech
14	Minnesota Vikings	DE	Gregory Rousseau	Miami (Fla)
15	New England Patriots	QB	Mac Jones	Alabama
16	Arizona Cardinals	CB	Jaycee Horn	South Carolina
17	Las Vegas Raiders	OG	Alijah Vera-Tucker	USC
18	Miami Dolphins	DE	Kwity Paye	Michigan
19	Washington Football Team	LB	J. Owusu-Koramoah	Notre Dame
20	Chicago Bears	CB	Caleb Farley	Virginia Tech
21	Indianapolis Colts	DE	Jaelen Phillips	Miami (Fla)
22	Tennessee Titans	CB	Greg Newsome II	Northwestern
23	New York Jets (via SEA)	RB	Travis Etienne	Clemson
24	Pittsburgh Steelers	RB	Najee Harris	Alabama
25	Jacksonville Jaguars (via LAR)	S	Trevon Moehrig	TCU
26	Cleveland Browns	LB	Jamin Davis	Kentucky
27	Baltimore Ravens	WR	Rashod Bateman	Minnesota
28	New Orleans Saints	DT	Christian Barmore	Alabama
29	Green Bay Packers	WR	Kadarius Toney	Florida
30	Buffalo Bills	LB	Azeez Ojulari	Georgia
31	Kansas City Chiefs	OT	Teven Jenkins	Oklahoma State
32	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	WR	Elijah Moore	Mississippi