Iowa OT Brandon Scherff Earning Some First Round Hype

Nov 2, 2013; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes backup quarterback C.J. Beathard (16) looks to handoff the football against the Wisconsin Badgers during their game at Kinnick Stadium. Wisconsin beat Iowa 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

The Iowa Hawkeyes aren’t an offensive tackle factory by any means, but they certainly have put out their fair share of big name prospects along the offensive line in the Kirk Ferentz era, and that should come as no surprise for those who follow the program closely.

It appears as though the next in line for the Hawkeyes at the left tackle position is redshirt junior Brandon Scherff, who is apparently generating really strong reviews from NFL scouts.

According to Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com, scouts feel like Scherff is one of the most ‘pro-ready’ offensive linemen in college football because of his size, strength, and versatility. There are concerns about Scherff’s athletic ability at the next level, but he is such a fundamentally sound player that it hasn’t been an issue for him up to this point.

This is a player who is clearly on the rise at this point, and an underclassman that is generating legitimate first-round hype. The aforementioned Rang, one of my most trusted analysts in the business, has Scherff slated for the 29th overall pick right now to the New England Patriots.

It’s not unlikely that Scherff will opt to come back to Iowa City for another year of starting experience after a gruesome leg injury derailed his 2012 season. Then again, Scherff could figure his stock might never be higher, and decide to strike while the iron is hot.

That’s why this part of the NFL Draft is so much fun, and why it’s not so fun for college coaches.

With Scherff’s emergence, the Hawkeyes have a couple of legitimate top 50 players, including tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, who is considered one of the top four or five best tight ends in the nation.

One reason why coach Ferentz has done such a great job with cranking out NFL linemen is because the Hawkeyes get some of the best positional coaching in the entire country in the trenches. These young guys come into the NFL with NFL-ready technique and it’s simply a matter of whether or not they can adjust to the speed of the game. That hasn’t always worked out for Iowa linemen, but Scherff is a guy who scouts really like right now.