Rodney Hudson was a mauler at FSU.

The second part of today’s Big Board is the interior linemen. Unlike the offensive tackles in this year’s draft, the 2011 class is not as deep at center and guard. There are certainly a few top-notch prospects that will deservedly be selected in the first round, but the drop-off after those players is a bit more pronounced than it was with the tackles.

The Bucs may be looking at spending a mid-to-late round pick on on an interior lineman. While I doubt they will spend a pick in the first few rounds on their offensive line (or their offense in general), they may be looking to acquire some additional depth along the line. Last year, Jeremy Zuttah and Ted Larsen came up huge for the Bucs down the stretch. Zuttah stepped in to play center and guard when need be and Ted Larsen finished the last half of the season beside Donald Penn on the left. Both look to return and have good years next season, but with injury concerns regarding Jeff Faine and Davin Joseph (who also needs a contract) the Bucs may be looking to add depth.

Here are the top interior linemen in the 2011 Draft:

1.) Mike Pouncey, Florida - Pouncey is the safest pick in the 2011 draft, amongst linemen. He has a twin brother who garnered national attention for his strong play in Pittsburgh as a rookie. That’s why it’s not hard to believe that if Mike has as much drive and work ethic as his twin, he should also be a very good NFL lineman. Pouncey started as a defensive tackle at UF before transitioning to right guard in 2008. Last year, after his brother left school early, Pouncey moved to center. He’s capable of playing all three of the interior line positions and has all the size and athleticism you could ask for in an NFL prospect. Pouncey is fundamentally sound most of the time but does tend to get a little lazy (slower off the line, pads get high) when he fatigues. Still, he is the best of the interior linemen in this year’s class.

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Now, some of you are already saying, “hey wait, I love Madden.” And that’s great, I prefer EA’s NCAA football games a little more personally, but I’ll grant you that they make a solid game. But that’s it, just solid. Let’s not bend over backwards to effusively praise the series either. Since hitting PS2, honestly, has the game changed that much? A little adjustment here, a small update there, but there hasn’t been an overhaul in about a decade. When you open next year’s Madden, it’ll be just like playing last year’s except for a few aesthetic updates, a roster change and some new way to utilize the right joy-stick.

This year’s Madden will be no different. Just like last year’s biggest update was the ability to meet the president after a Superbowl win, this year’s big, jaw-dropping update will be the inclusion of concussions. That’s right, now when you use the hit stick that is so joyously advertised to decapitate a receiver or blindside a back, the tackled party (or even the tackler) may become concussed and perpetual bore-jockey Cris Collinsworth will launch into a pre-recorded diatribe about the dangers of head injuries. That should get old about… the second or third time it happens. You know EA isn’t going to record more than one or two bits of long-winded commentary about head-shots and it’ll drone on at you piously at least a couple times a game.

Don’t get me wrong, I think educating on the dangers of concussions is fantastic. I’m glad Madden is employing this into their game. I just think it’s a little ironic that Madden is a game that still does openly celebrate bone-crushing hits at the same time, and that this is being lauded as the big improvement to the franchise this season.

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