Apr 16, 2011
Position: OL Bench Reps: 28
Height/Weight: 6’4″ 308 NFL Comparison: Andy Levitre
10 Yard Split: 1.78 Projected Round: 2-3
My Take: Most other guys get listed under a more specific position, but it’s hard to really pinpoint one for Clint Boling. He had 49 starts in college at three different positions (LT, RT, RG). He had starts at each of these spots over the past three years, making several appearances at each of them and sometimes switching between them within individual games. So which one will he play in the NFL?
An offensive captain, Boling is obviously a very bright and versatile guy to be able to switch between all of these positions. It’s easy to say they’re all essentially the same, but they’re really not. There’s different nuances and concepts between guard and tackle and it’s often unnatural to flip between the left side and the right. Boling was able to make any switch look effortless. He is very stout at the point of attack. He’s too often upright, but makes up for it with his pure strength. When he gets a good body lean and knee bend, he can really get a good push, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. His feet are average to above average, but he doesn’t seem to have great mobility or lateral agility. He did pull out at times and did a fine job in it, but he doesn’t get out very quickly and sometimes just took too long. When he did get there, he did a good job putting a hat on a defender or cutting them, though. He does very well getting on linebackers on runs between the tackles in limited space. He’s good at walling off defenders. Overall, I like all of the versatility and consistency he showed at Georgia, but there are some finer points of his game which will need work at the next level.
I can assure you Boling shouldn’t play left tackle in the pros. I just don’t see him having the foot speed to keep up with elite pass rushers. He may have a chance at RT with his size, but in all likelihood you will see him playing guard, probably on the right side. That seems to be his most natural spot and fits his strengths and limitations the best. I compare him to a taller Andy Levitre because they had similar circumstances coming out of college. Levitre played very well at both tackle spots in college, and ended up going in the second round to play guard for the Bills. He can play tackle in a pinch, but his best position is guard. Levitre has been a very good player so far, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see much of the same from Boling.
-Tom
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