Top-10 players outside of the Power Five conferences
By Robert Judin
1. Ronnie Stanley – OT, Notre Dame
There is no way Ronnie Stanley wasn’t going to make the list. He’s the only one on here who will not only be a first-round pick, but probably will be taken in the top-15 selections.
At 6-foot-6, 315 lbs, Stanley is a mammoth on the offensive line who projects to be a left tackle eventually at the next level. Footwork is always an area of improvement when it comes to playing the tackle position, but Stanley moves well for a big guy and can develop nicely into a starting left tackle.
He has the type of athleticism that can surprise a lot of people if you haven’t seen him get out and run, and he’s strong enough to take on the bullish pass rushers he’ll be lined up against. Obviously he’s going to be challenged by the speed rushers, but he has the agility and technique to match up well with both types.
If Stanley stays as a first-round pick — anything can happen — he’ll be the second tackle in three years from Notre Dame to be drafted in the first round (Zach Martin in 2014). Before that, you’d have to go back to 1999 when the New York Giants made Luke Petitgout the 19th overall pick. And then you’d bump down another five years to when the Green Bay Packers selected Aaron Taylor 16th overall in 1994.
The history of Notre Dame offensive tackles succeeding in the NFL isn’t prevalent, but Stanely is a different type of monster. He has the size, quickness and form to be a franchise left tackle.