Arizona selected Reggie Wells in the sixth round of the 2003 draft, and at the time, it seemed like the right place to take him. After all, he played left tackle at Division II Clarion College in Pennsylvania and posted average numbers at the combine that year. Scouts were naturally concerned about his ability to make the jump to the NFL.
Wells quickly quieted those concerns by cracking the starting lineup at guard in just his second season in the league, and he's now started 74 regular-season games. In addition, the Cardinals brass thought enough of him to match an offer from Buffalo when Wells was a restricted free agent in 2007, and his teammates voted him a team captain in 2008.
So what did so many NFL front offices miss in 2003? For starters and most important, most teams projected him to line up at tackle, whereas we now know that his best fit is clearly at guard. Wells isn't unique in this sense. Remember, Oakland moved 2004 first-round pick Robert Gallery inside after he struggled at tackle, and Arizona's 2001 first-round pick, Leonard Davis, has fared far better at guard as well. In addition, two of the guard prospects I list below spent the bulk of their careers at tackle.
Second, Wells added 50 pounds to his frame and made great strides during his collegiate career. In other words, he had yet to reach his potential, and all indicators pointed to his continuing to improve.
Here are three offensive guards from well-known schools and one small-school prospect who are expected to come off the board on Day 2 of the 2009 draft and could prove to be steals. I include possible landing spots for all four.
Augustus Parrish, Kent State
Parrish is a three-year starter at left tackle who lacks the length and agility to hold his own on the edge in the NFL. Making matters worse, scouts are concerned about the level of competition he faced on a weekly basis. Although Kent State is an FBS school, there is a big difference between the Mid-American Conference and the SEC or Mountain West. On the flipside, Parrish is athletic and big enough (302 pounds) to develop into a versatile reserve or effective starting guard once he improves his footwork and adjusts to the position change.
Kansas City did well to sign 11-year veteran Mike Goff, who can line up at guard and center, but Goff is 33 years old, and disgruntled starting LOG Brian Waters, who asked the Chiefs to release him this year, is 32. Although Kansas City isn't expected to part ways with Waters this year, his days with Chiefs appear to be coming to an end soon. Making matters worse, OC Rudy Niswanger and OG Wade Smith are marginal NFL starters. With that in mind, the Chiefs need to get younger and deeper along the interior offensive line. Just as important, first-year head coach Todd Haley is known for his ability to cultivate explosive passing attacks. Parrish would have a tough time holding up at tackle, but he's capable of excelling at guard in Haley's scheme.
To find out which other midround prospects could become contributors at the next level and which teams could provide a good fit for them, become an ESPN Insider. 