Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet is one of the most interesting prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played against extremely weak competition at a position that he doesn’t project to in the NFL. Because of that, teams are looking at him as an interior offensive lineman instead of a tackle, which is really hard for me to do since the skills for one position don’t always translate to the other.
There is some good news though. Some parts of his game are really solid. He’s good at locking in with a defender and rooting in place to not let them by. He also knows when it’s time to release a block and move on to the next one down the field. Marpet has the strength, quickness off the snap, and low center of gravity to drive defenders backwards. He’s got a special kind of agility that can be very appealing.
However, the question marks surrounding Ali Marpet are quite big. He’ll need to bulk up a bit for the NFL as well as learn to be able to eat up more space using his arms and his body. The move to the interior will be good for him, but he’ll still struggle against bigger, stronger opponents. Because of this, I see Marpet sliding in the draft until the late 3rd to 4th round. He’ll be more of a project player that would be drafted for what he could contribute later on instead of being a guy that can be plugged into a spot immediately.
Feb 18, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Hobart offensive linemen Alexander Marpet speaks to the media during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Combine Measurables:
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 307 pounds
- Arm Length: 33 3/8″
- Hand Size: 10″
- 40 Yard Dash: 4.98 seconds
- Bench Press: 30 reps
- Vertical Jump: 30.5″
- Broad Jump: 108″
- 3 Cone Drill: 7.33 seconds
- 20 Yard Shuttle: 3.37 seconds
Draft Projection
Ali Marpet is the #67 overall prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft according to CBS Sports and is their 3rd best guard available in the draft class. He’s projected to be a second to third round draft pick.
NFL Player Comparison
- NFL.com: Eric Kush, Kansas City Chiefs
- CBSSports.com: N/A
Fit For The Vikings
Minnesota will be looking for a player to compete for the starting job at left guard as well as adding some competition and depth all along the offensive line.
My Take
If I’m the Vikings, I stay away from Ali Marpet. I just don’t trust that he can transition from a small school left tackle to an NFL guard or center quickly enough to be able to make an impact. With more polished prospects available at this point in the draft, it would be better, in my opinion, to go with a player with a higher floor instead of a guy that you hope can develop.
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