Standing 6’6″ and 330 pounds, RS sophomore offensive lineman Jake Curhan looks to keep this Cal offense steady and upright. This past season as a freshman, he started all 12 games at right tackle. He helped quarterback Ross Bowers and running back Patrick Laird to solid seasons and looks to continue that in the 2018 season. The entire offensive line is back which should ease some of the load off of Curhan. However, he will still need to continue to block at a high level individually if the offense is to exceed the previous season.
Our expectations are that he should be the best offensive lineman on this roster. He will continue to open holes for Laird. He should also keep the pocket clean long enough for Bowers to make plays. As long as Curhan can do his job and keep defenders at bay, he should put his teammates in position to excel.
His NFL draft stock will be a little bit tougher to judge in terms of success. This will be a defensive line-heavy draft, with other skill position players being taken in the early rounds. While there will be offensive linemen, more than likely, being taken in every round, Curhan’s name will probably not be called early on if he decides to declare.
My expectation right now is that his name will be called somewhere in the mid-late rounds (mid 5th – late 6th). While it does not help his case playing for a mid-level team like CAL, his on-field play should help. Scouts will notice his skill and strength, which will help him later on.
With all of that being said, the best option for Curhan may be to stay another year in Berkely to add to his college resume. While right now he is considered day two or three prospect, waiting to declare until 2020 may allow him to squeak into the first round. Especially if he ends up replacing Patrick Mekari at left tackle after Mekari graduates.
All things considered, his draft ceiling should rise if Cal can have an all-together more successful season with Curhan’s help. Stay tuned, we have only reached the middle chapters of this story.
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