NFL Draft Head 2 Head: Long vs. Gallery

Michigan's Jake Long is the best OT in the 2008 draft. His attributes and stature are similar to another former top OT prospect, the Raiders Robert Gallery. Scout.com’s Chris Steuber puts Long and Gallery Head 2 Head and compares Long's potential situation in Miami to Gallery's in Oakland.

Jake Long Michigan's Jake Long has the attitude, character, feel and look to be considered the next great OT prospect... Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Entering the NFL: Height: 6-7 Weight: 313 Scouting Combine 40-time: 5.22 Pro Day 40-time: Did not run Bench Press (225 Lb.): 37 reps With great power comes great responsibility. Being the No. 1 selection in the draft is quite an honor, and to hear your name first amongst your fellow classmates is quite a thrill. As you walk across the podium with streams of flashes ignited, you're the first to shake the hand of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who welcomes you to the league. But that welcome usually becomes a warning as the top selection ends up with the worst team. Not since 1997 has their been an offensive tackle taken No. 1 overall, when the St. Louis Rams selected Ohio State standout Orlando Pace. But since '97, there have only been six tackles taken in the top five: Chris Samuels (3rd overall in 2000), Mike Williams (4th overall in 2002), Robert Gallery (2nd overall in 2004), D'Brickashaw Ferguson (4th overall in 2006), Joe Thomas (3rd overall in 2007) and Levi Brown (5th overall in 2007). Michigan's Jake Long is considered to be one of three candidates (Jake Long, Chris Long and Vernon Gholston) this year to be the top player selected. But the Dolphins targeted Long as the first prospect they entered preliminary contract negotiations with, and it has caused speculation that he's the player the Dolphins have identified as the top pick. If that's the case, the situation Long faces in Miami is eerily familiar to the one Iowa OT Robert Gallery was drafted into when he went to Oakland. Just like Gallery, Long would arrive in Miami with a new regime in place - with Bill Parcells making the decisions in the front office and former Cowboys assistant head coach/offensive line coach Tony Sparano making the decisions on the field - and will ultimately be an immediate starter from day one. Long's versatility gives the Dolphins options, but without a solid quarterback and a reliable running back, as well as inexperienced wide receivers, the potential impact Long may have on the Dolphins will go unnoticed and leave the door open for criticism. The offensive line situation doesn't bode well for Long . The Dolphins signed free agent guard Justin Smiley this off season away from the San Francisco 49ers, but the team still needs to acquire a left guard, unless they plan on starting journeyman Trey Darilek. If the season started today, the average age of the starting offensive line is one of the youngest in the league at 25 years old. Depending on the coaching staff's preference, Long will play right or left tackle, most likely left tackle, and allow former first round pick Vernon Carey to move back to his natural right tackle position where he played prior to the 2007 season. Without the presence of an All-Pro lineman to help Long develop, it will be an on the job training approach in Miami. Even though Long appears to be a quality lineman and one of the top prospects in this draft, he won't have the luxury of having a solid cast of linemen surrounding him. He will also be in an offense that doesn't have the offensive weapons that would help him gain the recognition he deserves.			Robert Gallery But just four years ago, another highly touted OT prospect had that same feel, but the situation didn't fit the talent. AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall Entering the NFL: Height: 6-7 Weight: 323 Scouting Combine 40-time: 4.98 Pro Day 40-time: 4.98 Bench Press (225 Lb.): 24 reps The NFL Draft process is not an exact science. You can attend every game in a player's career, go back and review all of the film, interview him at the Scouting Combine and take him out to dinner to find out what kind of person he really is, but all of that doesn't matter until you take a leap of faith and throw him into the fire in a league full of men. "If you entered all the (components) into the computer, and it spit out the model of what an NFL offensive left tackle is supposed to look like, it would be that guy right there," said Buffalo Bills offensive line coach Jim McNally of Gallery at the 2004 Scouting Combine."He sure looks like a player, doesn't he?" That's at least what the Oakland Raiders believed when they drafted Gallery with the second pick in the 2004 draft. Gallery had everything you looked for in a offensive tackle: size, speed, athleticism, experience, versatility and technique. But the one thing he was lacking was ability to play every down with a consistent mean streak that would give him the edge to dominate. The reason for the inconsistent play can easily be placed on Gallery's shoulders. But from the time he entered the league until now, he's moved around more on the offensive line than any lineman in the league. Gallery's situation in Oakland was unstable from the start. The Raiders didn't have an identity and hired a new head coach, Norv Turner, to try and figure out the direction the team was headed. Drafting a versatile offensive lineman like Gallery gave Oakland the mind set that he was a guy who could play anywhere on the line and dominate, regardless of the position. Gallery was an exceptional left tackle at Iowa, and when he was drafted, the Raiders toyed with the idea of playing him at guard, and he even saw some action at guard in his first game. But after his first game, Gallery was moved to right tackle where he played for two seasons (2004-2005). In 2006, Gallery finally got the opportunity to start at his comfortable left tackle position and played well, but was plagued by injuries that forced him to miss six games. This past season, Gallery was healthy and ready to get back to play LT, but the Raiders decided that guard was the best position for him and he started every game at LG. Entering his fifth season, the expectations have dwindled for this once promising prospect that many believed was going to be a perennial Pro Bowl lineman. The word "bust" follows Gallery everywhere he goes, but he's been fairly durable throughout his career, playing in 58 of a possible 64 games. He's still a young player (27), who has a chance to revive his career in an offense that has a new starting quarterback every season. This year is no different, as the JaMarcus Russell era begins in Oakland. Maybe with another year at the guard position, Gallery will finally realize his true potential.
CONCLUSION When you look at Long and Gallery physically, they’re very comparable. Their physical stature is imposing and dominant and they were extremely successful at the collegiate level in the same conference (Big Ten). They were both four-year starters, versatile athletes and a handful for defensive ends to combat against. But just because they share similar traits, that doesn’t mean their careers will pattern each other. Long has great potential and all the tools to be a great OT, but the situation may overrule the talent. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Long is a physical all-around lineman who possesses a mean streak that terrifies the opposition. He excels as a run blocker with his explosion off the snap, as he delivers a viscous punch that knocks defenders back. He’s a great finisher and doesn’t stop until the whistle blows. He’s an experienced player who understands the game and brings a great deal of leadership qualities with him. In pass protection, Long has to extend his arms better and not allow defenders to get in on his body. As good as he is driving off the line in running situations, Long has to initiate contact in pass protection. He struggles against speedy defenders who have quick feet. Long is susceptible to leaning outside to defend a speed rusher, and leaves an opening inside for the defender to counter and exploit. Gallery was a dominant player at Iowa and ended up being a top selection, but the situation in Oakland hasn't been a fit. AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall Long’s nastiness is exactly what Gallery was missing when he came out of Iowa. Gallery was a tremendous pass blocker in college, who used his athleticism to his advantage. He had great technique. He moved well laterally, played with great body lean and dominated the opposition at the point of attack. He was smart and understood his blocking assignments, but his biggest flaw was his lack of strength as a run blocker. He struggled getting off the line, didn’t possess great leg drive and failed to finish blocks consistently. It’s obvious that the Dolphins are interested in Long, but what’s their true interest? Did they start negotiations with Long to work out a legitimate deal with him before the draft so they know he won’t hold out this season? Or are they strategically positioning themselves to make a deal with one of the four teams below them – the Rams, Falcons, Raiders and Chiefs – so they can acquire more picks in a draft that doesn’t have a true No. 1 pick? I believe the answer is the latter, and the Dolphins will make every attempt to trade the top pick. This is not to say that Long isn't a quality prospect, because that's not the case. Long is a better prospect now than Gallery was when he entered the draft and Long will be a better pro. But in an ideal world, I think the best situation for Long is to end up in Oakland to team up with Gallery. A member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America, Chris Steuber has provided his analysis of the NFL and NFL Draft prospects on the web and on the radio since 1999.