Stop me if you’ve seen Florida State offensive lineman Cameron Erving sent to the Denver Broncos in a mock draft before…
The Broncos have obvious needs on the offensive line, and the fact that the former Seminoles star proved he could play — and play at a high level — at a couple of different positions bodes really well for his NFL prospects, and if he’s that obvious of a fit for the Broncos, we should get to know him a little bit better.
Measurables
Strengths
This is a big, athletic, versatile offensive lineman. Erving was previously a defensive lineman, if you can believe it, and has the versatility to play tackle, guard, and center (which he played in 2014).
In fact, Erving was so good at tackle, there were rumors he would be a first or second round pick in 2014 if he had chosen to leave Florida State after his 2013 season starting at left tackle for the ‘Noles.
Position versatility is simply the tip of the iceberg for Erving, who has the athleticism to be anything a coaching staff wants him to be, really. He does a phenomenal job of setting up in pass protection, getting a wide base and setting his feet. He has good lateral movement and explosiveness, and while he struggled at times with speed rushers at tackle, I think on the interior, he’s going to be an absolute beast.
Erving is explosive, quick, and gets to the second level quickly. He’s got limited experience (relatively speaking) as an offensive lineman, but he’s definitely instinctive and you can see his competitive drive on a play-by-play basis.
Gets his arms extended out and drives defensive linemen backwards almost with ease in the running game, and has a nice punch when setting up pass protection.
Here’s a great look at Erving from NFL Mocks writer Charles McDonald.
Weaknesses
There aren’t many weaknesses to Erving’s game that can’t be corrected. He can, at times, rely too much on his upper body strength and not leverage his lower body to drive defenders back.
You will see some whiffs in open space by Erving when he pulls.
Erving has also shown that he’s not immune to getting beat by speed rushers around the edge, leading me to believe his athletic ability is best served inside as a guard or center. That’s also one issue teams might have — what’s the best spot to play him? Is he a jack of all trades and master of none? What is his permanent fit?
Fit For Broncos
The fit here is obvious — the Broncos have needs at left guard, center, and right tackle. I wouldn’t be opposed to throwing Erving at any of those three positions. He’s such a good athlete, it might be a stretch to think the Broncos could even get him in the first round.
I would immediately plug and play him at left guard, especially if the plan is still to sign a veteran center or let Matt Paradis run with the job.