The team that gets Thomas can go ahead and cross LT off the list of needs for the next 10 years. The All-American can dance with speed rushers and escort ballcarriers around the corner. Joe's rare athleticism meshes well with a very sound all around game. A closer look does reveal flaws, He comes with a surgically repaired right knee. You would like to see him play a little meaner with his initial punch as a pass blocker and get a little stronger push in the running game. Thomas has the makeup to improve in these areas - that only adds possible appreciation to the safe investment Thomas embodies. He'll start from day one. He should not last past Arizona's #5.

Bad Bad Levi Brown can turn defenders into roadkill on running plays and neutralize pass rushers once he gets his hands on them. In a somewhat frustrating fashion, his ability to do these things consistently is just not there. There is nothing that will hold Brown back athletically from being an shutdown LT. His work ethic opens the possibility that he'll be able to tighten up his game, but counting on that kind of improvement from your first round pick is risky business. Some even argue that he's destined to play RT. Brown will likely be a boom/bust investment in the top 10-15.

No tackle has done more for himself since the end of season than Joe Staley. Numbers are king at this time of year, and Staley's are gaudy. 33.5" arms, a 4.79 40, and short shuttle (4.40) and 3 cone (7.09) times that would fit in among RBs! To top it all off, he's a good kid that leaves it all out on the field. Staley plays LT somewhat like a converted TE at this point, but if he builds some bulk and irons out the wrinkles in his game, he could rival Thomas for best OT in this class. His astounding Pro Day likely got him into the first round.

Ugoh's long frame and natural quickness say shutdown left tackle. His game says guard. Ugoh's strong punch and killer instinct should be a huge asset whether stays at tackle or shifts inside. There are lingering questions about his dedication to the game, and he seems to tune in and out at times - increasing the bust risk that goes along with the upside of the athletic ability to excel as an LT in the NFL.

Free certainly has an ideal frame for an NFL LT. His mobility, quickness, and agility as a former TE are also major assets. Smarts and a great work ethic would indicate success in Free's future, but images of TCU DE Tommy Blake abusing him in his final collegiate game are hard to shake. If Free is going to succeed in the NFL, he MUST develop more of a fighter's mentality in his playing style - he just doesn't seem to stun pass rushers with a hard punch or bulldoze defenders as a run blocker very often. This will be partially addressed as he gets stronger in the upper body, but it's also about his approach to the game. Some will tell you Free will make it as a guard, some will say he'll make it as an LT - that he was just limited by a stress fracture in his foot this year, and others will tell you that he's going to be a complete bust.

Like Staley, Marten has improved his draft stock in the postseason, not with outstanding workout numbers, but instead by taking advantage of a Senior Bowl slot that opened up when Joe Thomas opted out. Marten's mean and intense game caught the attention of many spectators at practices - often getting into scraps with defenders. His upside is capped by a lack of exceptional quickness or strength. His frame could definitely stand to fill out as he strives to fulfill the likely RT role he will be assigned by the team that drafts him. He's another BC O-Lineman that gets by on tenacity more than physical gifts.

Barbre was by far one of the most athletic tackles at the combine. He fit in with the best tackle prospects in the draft athletically, so it's no surprise that he dominated at the DII level and had no problem excelling vs. a higher level of competition at the Texas vs. the Nation game. Barbre might not have the frame to stick at LT, or bulk to stick at RT - so guard could be in his future. He's also raw in most every facet of his game. Still, few big uglies in this draft class can move like Barbre. His athleticism, work ethic, and tenacity should add up to a stalwart starting lineman, especially on a team that asks its line to move a lot like Denver or Houston.

Bender is soaring up draft boards and threatening Allen Barbre for the honor of first small school lineman selected at the draft. Like Barbre, he has the athleticism to hang in the NFL, and ruled the 1-AA ranks the way you would expect him to. He's also got the frame to stay at LT, and his intangibles on and off the field are only a plus. He's a project, but one that could pay huge dividends down the line.

All Otto does is consistently keep pass rushers at bay with his great feet, agility, and long arms. He's also got the overall athleticism to lead block on traps and pulls. He's lower on this list than his less productive counterparts because he seems destined for RT, but he will have to bulk up and develop more of a mean streak/mauler mentality to carry over his success to the next level. Still, the team that drafts Otto will get a smart, hard working player with an endless motor and the will to play through pain.

Harris is another enigmatic tackle that is truly an "eye of the beholder" player. Harris demonstrated the athleticism, strength, and technique needed to play LT in the NFL, and he's got an ideal frame. Wavering intensity and spotty fundamentals plague his game and cast a big bust risk shadow over his draft stock. Harris was basically owned at the Senior Bowl by every kind of pass rusher. Like Doug Free, his possible fates range from shutdown LT to extreme disappointment.

If there was an OT/OG category, Yanda would be third behind Justin Blalock and Arron Sears. Yanda ends up in the tackle rankings instead of guard because he does have the feet and quicks to possibly stay at tackle. Of course, that means right tackle, which is problematic because Yanda is far from a mauler. In fact, the first thing you notice about Yanda is his underdeveloped physique, both upper and lower body. Still, Yanda's a natural as a lead blocker on pulls and traps, and he comes with a Kirk Ferentz pedigree, so he's likely to stick as a starter somewhere on the line, just not right away.

Koets is more technician than destroyer, but he's also an above average athlete for a guy his size. Koets' sound technique and mind for the game lay the foundation for a possible future starter at LT. You want to see him develop that killer instinct that an NFL LT needs, and he'll definitely need to add bulk. The raw materials, especially the quickness, are there, Koets just needs to play more like a gladiator.

Mario's another one of those guys that present a rare combo of a long, large frame and athleticism, but the holes in his game are considerably larger than other "might be" guys in this class of tackles. Henderson never came close to living up to the expectations his raw ability created until his Senior year. He carried that over into the Shrine Game practices, and just might have convinced a team that they can unlock that considerable upside. He moves well and just seems physically designed to play LT in the pros, but he'll have to get tougher, stronger, and more consistent if he wants to continue to earn a paycheck playing football.

Do you feel lucky? Like some others on this list, Hall's physical profile as a converted TE means he has the rare size/physical ability combo to stick at LT in the NFL. The problem is that he has a short and track record of sporadic play. He hasn't come close to a dominant, or even consistently effective level of play. Still, if you project out his most optimistic scenario, he could develop into a starting LT, one of the rarest of commodities in the NFL. He'll be an intriguing second day boom/bust pick.

Frye is athletic, strong, and extremely inexperienced. He didn't start until his senior year, and it shows. He's a project that could pay off huge down the line, but he'll need to get meaner and more consistent if he hopes to stick in the NFL. He fits more of an RT profile, or even guard.

Worth Mentioning:

Julius Wilson, UAB 6'5" 327 - Wilson is a big, mean, athletic lineman who needs to work on his technique. He might benefit from a move inside to guard.

Stephon Heyer, Maryland, 6'7" 334 - Heyer is a man-mountain, and he moves well, but his game is sloppy.

Elliot Vallejo, Cal-Davis, 6'7" 327 - Vallejo's size, strength and athleticism suggest that he has starter upside, but his game is a block of marble that will need to be sculpted for a few years to get results.

Chase Johnson, Wyoming, 6'9" 330 - Johnson looks like an NFL LT, but he needs to play stronger and meaner. You would also expect a player with his ability to stand out more against the lower level of competition he played at. Johnson's good IntaJuice North-South game has his stock on the rise.

Herb Taylor, TCU, 6'4" 296 - Taylor is a mobile, experienced RT who probably projects better as a guard, although I was impressed with his play at LT at the Shrine Game practices.

Corey Hilliard, Oklahoma State, 6'5" 308 - Hilliard is a mean, strong RT who does more damage in tight spaces than on the move. He's another college tackle who might be better served by a move inside to guard..

Daniel Parrish, Florida A&M, 6'6" 340 - You've gotta love Parrish's natural size, and he moves well for a guy with his own gravitational pull, but everything about his game screams project.

Jermon Bushrod, Towson, 6'5" 315 - Bushrod is yet another small school LT who has the goods. He will be a second day steal if he makes a smooth transition to the next level.

Steve Vallos, Wake Forest, 6'3" 305 - Vallos was the leader of the Demon Deacons line and a big reason they shocked everyone by winning the ACC title and playing in the BCS. He's a technician and tenacious player, but he's also a classic example of a player whose game might not translate to the next level because he lacks the natural strength and athleticism needed to hang in the NFL. Guard may be in his future.

Johnathan Palmer, Auburn, 6'4" 326 - Not many players can say they started at guard, tackle, and center during their college career. Palmer has the physical tools to stick in the NFL, but his technique and intensity are somewhat lacking.

Chris Denman, Fresno State, 6'7" 315 - Denman is an overachiever who had a productive career at RT for the Bulldogs, but he might lack the athleticism to stay at tackle, and the strength to move inside and play guard.

Dane Uperesa, Hawaii, 6'5" 309 - Like Denman, Uperesa is an overachiever who lacks NFL athleticism, but his sound all-around game should allow him to play at a backup level at guard or RT.