Vikings select...Brian O’Neill, OT, Pittsburgh

[SemperFeist]

With the technique that O’Neill displays, I’m not really worried about him developing. Technique is what’s the most difficult to develop, primarily due to so few practice reps that these guys get in the NFL. So, a player like Clemmings was truly a project because he had the athleticism and strength, but lacked the technique. O’Neill has a strong grasp on technique. Does it need to continue to get better? Of course, but he’s got a good foundation. It’s really his lack of strength that is putting him in that “developmental” class. That’s just gym time, easily accomplished as long as the player has the work ethic to put the time in. 

[Klomp]

O’Neill had also helped lead the Sals to their long-awaited first state basketball championship in 2014, demonstrating the athletic prowess that would come to define his subsequent Pitt football career. O’Neill was named state Player of the Year that basketball season, not his much-trumpeted junior teammate Dante DiVincenzo, who would capture it the following season while leading Sallies to another state crown on his way to Villanova.

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/2018/01/09/nfl-prospect-block-salesianum-grad-oneill-benefits-pitt-switch-tackle/1013080001/

[Dolmonite26]

Excellent post Sem

I was blown away watching O'Neill and how technically sound he is. Does not look like a guy who has only played the position a few years (like say....Clemmings did).

He looks like an OT when he's playing, which is an important degree of separation, imo, between inexperienced and raw.

I find it very encouraging that he has picked up technical concepts quick enough that he has been able to play both tackle positions and never looked lost.

[wcblack34]

24 minutes ago, Klomp said:

The redshirt junior came to Pitt in 2014 out of an all-boys Catholic high school in Wilmington, Del., where he’d been a wide receiver and Delaware’s Player of the Year as a basketball center. He thought he’d be a 265-pound tight end at Pitt, but after redshirting as a freshman, O’Neill was approached by a coach after the regular right tackle tore up his knee in summer workouts.

Yeah, O’Neill got the old can-you-put-on-50-pounds-in-a-couple-of-months-and-switch-positions question. He didn’t hesitate.

“It was an opportunity to play and our team really didn’t have any other options,” he said.

He began eating. And eating. And eating some more. He’d set his alarm for 3:30 a.m. to wolf down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk he’d leave in a bedside fridge, go back to sleep, awaken and eat, work out, eat again and then eat at 2, 4 and 9 p.m. He put on 35 pounds in two months and played tackle in all 13 games, starting the final 12.

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/brian-oneill/2017/07/02/This-O-Neill-is-no-mirror-image/stories/201707020111

That's the kind of coachable, selfless, team player you like to have on your squad. 

[vikesfan89]

If he's not the day 1 starter, he could probably make a good 6th lineman that comes in on the goalline

[Klomp]

Let's see it, DeFilippo!

 

[Klomp]

 

[Klomp]

 

[Uncle Buck]

16 hours ago, PrplChilPill said:

So he's not raw? Hes plenty strong? I must be reading the posts wrong. Apologies

At this point in the draft, it seems like they are pretty much all still raw.  I was somewhat disappointed with this pick at first, but have come to like it.  If we can invest some time in him, he could turn out to be a very good player for us.  Although it would have been nice to have one of the guys taken in the run earlier in the round, we probably did about as well as we could have, under the circumstances.

[Duff Man]

After watching some tape on this guy, have to say I'm pretty excited. He looks like an NFL tackle. His movement skills are extremely rare for a 6'7" guy. You can see his strength limitations, but I think you give it a year or two and we're talking about him being the best pick of our 2018 draft. 

[SouthernViking]

13 hours ago, Snake Plissken said:

I’m thinking O’Neill keeps #70. 

Andrew Krammer reported he is listed at #75

[Snake Plissken]

2 minutes ago, SouthernViking said:

Andrew Krammer reported he is listed at #75

Gotta think he will be better than the last number 75 we drafted early at T. 

[SemperFeist]

2 hours ago, Snake Plissken said:

Gotta think he will be better than the last number 75 we drafted early at T. 

One can hope

[Krauser]

18 hours ago, SemperFeist said:

With the technique that O’Neill displays, I’m not really worried about him developing. Technique is what’s the most difficult to develop, primarily due to so few practice reps that these guys get in the NFL. So, a player like Clemmings was truly a project because he had the athleticism and strength, but lacked the technique. O’Neill has a strong grasp on technique. Does it need to continue to get better? Of course, but he’s got a good foundation. It’s really his lack of strength that is putting him in that “developmental” class. That’s just gym time, easily accomplished as long as the player has the work ethic to put the time in. 

Made this same point in my draft grades post, great minds think alike. Weight and strength are much easier to fix than technique. 

On the other hand, the recent examples of skinny former TE tackles taken 2nd round have failed to develop into anything: Jason Spriggs and Jake Fisher. 

On the other, other hand, Spriggs technique was terrible in college against inside counter moves, and still is. 

[Heimdallr]

Considering that 3-4 years ago he was a 230 pound TE, I think he is going to add weight/strength VERY quickly now that he is in a NFL training program. Even in just the 4-5 months between now and the start of the season he will make progress. I have no concerns about that side of things.