2015 NFL draft: Top 10 offensive linemen

The Observer’s top 10 offensive linemen available in the 2015 NFL draft:

1. Brandon Scherff

College: Iowa.

Ht.: 6-foot-5. Wt.: 319 pounds.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Whether he ends up at guard or tackle, Scherff is the cream of offensive line crop.

2. La’el Collins

College: LSU.

Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 305.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Another player who can play guard or tackle. He needs to improve pass-blocking.

3. Ereck Flowers

College: Miami.

Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 329.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Huge frame and nasty streak make Flowers one of the top tackle prospects.

4. Andrus Peat

College: Stanford.

Ht.: 6-7. Wt.: 313.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Ideal tackle build and good bloodlines: His father Todd was an NFL lineman.

5. Cameron Erving

College: Florida State.

Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 313.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Versatile athlete with good size can play center and tackle.

6. D.J. Humphries

College: Florida.

Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 307.

Projected round: 1st.

Comment: Great athlete who has added 15 pounds while preparing for the draft.

7. T.J. Clemmings

College: Pittsburgh.

Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 309.

Projected round: 1st-2nd.

Comment: Has a stress fracture in his foot that was discovered during a team visit.

8. Laken Tomlinson

College: Duke.

Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 323.

Projected round: 2nd.

Comment: Smart player with thick frame is best true guard in the draft.

9. Jake Fisher

College: Oregon.

Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 306.

Projected round: 2nd.

Comment: Protected Marcus Mariota’s blind side last year, but likely an NFL right tackle.

10. Cedric Ogbuehi

College: Texas A&M.

Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 306.

Projected round: 2nd.

Comment: Projected as top-10 pick before tearing his ACL in bowl game.

Panthers’ perspective

The Panthers let left tackle Byron Bell leave to join the Tennessee Titans in free agency, and addressed the position by signing Michael Oher and Jonathan Martin. Oher could serve as the bridge to the left tackle of the future if the Panthers dip into a class that lacks many blue-chip left tackles. General manger Dave Gettleman has to decide if he’s confident he can find a long-term answer at tackle picking late in the first round.

Local connection

D.J. Humphries arrived at Mallard Creek High hoping to play tight end, but was quickly turned into a tackle. The 6-5 Humphries can dunk a basketball and has the kind of footwork needed to succeed at left tackle in the NFL. The question is whether he has the size.

Sleeper

Hobart’s Ali Marpet hasn’t been under the radar since running the fastest 40-yard dash (4.98 seconds) among linemen at the combine. But when you come from a Division III school in New York that hasn’t sent a player to the NFL in 78 years, you qualify as a sleeper. Marpet (6-4, 307 pounds) made 37 straight starts at left tackle in college, but will play guard at the next level.

Worth noting

Jeremiah Poutasi surprised some scouts by leaving Utah a year early. Poutasi (6-5, 335 pounds) played tackle for the Utes, but likely will slide to guard in the NFL. The Panthers worked him out last week. ... Notre Dame has turned out its share of NFL players, but Doniel Gambrell (6-6, 315) played at Notre Dame College, a D-II school outside of Cleveland. Gambrell’s Glenville (Ohio) high school is better known than his college, having produced a number of college and pro standouts, including Panthers receiver Ted Ginn Jr.

Joseph Person

This story was originally published April 25, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "2015 NFL draft: Top 10 offensive linemen."