Branden Albert: Ready for the Big Time

[Jetscode1]

Nice article from scout.com on Branden Albert. Would love for him to drop into secound round.

When the offensive linemen put their skills on display at the 2008 Scouting Combine, Virginia guard Branden Albert will be one of the most intriguing prospects. Though the underclassman has excelled on the inside, there are those who believe he's ready to start transitioning to tackle -- the first step in his dream of being the pointman on an NFL offensive line.

It's safe to say that the NFL Draft is as much about opportunity as it is about talent. Teams will go on late-round runs at a certain position, and better players sometimes slip through the cracks and into a later round. The 2008 running backs class went from "blah" to magnificent when a horde of underclassmen, eager to get their hands in with a chance that might not be there next year. So it is with Virginia guard Branden Albert, who came out of Al Groh's offense after his junior year and immediately rocketed to the top of a very iffy guard class. Evaluators who have seen him believe that not only is Albert the best guard in the draft, but that he might wind up in the middle of a very strong tackle class. Some think that with his speed to get to the second level and pulling ability, the 6-7, 315-pound All-ACC first-teamer would project very well outside. He is that intriguing combination of athleticism and nastiness that gets pro scouts thinking.

On Thursday, Albert was thinking about the circumstances that made him decide to declare for the draft a year early. Raised at the college level on Al Groh's pro-style offense, he has a head start when it comes to the next level. But as he told the media, it was just as much about an established group of guards without a discernible top man.

Oregon State's Roy Schuening, Tennessee's Eric Young and Pitt's Mike McGlynn all have potential, but there are also debits that keep them below the first round. Albert knows that with his upside, and a good Combine, the sky's the limit.

[RSJ]

He is definitly who I want in the second. I doubt he will be there though.