He has the size and the length to live in an island. It's definitely there.

He'll just need to work on his footwork, but for a man that size with quick feet and can get to the 2nd level pretty fluidly, I think the footwork will come along once he gets some experience and muscle memory reps.

He has the potentional to be a great LT. It's there. Just hope it works out.

Worst case, he's a solid G.

This is a great value/pick all around.
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So it seems like the staff is imagining him as the day one LG.

Fisher-Niang-Reiter-LDT-Schwartz week one?
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Yep depending on if Rankin is healthy. If he is the n I can see a camp battle
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When I go to Draft Network I always like Crabbs' notes.

Pass Sets - Hips appeared more restrictive in 2019, could be a byproduct of hip injury he played with this season. Guilty of some false steps out of his stance and his base is deconstructed when he feels he's lost leverage on blocks. He's got plenty of physical mobility to further enhance sets.

Length/Extension - Plenty of reach to make an impact at first contact. Thought he showed good development and improvement in his strike timing during 2019 season. Hand strength and functional power to stay attached on lateral blocks allows for effective reset of the LOS outside the tackle box.

Balance - Thought he got caught in some instances of overextending himself but he flashes a dynamic base to reset and snap himself back into position when put into recovery mode. His deep sets still appear a little clunky and power rushes can catch him leaning outside with power.

Hand Technique - Placement has shown notable improvement over final season and a half. Really cut down on strikes landing outside the breastplate and has applied a little extra pop in his hands. His grip strength is excellent to latch onto bodies once he's got a hand fit.

Power at POA - Awesome ability to push people around and create space for his rushers in the run game. Road grader who compliments his power with surprising grace in lateral string-out blocks or when firing directly off the ball and immediately establishing contact.

Football IQ - Active/effective in passing off twists, stunts and blitzes — doesn't typically get busted having to bail out late and shows good awareness of the numbers game and avoids being pulled out of position via pre-snap looks. Appreciate the run game footwork in action.

Functional Athleticism - Pretty stunning to see how well he moves. He's a big fella but has little issue firing out to win with quickness at the snap or climb to the second level and break down on a block. Really impressive application of strength when blocking on the move.

Anchor Ability - Really dense torso and lower half, he provides a good deal of natural strength and the body control to sit down and recover when he's put on his heels. Chase Young got him one time with speed to power but otherwise he's difficult to straight bully.

Flexibility - Natural mobility is very good and he's got good ability to hinge hips in angular sets (when healthy) and shows dynamic lower half to bend and play low/with power. He's not one to constantly fight against his own frame, rolls through contact well.

Competitive Toughness - Tenacity is notable and you'll see him up in a defender's grill through the end of the whistle. Played through hip injury in 2019 and helped team knock off Texas before undergoing surgery. Leads by example and gets strong reviews for leading by example.

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Best Trait - Functional Athleticism

Worst Trait - Pass Sets

Best Film - Purdue (2019)

Worst Film - Ohio State (2018)

Red Flags - 2019 Hip INJ

Summary - Lucas Niang is a high-upside starter in the NFL. Niang's mobility would make him a great fit in a zone style system and his length and range as a pass blocker make him an attractive option for teams with deeper passing concepts. There is some refinement needed in Niang's footwork but he shows all the requisite physical skills to be a plus starter in the pros. Should find the field early and improve through first few seasons. Should be healthy for the 2020 season.

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/l...ang/KkU5UJHJ0J

Love it..makes a lot of sense and if we get a future starting tackle in the 3rd..that's incredible value.
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This is literally the only thing that matters in the entire discussion about the guy.
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Oh my gosh, love this pick. Nailed it Vegas! :-)
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Andy introducing himself is hilarious.
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I would've been good with him in the 2nd as well. From the 'call your shot' thread:


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Would seem like an ideal situation if he can play LG and eventually transition to LT, although I'm not sure why we are overly quick to move on from Fisher or Schwartz
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Fisher has been somewhat injury prone, so having a serviceable rookie to help protect him is a very good thing. Last thing we need is someone going all Rodney Harrison on Mahomie.
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Agreed
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I'm going to just admit right now that I've lost all objectivity. I think. Either that, or this is the best draft EVER. So yeah, it's got to be me.

But...when I look at this kid, he LOOKS like Willie Roaf. Built just like him, even has that weird little duck walk thing. He's got those nimble ballerina feet that seems like they're too small for his upper body and those long arms. I mean, Fisher's not built like that. He doesn't move like that. But Roaf did, he was almost awkward until the snap, and then he was so dominant.

I mean, if this kid can take the LG spot this year, learn the NFL, learn this offense next to Fisher and get his seasoning, I think he could very well move to either tackle spot as soon as we need him to and be a long term starter.
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I can think of 11 million reasons.
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For sure, but for a LT, thats not much.
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