Wisconsin Badgers offensive tackle Gabe Carimi was one of the best offensive linemen in college football in 2010.
The Badgers left tackle won the Outland Trophy as the top interior lineman in college football, he was a consensus first-team All American, the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year and an All-Big Ten first-team selection.
You’d think that would land him in the top 10 of the 2011 NFL Draft, but scouts apparently see enough weaknesses for that not to happen.
The repeated knocks on Carimi is he bends too much at the waist, and not enough at the knees, and he ends up on the ground too often. Despite his size (6-8, 320), strength and athleticism, it looks like his weaknesses will be enough to keep him from being a top-15 pick.
Although he played left tackle at Wisconsin, Carimi is projected as a right tackle in the pros. I know one team that can use a young right tackle — the Green Bay Packers.
As we discussed on Tuesday, the offensive line is one area the Packers will be looking at in the draft. [intlink id=”225″ type=”category”]Chad Clifton[/intlink]’s career is nearly over and the team will move [intlink id=”925″ type=”category”]Bryan Bulaga[/intlink], their 2010 first-round pick, to left tackle to replace Clifton either this year or next.
In other words, the Packers will have to figure out who their next right tackle is, soon. While there’s talk [intlink id=”583″ type=”category”]T.J. Lang[/intlink] might be the guy, the coaching staff seems to think Lang is a better guard prospect and he could be [intlink id=”94″ type=”category”]Daryn Colledge[/intlink]’s replacement if Colledge leaves in free agency.
The Packers may be able to ignore the position or develop their young linemen for another season, but a prospect like Carimi will be hard to pass up.
A quick survey of the pre-combine rankings suggests Carimi isn’t as highly-rated as you’d expect.
Carimi is almost universally considered the fourth-ranked prospect at tackle. Overall, CBS Sports ranks him No. 23, Sports Illustrated ranks him No. 30, ESPN ranks him No. 17, and Footballs Future ranks him No. 25.
Some scouts have even suggested Carimi is no higher than a second-round pick.
The Packers pick at No. 32 in the first round.
you know the way the packers draft that first pick is going to be an absolute stud. (FIRST PICK OF THE REST OF THE DRAFT) it’d be great to have the best available draft pick to also be one of our top needs like OT and Carimi would be a perfect fit. CANNOT WAIT FOR THE DRAFT!!!
J J Watt!
This all sounds nice BUT it doesn’t seem as if Carimi will be a LT in the NFL which coincidentally seems to be the case for Bulaga.
In other words, pretty unlikely the Pack drafts TWO RT’s as first rounders in two consecutive seasons and of course it would take a MIRACLE for Carimi to fall to #32 regardless.
Actually, we should be rooting for the kid to go as high as possible – good for UW. I personally think he will shoot up to about #15 after his combines and pro days (he will have very good “numbers”).
I’m trying to figure out why you think Bulaga can’t be a left tackle? I haven’t seen one item to suggest he can’t play that position. The Packers drafted him to play left tackle and I believe he will be there sooner rather than later, which leaves right tackle as a position of need.
Further, the Packers like to use two LT type of tackles rather than the huge right tackle and finesse left tackle alot of teams use because of their spread offense.
It’s by no means a miracle for Carimi to fall, he’s not overly impressive, but he is solid at the combine. Before last year’s draft everyone considered it a miracle if Bulaga fell to us, but he did.
The knocks on Carimi will not matter much in our offensive line scheme, he would be a SOLID first round pick.