Draft Profile: Boston College C Andy Gallik

One of the more intriguing offensive lineman prospects that I've stumbled upon this year is Boston College's center Andy Gallik. He's not the most athletic offensive lineman in the draft, but there's an element of scrappiness to his play that I think makes him an attractive prospect for the New England Patriots. While he would ideally used at the center spot, the Patriots have a 2nd year player there who had a solid rookie season. I believe Gallik, at the minimum, is another Ryan Wendell type with just a bit more upside.

Vs. USC

Awards:

Two Time All-ACC OL
4 Year Starter

Combine Data:

HT: 6'2"
WT: 306
10-20-40: 1.93-3.19-5.50
Vertical: 27"
Broad Jump: 8'0"
5-10-5 Shuttle: 4.58
3-Cone: 7.66

You look at the combine numbers and that's not too bad. While he doesn't stand out athletically, the shuttle and 3-cone times are on par with some of the more athletic offensive lineman in the draft. Gallik started 41 games for Boston College at center, so he has a lot of game experience heading into the NFL. He shows great technique and attacks with a bit of a mean streak to finish blocks. There are elements that can be refined in his game such as exploding out of a three-point stance at the snap, keeping his pad level down, pull blocks, and blocking at the second level. Given those things are fixable by coaching, I'm not that concerned about his development.

In terms of immediate "projectability", Gallik is a Day 1 starter if you wanted him to play center. Given the Patriots current situation, he wouldn't be starting at center barring an injury to Bryan Stork. Gallik is best utilized in a Power based scheme as opposed to a Zone based blocking scheme, which is not a problem since the Patriots were primarily a Power based scheme in 2014. In that scheme, that allows Gallik to be able to play center or either guard spot. Gallik has a strong base and can play against some of the larger nose tackles in college. Gallik probably won't see the active gameday roster early in the season, but could force his way into the mix by the end of the season. After that, I believe there's a good chance he's in the starting lineup by Week 1 of the 2016 season.

Right now, I have Gallik as a late 3rd to early 4th round candidate. Average size and athleticism for an interior offensive lineman will keep him down on the draft board, but he's the type of offensive lineman the Patriots have trotted out over the years. Gallik shows good awareness and football IQ on the gridiron, and he was a big reason why Boston College was 13th in rushing in 2014 and why Andre Williams rushed for over 2100 yards the year before. The Patriots could either draft him with the 97th or 101st pick, depending on what happens in the first two rounds. I would not be surprised if Gallik is in a Patriots uniform come September.