The exciting day of the Combine is usually day two, when quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers strut around the RCA Dome. But the true building blocks for championship teams will showcased on Sunday – the offensive linemen, tight ends and all-important specialists.

After all, when you consider the success rate of first round linemen versus other positions, the results overwhelmingly favor the big men. And that’s especially true among top 10 choices. Consider that for every Barry Sanders there is a Blair Thomas, but the Tony Mandarich’s of the draft are few and far between.

And who can deny the talent available in this year’s crop of offensive linemen?

At tackle, Michigan ’s Jake Long and Boise State ’s Ryan Clady are considered two top 10 prospects. Many view Long to be as promising as Joe Thomas, who landed at No. 3 last April and had a marvelous first season with the Browns. Long has excellent size and reach, and he was one of the few bright spots in Ann Arbor this past fall. Clady’s stock continues to rise as more and more people come to learn of his outstanding accomplishments for the Broncos.

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Many believe Long can still land in the top spot to Miami . Why not? Should Long represent himself well at the Combine he will leave Indianapolis holding on to the coveted title as being the draft’s “safest pick”. Last year that distinction went to Thomas. The Dolphins are a team with needs everywhere, and outside of perhaps the defensive tackle spot, there is no better place for an NFL franchise to begin a complete overhaul than at left tackle.

Another area front office execs have targeted in recent years is tight end, which had a renaissance of sorts a few years ago after the success of such freakish athletes as Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates.

In this particular group the players to keep an eye on this week are Notre Dame’s sure-and-steady John Carlson, and Missouri ’s Martin Rucker, who has tremendous upside. Carlson needs a strong workout to solidify his projected first-round status; Rucker’s trying to climb up the money ladder, perhaps as high as the end of round one or early portion of round two.

As for the specialists, well ... what can we say other than it’s a weak group. The year’s most promising kicker is Wisconsin ’s Taylor Mehlhaff, who had a solid senior season but was somewhat shaky in seasons past. Mehlhaff should get drafted, but not until the twilight of the two-day event.


Last chance to step up
Actually, credit Michigan State ’s Kellen Davis for stepping up this season after being suspended in 2006 for aggravated assault. Still, as much as Davis has tried to move on from the incident, this week is the time when talent evaluators and brain shrinks want to see what they’re getting for their investment. Davis has great size and ability, but he must test well, on and off the field, to take a jump in this year’s thick crop of tight ends.

Belongs in Indy
Georgia center Fernando Velasco has excellent size (6-foot-4, 318 pounds) and he’s earned the respect of draft scouts everywhere. He was twice recognized as the SEC’s top lineman of the week in 2007 after making the permanent move to center, where he helped anchor one of the country’s top front walls over the second half of the season. That effort earned him a spot on the SEC’s second team. So why no love? It’s difficult to say. The Combine only asked seven centers to attend. Unfortunately for Velasco (who would have celebrated his 23rd birthday at the Combine on Friday) he was left on the outside.

A trip down memory lane
Mandarich wasn’t made at the Combine, but rather on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But one first-day Combine player who did go nuts in front of scouts was Maryland 255-pound tight end Vernon Davis, who smoked a 4.38 in the 40, scored a 42-inch vertical, and left Indianapolis being called the biggest physical freak from his draft class.

Here is a list of those linemen, tight ends and specialists invited to participate: