Is Mike Adams a Top-20 Pick?

After a strong week at the Senior Bowl, Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams is starting to crawl up draft boards. Adams showed incredible athleticism for a 6 foot 7, 320 pound man. The former Buckeye has long arms and quick feet, two ideal traits of an NFL left tackle.

That being said, there is a reason he was a late first round prospect before last week. His final season at Ohio State was mired with inconsistency. Many believe the game tape is more important than the pre-draft festivities. This will be a perfect case to watch to see just how valid that is.

After the jump, I'll examine whether or not Adams will be taken in the first 20 picks.

When Mike Adams steps on the field, he truly looks like an NFL left tackle. He added some bulk to his frame this season while maintaining the athleticism that made him a five-star recruit coming out of high school. At times, Adams dominated his opponents this season with his quick feet, long arms and ability to quickly get to the point of attack.

The two games in which I watched Adams most closely were the Michigan game and Ohio State's bowl game against Florida. Within the Michigan game, he had stellar plays and some complete head scratchers. There were two big concerns I had when watching Adams. First, he was beat numerous times on the same inside move. Whenever he let the defensive end inside of him and wasn't able to extend his long arms and move his feet, he lacked the nasty streak and strength to fight off the defender. I also noticed a few plays where Adams was out to lunch, so to speak. Against Michigan he was called for a holding in the end-zone, resulting in a safety. On the play, he was simply slow getting off the ball and looked really sloppy trying to get back into position. I also noticed a few plays where Adams simply stopped blocking way too early because he thought the ball had been thrown. I understand the need to avoid holding, but he looked like he thought the play was over.

In the Florida game, I saw some things I liked from Adams. He really is a powerful run blocker when he wants it. I love how quickly he gets to the point of attack and really drives defenders with his legs. But again, some of the same head scratching plays popped up. He looks genuinely confused out there sometimes.

In Adams' defense, Braxton Miller is not the easiest quarterback to block for. The freshman signal caller has no pocket presence and was escaping the pocket far too quickly on plenty of occasions. That can make life tough on the offensive line, especially the left tackle.

Overall, Adams has enough talent, athleticism and technical skills to warrant a first round pick. The value for a franchise left tackle could push him up into the top 20, and I wouldn't blame a team for taking him there. Once he is working with NFL coaching and strength training, Adams has the potential to be a very strong left tackle in the NFL. He may be a bit of a risky prospect, but upside is king in the NFL Draft, and Mike Adams has a ton of it.