Checking out the offensive linemen for NFL Draft.(The Dallas Morning News) - Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

Top offensive linemen

Pos. Player School Ht. Wt. Noteworthy

T Leonard Davis Texas 6-6 370 Converted DT

T Kenyatta Walker Florida 6-5 311 Best LT in draft

G Steve Hutchinson Michigan 6-5 315 4-time All-Big Ten

T Jeff Backus Michigan 6-5 310 Also started at G

T Maurice Williams Michigan 6-5 304 2-year starter at RT

C Dominic Raiola Nebraska 6-2 307 Lombardi, Outland finalist

G Mike Gandy Notre Dame 6-4 305 Converted TE

T Marques Sullivan Illinois 6-5 338 Started at both RT, LT

C Robert Garza A&M-Kingsville 6-2 303 Also track All-America

T Kareem McKenzie Penn State 6-6 328 Also started at G

T Matt Light Purdue 6-5 311 Converted TE

G Bernard Robertson Tulane 6-3 308 Allowed 0 sacks in 2000

T Elliott Silvers Washington 6-7 348 3-year starter at LT

G Chad Ward Washington 6-4 321 Bench presses 500 pounds

T Ryan Diem N. Illinois 6-7 338 Academic All-America

C _ Center, G _ Guard, T _ Tackle

STRENGTH IN DRAFT: 8 (on 10-point scale)

THE BEST

At tackle, Leonard Davis allowed only one sack at Texas last season, and it was a protection sack. The quarterback held the ball too long. At guard, Steve Hutchinson was the Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year at Michigan in 2000 and a rare four-time all-conference selection. At center, Dominic Raiola was the first Nebraska lineman to be a finalist for both the Lombardi and Outland trophies since Dave Rimington in 1981.

HONOR ROLL

ALL-AMERICANS

OT Leonard Davis, Texas; G Steve Hutchinson, Michigan; C Dominic Raiola, Nebraska; OT Chris Brown, Georgia Tech

BEST UNDERCLASSMAN

OT Kenyatta Walker, Florida

POTENTIAL 1s

Davis; Walker; Hutchinson; Jeff Backus, Michigan; Maurice Williams, Michigan; Raiola

SLEEPER

DENNIS NORMAN, Princeton

Matt Birk has shown the NFL that Ivy Leaguers can block. The Harvard grad went to the Pro Bowl in his first season as an NFL starter with the Vikings in 2000. Norman is a three-time All-Ivy League tackle.

NOTABLE

ALL IN THE FAMILY:

Guards Justin Amman of Florida State, Brent McCaffrey of Southern Cal and Makai Frietas of Arizona all have fathers who played in the NFL.

GOODBYE:

April 21-22 will be a welcomed weekend for Big Ten pass rushers. Nine offensive linemen who were four-year starters will graduate to the NFL. Bill Ferrario started 50 games, Casey Rabach 47 and Dave Costa 40 at Wisconsin; Jeff Backus 48 games and Steve Hutchinson 44 at Michigan; Marques Sullivan 45 games and Ray Redziniak 41 at Illinois; Ben Hamilton 45 at Minnesota; and Chucky Okobi 43 at Purdue. It will be easier for Big Ten pass rushers to get to quarterbacks in 2001.

STATE CHAMPION:

Texas A&M guard Chris Valletta played for high school football champions in two different states, New Hampshire (Pinkerton Academy) and Texas (Plano).

MILESTONE SELECTIONS:

OT Kenyatta Jones figures to be the first player ever drafted from the University of South Florida. OT Ryan Diem figures to be the first drafted from Northern Illinois since 1987, when St. Louis took G Todd Peat.

TWO-SPORT STARS:

Arizona State G Victor Leyva was a California state heavyweight wrestling champion in high school. Robert Garza was an NCAA Division II shot put champion at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

BEST OF TEXAS

1. LEONARD DAVIS, OT, Texas.

The Wortham product grew into the tackle position _ early. He was 6-foot, 205 pounds in the fifth grade and 6-4, 300 pounds by the seventh grade. Now he's a man-mountain at 6-6, 370 pounds.

Draft projection:

1st round.

2. MIKE GANDY, G, Notre Dame.

The Garland product was recruited as a tight end, but he redshirted in 1996 and missed the 1997 season with a broken bone above his ankle. He was a starter his last three years.

Draft projection:

Rounds 2-3.

3. ROBERT GARZA, C, Texas A&M-Kingsville.

The Rio Hondo product was Freshman of the Year in the Lone Star Conference in 1997 and an all-league performer each of his last three years. He also won a conference track champion in the discus.

Draft projection:

Rounds 2-3.

SPOTLIGHT

DOMINIC RAIOLA, Nebraska

Raiola loves pancakes. The Nebraska center used to dish them up every Saturday. This fall, it will have to be Sundays.

Pancakes are an integral part of the statistics package at Nebraska, every bit as important to offensive linemen as touchdowns are to the running backs.

'It's when you put somebody on the ground,' Raiola said. 'It doesn't matter how you do it.'

Raiola set a Nebraska record with 140 pancake blocks in 1999, then broke that mark with 145 in 2000 for the NCAA's No. 1-ranked rushing team.

'That's what I'm an offensive lineman for: to be dominating,' Raiola said. Pancakes 'show a little bit of my dominance. You take pride in flat-backing them, run-blocking somebody right to the ground.'

Raiola was an All-Big 12 pick in each of his two seasons as a starter and an All-American in 2000. He left Nebraska with a year of eligibility remaining to turn pro.

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Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.