| Martin is one of the best offensive line prospects in this draft and figures to be the second Stanford player selected behind Andrew Luck. That would be fitting since Martin's second season at left tackle protecting the superstar quarterback's blind side was a resounding success as Luck was sacked only 11 times. With nothing left to prove after being named a first-team all-conference selection each of the past two years, Martin opted to bypass his senior season at The Farm. Considered one of the elite offensive tackles along with USC's Matt Kalil and Iowa's Riley Reiff, Martin has an edge over those two because he played in a pro-style blocking scheme at Stanford in front of one of the most talented pure passers in recent memory in Luck. While Kalil turned heads with a solid showing at the NFL scouting combine, his conference rival in Martin did not participate in drills due to food poisoning. Martin has impressed scouts with his smarts since he also was recruited by Harvard and has plans to attend law school after his football career is over. Those lofty post-NFL ambitions do not mask his intense competitive nature since he declared at the combine that he was a better player than Kalil. Martin could begin his NFL career at right tackle where he'd be an immediate fit, although it's clear he has the physical tools and mental makeup to succeed at the more coveted left tackle slot. |
