The Iowa Hawkeyes 2018 football has come to an end, and the players who were seniors or draft-eligible juniors who have declared are preparing to enter the NFL’s draft. Sean Welsh is one of those prospects who is going to enter the draft. Where could he go?
Senior Sean Welsh was quietly one of the better guards in the country during his time as a starter with the Hawkeyes. He was named to the second team All-Big Ten Team this season and has been one of the most solid players on offense for Iowa.
Now, to continue a tradition of putting good offensive linemen into the NFL, Iowa will send Welsh into the draft. But where do the experts think that he will go? What position might he play in the NFL? What are his strengths and weaknesses?
Let’s find out as we take a look at Sean Welsh and his chances of getting drafted in the NFL.
It may not appear as if offensive linemen are in high demand in an NFL draft but good offensive lineman are. Welsh is a good offensive lineman. He has received honors for his play and he showed us, on the field, what he was capable of doing. But just how good is he?
First of all, Welsh is very good at blocking for the run. He gets off the ball quickly, has a great first step and initial punch to contact the defender and slow him up. Welsh has proper hand placement and uses his hands well versus the defender. He has good feet and leg movement and when he is blocking his legs are always moving. When it comes to making blocking decisions, Welsh has a good head on his shoulders and is smart.
He does have the ability to play center as well.
Iowa Hawkeyes Football
Some of the drawbacks to Welsh include a lack of great athleticism. It is felt that while he is great fundamentally, he doesn’t have the physical ability to play a strong game in the NFL. Welsh isn’t quick on his feet and doesn’t move side to side that fast. His pad level is also too high at times and this causes him to struggle with the block allowing the defender to win at the point of attack.
If you look at where Welsh may end up going in the 2018 NFL draft, it’s possible he could be a late second-day pick or could slip into the early third day. This writer has him as a fourth-round pick. His flexibility to play center should keep him a valuable commodity and teams are going to like that ability. A player that can play two positions is a huge benefit to any NFL team.
Any team that is looking for help on the offensive line should look at Welsh. He could come in as a backup, to begin with then work his way into a starting job. Welsh would be a great asset to any team he lands with. Ideally, it would be great if Welsh could go to a playoff contender so he could have a chance to win in the NFL but just getting to an NFL team would be good enough for any college football player.
Expect Welsh to be a third to fifth round selection. It’s likely he will go in the fourth round to a team that can develop an offensive lineman. I wouldn’t expect him to start right away though. With some work, he could develop into a full-time starter in the future.