Jonathan Martin, Junior, Offensive Tackle, Stanford
Overview:
Usually a redshirt freshman will not immediately start at left tackle. That is especially true for a player like Jonathan Martin who was not that highly regarded of a recruit and many thought he would need some time to grow into his 6-6 frame. Martin proved them wrong and made it very tough for the Stanford coaching staff to leave him out of the mix.
In 2009 Martin earned a variety of All-Freshman accolades and was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection. In 2010 Martin was part of a very talented Cardinal offensive line. On the year the line only gave up six sacks and paved the way for Stepfan Taylor to eclipse the 1,000 yard rushing plateau.
Final Projection:
There is not much that Martin is lacking and he should remain one of the top offensive linemen on most draft boards whether he goes pro following the 2011 collegiate season or the 2012 campaign. Martin continues to add weight and strength, but remains pretty agile for an offensive tackle. With a solid showing in 2011, Martin would likely be a first round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft…if he opts to go pro.
1/5/12 Update:
Martin had a great junior year and will parlay that into a likely top ten selection in April. He is easily the best run blocking tackle in this class, with Matt Kalil surpassing him in the pass blocking area. If Martin can prove that he is a good pass blocker between now and April, do not be surprised if some teams have Martin ranked above Kalil on their big board.
3/17/12 Update:
Martin took his swagger with him to the NFL Combine, but failed to live up to his own expectations, or that of most pundits. Martin looked a little uninspired during the workouts and Matt Kalil and Riley Reiff are probably the best two tackles on the board. That could still place Martin in the top ten come draft day, but he is certainly not the sure fire top tackle in this class that some expected after he declared for the 2012 NFL Draft.
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