In the NFL, where offenses are adapting to quick and more athletic offensive linemen, the guard tackle position is becoming extremely valuable to teams. In spread offenses, having a player that could play guard or even swing to play tackle is beneficial towards an NFL offense. The best guard/tackle player in this year's draft is Zack Martin from Notre Dame. Let's take a look at eDraft's official scouting report on the prospect.
College: Notre Dame
Ht: 6'4"
Wt: 305
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Strengths
Versatility: As I said earlier, Martin is the best guard/tackle prospect in this class. With the ability to play inside and outside, Martin is seen as a great asset to the team that drafts him. Martin played left tackle in college, so he may project better as an NFL left tackle. But, there are no doubts that he could not play one of the guard positions.
Smarts: Coming from Notre Dame, Martin is a bright technician that takes care of business across the defensive line. The Fighting Irish are notorious for producing smart NFL players. Martin is another product of his college. His foundation of what he has already learned at college will help in the draft process.
Mobility: While Martin can hold off pass rushers on the edge, he can also swing to make blocks. Getting to the next level is something important for guards in the NFL. In college, Martin showed that he is capable of getting consistently to the second level of the defense.
Weaknesses
Size: Martin's size is more fit for the guard position, but he is much more experienced for the tackle position. On the outside, you would like your tackles to be tall and thick. But, Martin is barely 6'4". While this could potentially be a problem, many undersized offensive linemen have panned out recently.
Armlength: Longer arms are much more helpful to an offensive linemen than shorter arms. The reasoning with this is very simple. Offensive linemen with longer arms have an easier time holding back pass rushers. Martin's arms are much shorter than the average left tackle.
NFL Comparison
Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles: You don't have to look back in time that much to find a player similar to Martin. Lane Johnson was drafted in 2012 in the top 5. During his time at Oklahoma, Johnson played left tackle. To add to an already good offensive line, the Eagles drafted him to play guard or tackle. It turns out that with Johnson's versatility, he was able to play right tackle in his rookie season. When Jason Peters decides to retire, Johnson will most likely move over to the left side to play tackle.
Draft Outlook
With the intriguing versatility of Martin, many view the player as a top 20 target. The NFL is always in need of offensive linemen. To add the fact that he could play four positions helps his draft stock tremendously. I wouldn't be surprised to see Martin off the board before the 20th pick.
Best Fits
With the ongoing news surrounding Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito, the entire left side of Miami's offensive line is in a mess. The Dolphins could use a player like Zack Martin to fill one of the positions. The Notre Dame product would easily become a day one starter in Miami.
Other possible fits include the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and the Buffalo Bills.