NFL Draft results 2014: Jake Matthews selected by Falcons with 6th overall pick
Matthews keeps the trend of highly drafted Texas A&M offensive tackle prospects going strong.
USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons chose not to trade up in the 2014 NFL Draft, selecting offensive tackle Jake Matthews out of Texas A&M with the sixth overall pick.
Matthews was SB Nation's top-ranked offensive tackle and No. 3 overall player on the top 200 big board. He was evaluated higher than other big-name tackles, including Greg Robinson, and was rated higher than top prospects like Sammy Watkins and Khalil Mack.
Matthews was a first-team All-American in his junior season and repeated the honor as a senior despite moving to the left side of the offensive line to take over for Luke Joeckel. Matthews is the latest member of a famous football family -- his father, Bruce Matthews, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and he's the cousin of four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Clay Matthews -- to play in the NFL.
One of the top traits looked for in offensive line prospects is consistency, and former NFL defensive end Stephen White, who has plenty of experience trying to get past them, thinks Matthews has all the consistency you could ask for.
Every kick step (initial movement off the snap for an offensive lineman to get depth and width) for a wide rusher was the same. Almost every kick step to an inside rusher was also the same. He was so good that I only saw one pressure he gave up in [the five games I watched] ...
Think about what I’m saying here. Matthews only lost on a pass-blocking assignment one time in the five games. Now look at the teams I watched him play against -- you don’t think LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss or Missouri have good pass rushers?
Combine results
Height: 6’5
Weight: 308 pounds
40-yard dash: 5.07 seconds
Bench press: 24 reps
Vertical jump: 30.5”
Broad jump: 8’9
20-yard shuttle: 4.47 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.34 seconds
While Matthews was a dominant player with the Aggies, his performance at the NFL Combine was overshadowed by the performance of other offensive linemen, including Greg Robinson and Taylor Lewan. His vertical jump was the third-best mark among offensive linemen, his 40-yard dash was ninth and his broad jump was 14th.
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