Offensive Tackle Fisher is built in the current mold of athletic, agile left tackles that move well in space. Pass protection is his strong point as he sets a strong anchor and mirrors pass rushers with aplomb. Even when a speed rusher turns the corner on him, he usually recovers in time to push them out of harm’s way. He’s similar to Joeckel as a run blocker, but with less strength to move blockers backwards. Needs to add some weight and has the perfect frame to do so. All-Star game: As with any smallschool prospects, Fisher had to convince scouts he could compete with the big boys. By all accounts, Fisher accomplished this and more at this year’s Senior Bowl.
Going up against top defensive end prospects Datone Jones and Alex Okafor in practice, Fisher was so impressive, he was named the bowl’s top overall practice performer for the week by executive director Phil Savage. Fisher excelled in one-onone drills and showed that his pass protection skills would hold up against top competition. During the game, Fisher was downright dominant, doing what he pleased with whomever was lined up across from him. He made it look so easy, you would have thought he was the big-school player going against lesser competition. Fisher’s Senior Bowl propelled him into the category of “probable top-ten pick.”
3) Lane Johnson School: Oklahoma, Sr. Height: 6’ 6” Weight: 305 lbs. 40-Yard Dash: 4.72 Bench Press: 28
While Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher are more “NFL-ready” at the present time, Johnson could be at the same level in another year or two and may have a higher potential upside than those two higher-rated prospects. College career: Johnson is one of the more interesting stories among this year’s offensive tackles. As a freshman at Kilgore College, Johnson played quarterback.
In a nutshell: Adams has taken a back seat to oth A former quarterback and tight end, Johnson’s athleticism is off the charts for an offensive tackle (4.72 40-yard dash at He transferred to Oklahoma (OU) as a tight end, redshirted for a year the Combine). and spent his second year at OU iniHe has the natural bend, quick feet, tially at tight end and then moved to mirroring ability and flexibility defensive end. scouts drool over these days in left offensive tackles. What he doesn’t Although he liked defensive end, he admittedly wasn’t lighting the world have is very much experience. on fire. During the following year Johnson has come on strong, how- when injuries prompted the OU ever, going from never having played coaches to ask Johnson to switch tackle two years ago to a probable to the other side of the ball, he begrudgingly agreed. top-15 pick in the Draft. He needs work in the weight room to turn all those newly added pounds (“a lot of chocolate milk,” by his own account) into muscle, especially in his lower half. The good news is Johnson has a frame that can easily carry more weight and muscle. As an added bonus, he sports 35” arms. Johnson’s football intelligence is also in the higher percentile range, so starting year one on a team that can afford to live with some growing pains is a definite possibility and would only serve to accelerate his development.
47 | Cheesehead TV 2013 Draft Preview
Despite zero previous experience at the position, the academic All-Big XII’s intelligence helped him pick up the offense quickly, and he was immediately inserted as the starter at right tackle. In 2012, he won a three-way competition for the starting left tackle position and spent the season adeptly protecting the blind side of OU quarterback Landry Jones.
“one of the more
interesting stories” CheeseheadTV.com