Michigan offensive lineman could be rare No. 1 choice

It's been 11 years since an offensive lineman was selected first in the NFL draft. The drought for football's big boys might end this weekend.

The Miami Dolphins are expected to select Michigan tackle Jake Long with the first pick in this weekend's draft. If the Dolphins pick Long, he'll be just the fifth offensive lineman in NFL draft history to be taken first.

Several media outlets have reported that Long and the Dolphins have been in contract negotiations. But an agreement between the two sides hasn't been reached, so there's still a chance Miami will go in a different direction.

Making history doesn't appear to be much of a concern to Long.

"It doesn't matter to me when I get drafted," Long told the Associated Press. "I'll be happy wherever I go, and I'm going to do everything I can to have a great career. I have no clue who is going to take me, and I don't really care because I've done everything to show what I can do."

He isn't kidding.

Long has shown his worth both on the field and in workouts. At Michigan, he was a two-time All-American. In the 40 games he started for the Wolverines, he allowed two sacks and was assessed two penalties. In 2007, he gave up just one sack, and didn't get flagged for any penalties.

That's got to be good news for John Beck fans, assuming the Dolphins pick Long.

If Miami passes on Long, he's still certain to be picked in the top five. The other teams with top-five picks — the Rams, Falcons, Raiders and Chiefs — have plenty of holes to fill, and offensive line is among them.

This year's crop of offensive linemen is fairly strong. There's a chance four blockers will be selected in the top 10 picks, and that's something that hasn't happened since 2002. Boise State's Ryan Clady, Pittsburgh's Jeff Otah and Virginia's Branden Albert join Long as offensive linemen with top-10 aspirations.

Clady has already proven to be a success story. He was an unknown coming out of high school, and he had just three scholarship offers. After a redshirt season in 2004, he developed into one of the nation's top pass blockers. He will be the first player from Boise State to be selected in the first round in school history.

"I love playing the role of the underdog, coming to Boise State, being really young, and working my butt off to try to get where I am now," Clady told reporters at the scouting combine.