Minnesota Offensive Lineman- Part 2 Draft Style Evaluations

Hopefully everyone had a tremendous mother’s day weekend and took the time out to say a sincere thank you to the one’s who have raised us!  I know for sure the guys I am about to discuss probably have great female role models who also have had huge hand in helping them develop their giving demeanor (and probably also in feeding them copious amounts of good food)!  Let’s take a look at another group of Minnesota Offensive Lineman, Draft Style!!   [player_tooltip player_id="112106" first="Gage" last="McManemy"]- (Lake Crystal High School) 6’4 250 Lbs. C/o 2023. @gagemcmanemy1 Motor and athleticism pop out to me when watching Gage’s tape.  Many of the early highlights are on defense which gives you an opportunity to see his motor, he does a nice job of playing whistle to whistle.  He also flashes his length when timing up throws and batting balls down as well as blocking kicks.  I do think he translates best to the offensive line.  Offensively he does a nice job finishing and again when he is asked to pull you can see he is light on his feet for such a big frame.  He will need to improve on his pad level as he continues to develop.  He can also keep working on his strike, those long arms will be great weapons once he realizes their full potential.   [player_tooltip player_id="245655" first="Deon" last="Kelson"]- (Apple Valley High School) 6’3 290 Lbs. C/o 2023. @Deon_Kelson For me Deon projects as an interior Offensive Lineman at the next level.  There certainly could be teams that like him on the defensive line as well.  He plays with good snap and has the ability to play with low hips and good leverage as well.  You can see a lot of strength in the run game and the ability to move interior Defensive lineman with his strength and leg drive.  He will need to improve technically at the next level particularly with his footwork as he often can get off balance.  That is not anything new for a high school player who goes both ways.   [player_tooltip player_id="226449" first="Jacob" last="Lopau"]- (Rocori High School) 6’7 300 Lbs. C/o 2023. @JacobLopau Jacob is massive and does a nice job using his length with his lockouts in the pass game.  He needs to work on timing his hands but when he gets his mits on you he is able to finish.  There are a couple of good clips of him re-directing well in space which can always be a concern for a player of his size.  In the pass game he needs to stay more square as he gets off of the line of scrimmage to truly make them play around all his length.  Overall he is an exciting prospect who is raw right now but has a great upside.   [player_tooltip player_id="295966" first="Marcus" last="Johnson"]- (Mayer Lutheran High School) 6’4 300 Lbs. C/o 2023. @JohnsonMarcus79 Marcus is another small school guy who plays both sides of the ball.  I see him projecting to an interior Offensive lineman in college but there could be some that see him as a nose or a 3 technique.  He has heavy hands when he punches and does a nice job using his length in pass pro.  He has a tendency to play too high at times, however, watching his defensive film gives you a great opportunity to see that he can absolutely bend which is a must for college Offensive Lineman.  He needs to continue to work on his footwork but has the tools and demeanor to make an impact at the college level.   [player_tooltip player_id="300633" first="Riley" last="Saltzer"]- (Princeton High School) 6’4 295 Lbs. C/o 2023. @RileySaltzer Ryan’s first step is what initially impresses me.  He does a good job getting off the ball and gaining ground with that step to put himself in a position to succeed.  He thrives in the run game as he usually does a nice job with his punch and is able to control defenders with his hands.  He will need to continue to develop his hip flexibility in order to lower his center of gravity to block better players in the future.  I really see a kid who is coming into his own and is starting to learn to be a finisher as well.   [player_tooltip player_id="225424" first="Jonathan" last="Martin"]- (Spectrum High School) 6’1 300 Lbs. C/o 2023. @martin_jsmn Jon reminds me of an old school interior mauler.  His best ability is on the gap schemes and in the pulling game.  He understands his tracks and what leverage he needs and he doesn’t just block guys he blocks thru them.  He is extremely physical at the point of attack.  Would love to see him as a center as well because I think he has the strength to handle Zero noses.  He will have to develop his footwork and technique in the passing game, but playing inside will allow him to be in tight spaces where he excels.