CHARGERS DRAFT SERIES: Elite DL won't be around for long

Four trench men likely to be picked early in NFL draft

By MIKE SULLIVAN - Staff Writer | Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:02 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- While an offensive lineman will get the honor of being the first overall selection, defensive linemen will dominate the early stages of Saturday's NFL draft.

Elite ends Chris Long and Vernon Gholston and dominating tackles Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis will all be snatched up shortly after the Miami Dolphins use the No. 1 overall pick on Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long.

Some mock drafts peg all four of the defensive stalwarts to be picked among the top half-dozen selections. At the least, none of them should still be on the board after Cincinnati drafts with the No. 9 pick.

Even more interesting: There's no consensus on which defensive lineman should be picked first.

St. Louis, picking second, is expected to choose between Dorsey (LSU) and Chris Long (Virginia). Others think that Ohio State's Gholston is the top defensive player in the draft. In many other years, USC's Ellis would be viewed as the top defensive lineman available.

Choosing between Dorsey and Long might come down to whether the Rams decide they need a tackle more than an end. Concerns about Dorsey's long-range durability also could come into play, as he dealt with back and knee problems last season while dominating in the trenches. If the Rams pass on Dorsey, Atlanta will be ecstatic to draft him with the third pick.

Long is more durable and versatile than Dorsey. The son of Raiders Hall of Famer Howie Long also might be the most polished defensive player in the draft. Imagine how excited the Raiders would be if Long were to fall to them at the fourth spot.

Gholston is a dynamic pass rusher who set Ohio State's single-season record (14) for sacks. His speed off the edge makes him a matchup problem for bulky offensive tackles. Kansas City traded star end Jared Allen on Tuesday night and might be tempted to grab Gholston with the fifth pick.

Ellis, a relentless defensive tackle, is hard to block; he projects as an outstanding run defender. The Bengals came up empty on recent attempts to land a defensive tackle and are hoping Ellis will be on the board when they pick.

Defensive ends Derrick Harvey of Florida and Phillip Merling of Clemson will be selected somewhere in the middle of the first round. Harvey is raw and has a high upside, while Merling has the skills to be an elite pass rusher.

Miami's Calais Campbell will be picked early in the second round because he doesn't have the speed to merit a first-round selection. USC's Lawrence Jackson likely won't join Trojans teammate Ellis in the first round, but should be off the board by the middle of the second round.

A potential late-round steal is Texas Christian's Tommy Blake, whose stock plummeted after his senior season was ravaged by depression and social anxiety disorder. Blake was regarded as a first-round pick before his problems arose last August.

The only other defensive tackle with a chance of cracking the first round is North Carolina's Kentwan Balmer. He was inconsistent in college until having a fine senior season.

Balmer should be available when the Chargers pick at No. 27. Yet they'll likely decide that selecting an offensive tackle or cornerback would be more prudent than to tab Jamal Williams' eventual successor.

Notre Dame's Trevor Laws and Auburn's Pat Sims are tackles likely to be chosen in the second round. Laws had an impressive senior season, then followed it with a stellar showing at the NFL combine. Sims is bulky, with nice speed for a player his size.

Maryland's Dre Moore and Texas A&M's Red Bryant are two third-round possibilities who could develop into solid NFL tackles.

Contact staff writer Mike Sullivan at (760) 739-6645 or msullivan@nctimes.com.