One of the more interesting but possibly risky offensive linemen to take a chance on in the 2016 NFL draft is tackle Rees Odhiambo of Boise State, who has the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers bringing him in for visits.
Why risky? Mostly because of injuries. In three years with the Broncos, he’s looked very good when healthy, but has never completed a full season, and was out by October in 2015. The Kenya native is strong and big, but it seems like his medical bill will determine more than anything how soon he’s taken in the draft, with most mocks not having him in the first two rounds at the moment.
But that’s not the only reason. While he played tackle in college, many think he might not be the perfect fit for left or even right tackle in the NFL, and should transition to guard as soon as possible. He sometimes lets blocks that should be his slip away from him, and isn’t tall enough compared to what NFL teams usually want from their tackles, especially left tackles.
How does this end? Assuming he’s fine physically, he’ll probably be taken as a prospect at right tackle (not a left tackle in the NFL probably) but with teams closely monitoring his progress, ready to move him to guard quickly. He might not have played a lot in the middle at college, but players make these transitions every season in the NFL because you do what you need to in order to stay in the league. And from what he’s shown in his three college years, he’s capable of playing well in the middle too.