NFL mock draft Week 17 edition: Bold trades set the tone

Indiana. Jason Spriggs. 31. player. 87. <p>It takes a collective team effort in order to win 14 games in a row before suffering the first loss. Often the one area that has to be rock solid is the offensive line and it’s been the case for the Carolina Panthers. Not only are they running the ball well, but Cam Newton has received steady protection most of the year, thus allowing him to generate MVP buzz.</p> <p>There has, however, been one sore spot for the team throughout the process. Michael Oher is a former Super Bowl champion and hasn’t been a terrible player in this league, but it’s growing clear he’s unequal to the task of manning the left tackle position. He’s ineffective as a run blocker, and has steadily regressed as a pass protector, allowing a sack, three hits and five pressures on Cam Newton in the past three games. At this point, Oher is little more than a stopgap solution.</p> <p>Thus the job of the Panthers front office is to see if they can find somebody better. Jason Spriggs doesn’t get a lot of attention due to playing at Indiana but it’s becoming clear he might be one of the top pass protectors in the draft. He’s got the size and length along with athleticism that made him a tight end at one point. Not a mauler, he overcomes that with quickness and technique.  No question he can be really good if he can get stronger.</p>. OT