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By the time the 2019 NFL Draft comes and goes, the Oklahoma Sooners figure to be well-represented, especially up front. Ben Powers, a 2018 Consensus All-American and left guard of last season’s Joe Moore Award winning offensive line, is one of four O-linemen from OU that has a chance to hear his name announced in Nashville this week.
Ben Powers’ Story
At Big 12 Media Days leading up to the 2018 season, Ben Powers spoke about his personal motivation whenever he’s on the field.
Highlight of the day for me right here. #Sooners OL Ben Powers (@BigBen_72) on what it takes to be an offensive lineman. pic.twitter.com/9VfFjIEbOe
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) July 16, 2018
Coming out of high school, Powers held no offers from Division I schools. With neither FBS nor FCS schools extending a scholarship opportunity to the Wichita, Kansas native, he elected to go the JUCO route at Butler Community College. After one season there, his talent and ability finally garnered attention from some high profile programs. At the end of his recruitment, he chose Oklahoma over TCU, and became an early enrollee at OU in January of 2016.
Right away, the Sooners had a need for a smart, road-grating guard, and the 6’4”, 307 pound Powers filled that need. In his first season he appeared in 11 games, starting 10 of those contests. Over the course of his three-year collegiate career at Oklahoma, he started 35 of 38 games. Notably, he was named a Consensus All-American as a senior (first team for AFCA, FWAA, Sporting News and Walter Camp Foundation), was a member of the 2018 Joe Moore Award winning O-line unit, and gave up zero sacks while blocking for Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.
Following the Sooners’ run in the CFP, Powers accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, where he was closely evaluated against some of the more talented offensive and defensive linemen in this year’s draft class. ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick was impressed with what he observed from the former starting left guard at Oklahoma.
Kapaun Mount Carmel grad Ben Powers (@bigben_72) getting some love at the Senior Bowl. Louis Riddick had some high praise for the former Sooner. @kapauncrusaders pic.twitter.com/diXDGHtDYh
— Chris Lilly KAKE News (@Chris_LillyTV) January 25, 2019
NFL Combine/Pro Day Results
40-Yard Dash: N/A
Bench: 21 reps
Vertical: 29 inches
Broad Jump: 8’1”
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.87 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Of the many physical tests and measurements, Powers only tested out on bench press at the combine. The rest were completed during OU’s Pro Day. As far as NFL comparisons go, analyst Lance Zierlein likens him to New England Patriots G Ted Karras. While Powers may not be a Day 1 starter in the league, he’s good enough to be a reliable back-up, and sharp enough to learn a complex offensive system quickly if needed.
Draft Projections
The people over at DraftSite.com have Powers going in the fourth round. NFL.com’s Zierlein projects him to be selected in the fifth round, as well as CBS Sports’ R.J. White and Joe Marino of the Draft Network. The folks over at WalterFootball.com expect the offensive guard to go somewhere in the fourth-sixth round range. Lastly, draft analyst Chad Reuter sees a seventh round selection for Powers.
Ben Powers Highlights
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