Chris Marinelli has been a staple in the Stanford football lineup for four years. The position he played in the offensive line seemed to change a lot through the course of his career, but in the end that may be what gets him drafted into the NFL this weekend.
Marinelli is not on the national radar like he should be. He was not invited to the NFL Combine despite being an all-Pac-10 player this year.
But he has had plenty of interest from NFL teams outside of the combine. His versatility and ability to play guard or tackle could be the number one factor that gets him drafted.
“Chris is a guy that a lot of people see value in as a tough, smart, big guy that will be a physical presence and play multiple positions which is huge,” says his college coach Greg Roman.
In charge of the tackles and tight ends, Roman thinks Marinelli will have a nice little NFL career in front of him if he can stay healthy.
“Very often with the salary cap situation when it comes to veteran player salaries, a team can not afford to have two or three guys be veterans so they have to be young guys just from a cost basis,” Roman said. “So they better be able to handle game plans that change week in and week out, not get a tremendous amount of reps and still play and play more than one position.”
Having played guard and tackle, Marinelli certainly will be able to bring versatility to an offensive line.
One reason Marinelli may slide is his injury history. He has had some troubles with his shoulders in the past. He may be healthy now, but that is a red flag for NFL teams.
Here is the scouting report on Marinelli from CBSSports.com.
He has the versatility to play guard or tackle at the next level, thanks to his intelligence, size, strength, foot speed and nasty streak. That's a lot of things for NFL offensive line coaches to like -- so he should be selected in the mid-to-late rounds of April's draft.
Analysis
Pass blocking: Textbook knee bend and angled, short steps when set up in pass protection. Mirrors very well, extends his arm and resets to punch and keep defender at bay. Good balance and armbar to prevent ends from using inside moves to get to the quarterback. Gets down quickly on cut blocks but needs to get more into his man's thigh to get him on the ground. Adjusts well to twists, moves out to get in front of tackle and stands strong. Needs to be more aware of blitzing linebackers if his man's inside shoulder. Shorter, powerful ends can get into his chest on occasion and knock him back, especially when he keeps his pads too tall.
Run blocking: Drives off the snap and keeps his legs churning to push the pile on blocks inside. Anchors well, very strong at the point of attack. Combos from the tackle to linebacker fluidly and with strength. Able to turn his man out of the hole. Will take his man ten yards downfield once attached, if given the chance. Gets his hands up from a three-point stance quickly enough to push fast ends and blitzing linebackers around the pocket to prevent penetration on run blitzes. Works to keep his man on the ground if the defender loses his balance.
Pulling/trapping: Did not pull or trap a lot for Stanford, but had trouble moving behind the line or in front of outside runs when asked. Best moving straight off the snap, not turning to run laterally.
Initial Quickness: Good reaction to cadence, one of the first into his pass set. Gets off quickly on run plays, usually stoning or driving back his man. Does not out-quicked off the snap very often.
Downfield: Does not have elite quickness but has enough agility to get to the second level and is adept at hitting his target. Quick to come off a block to adjust to late oncomer, usually takes him out of the play. Could hustle more to help block downfield on short passes and runs.
Intangibles: Intelligent player that plays with a bit of a nasty streak. Cleans up piles and won't back down when challenged. Strong, vocal leader. Father worked for Local 88 Tunnels Workers Union for 30 years, and the offensive line took on that nickname for their group before the season because of its blue-collar attitude.
MY PROJECTION: Getting a talented, hard working offensive lineman that can play multiple positions in the sixth round seems like a steal. I am thinking Marinelli lasts until the sixth before he gets selected.
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