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The latest in a series on top prospects by position leading up to the April 26-27 NFL Draft:
Top prospects: DE | QB | OT | G-C | OLB | ILB | TE
So now it's Michigan's Jake Long who has the Miami Dolphins' interest, and it's easy to see why. He's a premier left tackle who was beaten for one sack his senior season.
That's right, one.
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| Chad Henne had a tough time avoiding Vernon Gholston last November. (Getty Images) |
Once Gholston was a first-round pick. Then he was a top 10 choice. Now, he's a possible top five pick, with Miami not out of the question.
It's not just that he can play defensive end or outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. He's the best pure pass rusher in this draft, producing a school-record 14 sacks last season, including three against arch-rival Michigan.
Oh, yeah, and that one against Long.
"I just waited for the right moment," he said. "It was nothing special."
Actually, it was. Until that game, Long had surrendered just one sack in his career at Ann Arbor, and, the way he tells the story, that was way back in his redshirt year. Long was supposed to be impenetrable, but Gholston had no trouble solving him ... or anyone else for that matter.
"That was a big battle for me," he said of his game against Long. "Going back to the previous year, he was tough competition. He kicked back in pass protection, and it was tough for me to get around him.
"So, coming into the game, I really focused on that and learned some new techniques to get better hands on him, and it worked."
It's appropriate that Long's only sack belonged to Gholston because, outside of Virginia's Chris Long, there isn't a better defensive end in this year's draft. Gholston has rare strength for a defensive end, able to bench press 475 pounds, and he's explosive, relentless and disruptive.
He also has all the measurables you're looking for in a player at the position. At the February scouting combine, Gholston ran a 4.65 40 and benched 225 pounds 37 times, tying -- who else? -- Jake Long for the best performance.
That was impressive. But then he ran a 4.58 and had a 42-inch vertical leap at his pro workout, and suddenly Gholston's name started appearing no lower than sixth on most mock draft boards.
"When I look at him," said one AFC player personnel director, "I see Carl Banks. I guarantee he has double-digit sacks his rookie year."
Maybe. But if there's a knock on the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year it's consistency. You already know what he did against Michigan. He also had four sacks against Wisconsin. And he had two each in two other starts.
That means he produced 11 sacks in four games, which also means he had three in the other nine.
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"That's one thing that bothers me," and AFC general manager said. "If he can do that against Michigan and Wisconsin, how come he's not doing it to other teams? Obviously, he has that capability. So what happened?"
I don't know, but what I do know about Vernon Gholston is that he did what no one else could -- and that's solve Jake Long.
Say what you want about Long, but he's the best tackle in this draft. He's not Joe Thomas. I don't care. He's so impressive Miami is talking to his agent.
If Long is the first pick in this month's draft, what does that make Gholston? Maybe we should ask Long, who had no trouble remembering what happened the last time the two met.
"I take it personally," he said of getting beaten. "I wanted to make sure I was perfect and not let up a sack, but Vernon is a great player, and he had a good move on me and I let it up."
That's good enough for me. It should be good enough for someone near the top of the draft, too.