National Football League

Carimi, OL prospects ready for NFL combine tests

Published Feb. 25, 2011 3:12 a.m. ET

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Gabe Carimi says without hesitation he's the best offensive tackle available in this year's NFL draft.

The Outland Trophy winner's confidence comes in part from leading a Wisconsin offensive line that helped three running backs - James White, John Clay and Montee Ball - run for at least 996 yards each last season.

But Carimi is just part of a talented class of offensive linemen this year that includes tackles Tyron Smith of USC, Nate Solder of Colorado and Anthony Castonzo of Boston College, and guard/center Mark Pouncey of Florida.

''There's obviously a lot of guys in there that can play, they played a lot of different positions,'' Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. ''It's going to be very competitive for those guys. It's going to be fun to watch those guys work out because there are a lot of guys that might be in a little clump right now.''

Carimi feels he's matched up well against some of the best defensive ends in college football, facing Iowa's Adrian Clayborn, Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan and Ohio State's Cam Heyward. He's also faced Wisconsin's J.J. Watt in practice.

''I'm a physical player that's gone against four potential first-round draft picks this year,'' Carimi said. ''I have a better resume. I've gone against better talent, so that makes me more ready. I'm physically stronger and have more career starts and better knowledge of the game than any other tackle out there.''

Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien said Carimi has all the tools to be a successful pro.

''He's got a physical skill set that's unique and pretty special,'' Tolzien said. ''Just the way that he carries himself and the way that he works every day - that's a powerful combination when you've got that physical skill set, but also someone that's willing to get better each and every day.''

The combine is important for much more than evaluating physical tools.

''A lot of this stuff is on tape, you could stay home and watch it on TV,'' Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak said. ''It's more of seeing these guys, seeing their body language, seeing how they act around other people, see how they handle themselves when we get them in a 15-minute room. It's your first chance, other than reading his stats and bio, we get to see them interact in a lot of ways.''

Castonzo, who converted from tight end, wasn't heavily recruited.

''I had zero scholarship offers out of high school,'' he said. ''I was a 6-7, 220-pound drink of water. Every school I talked to said, 'We don't think you're going to get big enough.'''

He proved them wrong, and 90 pounds and four years as a college starter later, he's a possible first-round draft pick. He was a two-time all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection.

''Growing up, I heard from a lot of people, 'Don't set your sights on the NFL because you might be heartbroken,''' Castonzo said. ''I've always thought, 'Why not shoot for the stars?' Regardless of what anybody says, that's what I'm going to try to do.''

Solder, like Castonzo, is a converted tight end. The 6-foot-8, 319-pounder said he still is getting used to the position switch.

''I've been playing tackle for three years, which isn't a whole lot of time, so there's things I need to refine on my technique constantly,'' he said.

Solder said his competitive nature should help him improve.

''When I go out there, there's not one guy where I don't want to do everything better than him at every single level,'' he said. ''That plays out in a lot of ways. If I've got to smash him into the ground to shut up his mouth, that's how I do it.''

Pouncey's quest to be more successful than his twin brother became much more difficult after this past NFL season. Maurkice Pouncey was a Pro Bowl selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers who missed the Super Bowl with an ankle injury.

Mike didn't do so badly. While Maurkice left Florida early, Mike stayed and positioned himself to be an early selection in this year's NFL draft.

Schwartz said there are plenty of good prospects if a team is unable to land one from the projected top group.

''There's some impressive talent on the offensive line, not just tackles, but interior players, also,'' Schwartz said. ''A couple guards and centers that look like they'll have really bright futures.''

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