So it is with Virginia guard
Branden Albert, who came out of Al Groh's offense after his junior year and
immediately rocketed to the top of a very iffy guard class. Evaluators who have
seen him believe that not only is Albert the best guard in the draft, but that
he might wind up in the middle of a very strong tackle class. Some think that
with his speed to get to the second level and pulling ability, the 6-7, 315-pound
All-ACC first-teamer would project very well outside. He is that intriguing
combination of athleticism and nastiness that gets pro scouts thinking.
On Thursday, Albert was
thinking about the circumstances that made him decide to declare for the draft
a year early. Raised at the college level on Al Groh's pro-style offense, he
has a head start when it comes to the next level. But as he told the media,
it was just as much about an established group of guards without a discernible
top man.
Oregon State's Roy Schuening,
Tennessee's Eric Young and Pitt's Mike McGlynn all have potential, but there
are also debits that keep them below the first round. Albert knows that with
his upside, and a good Combine, the sky's the limit.
“I just felt like
it was the best situation for me this year. I just looked at the situation,
the draft class, the guards and whatnot," he said. "I just felt like
I could make a strong, competitive effort by coming out.”
However, he's not limited
in his own mind to guard in the NFL."I am also comfortable at tackle. Wherever
a team wants to draft me, either position, I feel comfortable playing.”
Albert played left tackle
in high school, and his basketball background reveals an agility not always
seen at his position, but he was relegated to guard at Virginia by the presence
at his old position of D'Brickashaw Ferguson, one of the more acclaimed college
offensive linemen in recent memory. For Albert, it was about learning and finding
a comfort level at his new position. “I mainly learned off the field stuff
(from Ferguson). He’s a good character dude. On the field, he’s
a player that is not a trash talker. He just gets the job done and does what
he has to do.”
Character is high on the
list of requirements in Groh's system, and Albert feels that he's reaped the
benefits of that high standard. Coach Groh runs a pretty tight program, it comes
from the pro background. That helped me out significantly with this whole process.
That made me a tough player, a tough guy. He builds a program that helps you
have good character.”
Albert talked to his coach
about the decision to come out early, and it's hard to imagine that there could
have been too many solid arguments against the idea. Still, the young player
knows that there are still things he must work on -- he cited pad level specifically.
He's looking forward to
the rest of the Combine process -- " I’ve just embraced it. It’s
an opportunity a lot of people don’t get. I’m very thankful. I look
at it as something that a lot of people don’t go through. I’m just
happy to be here and thankful to get invited.” -- and ready to impress.
“I think I’m looking forward to these meetings with teams, showing
what type of guy I am, the character I have. I think my athletic ability shows
on film, what I can do. Now I just want teams to get to know me as a person,
so they know what kind of guy they are drafting.”
Albert believes that his
agility will show best in the drills. “(That) and all the position-work,
I will probably put myself up there as one of the best. That’s one thing
I pride myself on, my athletic ability.”