Morgan Moses
Moses came to Virginia as a highly touted tackle, and at least according to NFL scouts, he lived up to expectations. He received lots of hype in the pre-draft process, with draft gurus such as Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay pegging him as a first round pick. Moses even attended Radio City Music Hall for the draft.
Sadly, he fell. Not to the second round, but to the third round. To me, this felt about right in terms of talent. I don't think he has the quickness to play left tackle - by far the most important position on the line - in the NFL. Viewed almost exclusively as a right tackle, his stock was bound to fall. I honestly saw him as more of a guard before his senior season, but his athleticism at left tackle this year convinced me - and NFL teams - that tackle was his more natural position.
In Washington, he was slotted immediately at right tackle - to no one's surprise. He will compete with veteran Tyler Polumbus for the starting job. Despite his pre-draft hype, according to ESPN Redskins beat writer John Keim, don't expect Moses to win that battle - at least not immediately. He will need to learn the zone blocking scheme in Washington. That takes time. Also, I always questioned his quickness at UVa. Once he got his hands on you, you weren't going anywhere. But speed rushers were always a challenge. If he can keep his weight at around 315 pounds (which he was at the combine, down from his 335-350 pound days at Virginia), he should be able to make the adjustment and surplant Polumbus in 2015.
Brent Urban
Despite his production at UVa - especially during his senior season - Urban played out of position for the majority of his career. The Canadian was recruited under Groh to be a 3-4 defensive end. After his firing, Urban played London's first year as a 4-3 end. It was not until his second year with London that he was moved inside, where he flourished. At 6-7 and 295 pounds, he is the perfect mold for a 3-4 defensive end. In a 4-3 system, he simply is too tall to play inside and too slow to play outside in a NFL system.
He comes to the Ravens where he will return to a 3-4 end. In fact, he will likley back up former UVa star Chris Canty. According to ESPN, Urban might spell the end for the elder Wahoo. Canty is 31, and underperformed last season, registering just 2 sacks. I would argue that - if healthy, which might be Urban's biggest weakness - Urban could match that performance his rookie season. The Ravens will likely give Canty at least one more year, but if Urban shows he can produce, Canty will be out for a much cheaper second year player in Urban for 2015.
Urban is great against the run, although he could be a better pass rusher. In a 3-4 defense, though, that's not exactly a necessary trait. Yes, he should pressure the QB. But his primary job as a five-technique will be to occupy blockers while the faster, more athletic outside linebackers provide the primary heat off the edge. This plays to Urban's strengths. His long arms that enabled him to lead the nation in batted passes among lineman - despite missing four games - are another added bonus. When I look at Urban, I see a future starter, possibly as soon as next season.
Luke Bowanko
Bowanko played every position on the interior o-line at Virginia. His sophomore year he played right guard. Junior year he played center. Senior year he started at left guard before moving back to center four games in. This versatility is a big reason why he was drafted.
It's tough to evaluate interior offensive lineman, at least for me. Unless they are getting beat every down, they kind of get lost in the play. Not that they're not important - because they are - but it's simply much easier to see a receiver that drops balls, or a quarterback that misses open throws, or a tackle that gets beat off the snap. You get the point. So for me, I can't really give him a huge endorsement, but I can't really criticize him either.
The Jaguars will insert him right away into the center battle, where their starter from last season has left the team. He will also provide depth at guard. ESPN says he lacks quickness and strength, and is likely headed towards the practice squad. I think this is an accurate assesment - especially after watching Aaron Donald destroy us against Pitt. However, I think he is more athletic than people give him credit for. In the right system - perhaps one with zone concepts - he could be effective.
I'm not going to act like I know what will happen in Jacksonville, because let's be honest, no one in that organization has shown any resemblance of competence in the past decade. However, I struggle to see Bowanko catch on as a long-term starter. I never thought of him as a stud at UVa and was caught off guard to hear his name called in the draft. That being said, he could develop into a starter in a few years. Interior offensive lineman are among the most easily replaceable positions. Whatever happens, though, will take several years to unfold.
Jake Snyder
At 6-4 and 270 pounds, it is tough to find a position for Snyder in the NFL. He could be a weakside 4-3 defensive end, but I don't think he is quick enough for such a role. For a strong side defensive end, he is a little small at 270 pounds. He would need to add at least 10 pounds I would think.
At Virginia, he was a three year starter - always at the strong side position. This basically means he lines up in front of the right tackle, and is used primarily as a run-stuffer instead of a pass rusher. For example, he played opposite Cam Johnson his first year as a starter and then Eli Harold the next two. Johnson and Harold were there to get sacks. That's not to say Snyder never pressured the QB, because he did. He finished with 5 sacks in his career. But his 17.5 tackles for loss in the run game will be more what he is remembered for.
To be completely honest, I just do not see Snyder in the NFL. Stranger things have happened, but he is one of nine defensive ends competing for probably four or five roster spots. A strong training camp and preseason can work wonders, but I feel - at best - he's hoping for a spot on the practice squad.
As a side note with Snyder, I do want to recognize his accomplishments in the classroom. Snyder was consistently on the honor rolls and the ACC All-Academic Teams. I saw him multiple times outside of the classroom last year talking to professors on the way to class. Not to be stereotypical, but that's not the normal football player. He graduated with a degree in environmental science and a masters in educational psychology. Based purely on academic honor rolls, he graduated with at least a 3.2 GPA. I wanted to congratulate Mr. Snyder on both his on and off the field achievements at the University. He was truly a student-athlete.
So out of this draft class, I see two definite long- term starters, and one potential starter down the road. Considering this team won 2 games last year, that's not half bad. To spin it another way though, this just goes to show the inabilities of London and his staff. We have NFL talent on our team, yet we couldn't win one single conference game last season. I guess this gives away my stance on the coaching staff, but I will get into that more later. For now, it's just time to wish these rookies the best of luck as they attempt to fulfill their lifelong dreams of playing in the NFL.
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