Full transparency here: I know a good offensive line when I see it and I know good players on an offensive line when I see them, but I have no idea what goes into making a good offensive lineman. Obviously, size and speed, but those are so general that there’s no way you can correctly figure out the cut of someone’s jib just by looking at those two things.
I’m still going to do another one of these introductions for the Offensive line, but if there comes the point where you’re like, “What’s this idiot talking about?” I just want you to know that that is fair criticism and you’re definitely not the only one thinking about it.
Dallas Warmack
6’ 2”
310 lbs
I love a lineman who is specialized in one position, but I do appreciate a lineman who can move around to different positions because it can help if the team is in a bad spot. Warmack is a right guard but he’s had to move around because of a shoulder injury.
He’s been vulnerable to bull-rushers because he comes out a little high, which is unfortunate for a guard in the XFL since he’s probably not going to be playing against a whole lot of speed rushers in the interior of the line.
Warmack is a disciplined player. He once went 619 snaps without getting a penalty. That’s sick. That’s like going 7 games in a row without costing your team yards. Love that.
Mike Panasiuk
25 years old
6’ 3”
293 lbs
Michigan State
Mike Panasiuk was a defensive tackle. I’m not sure why the Battlehawks have him listed as an offensive lineman. And it’s not a mistake either. I triple-checked to make sure that I wasn’t going crazy. I know some guys have gone on from being defensive linemen to offensive linemen and have been really good, but there’s a reason Panasiuk is in the XFL. I don’t think he’s going to be the next Lane Johnson, but hopefully there’s something there.
Maybe since it’s only a 51-man roster they wanted a guy who could give them depth on either side of the ball? Maybe he’s got a solid skill set as a tackle? Beats me. 293 isn’t exactly a whole lot of meat.
Christian Olmstead
25 years old
6’ 4”
302 lbs
I’m not entirely sure where Olmstead’s going to line up on the line. The thing that makes him valuable is that he can play at every spot. He’s a big dude who has quick and athletic feet which means he should be able to see success pulling, going to the second level, and getting a good initial push off the line.
Juwann Bushell-Beatty
26 years old
6’ 6”
315 lbs
Juwann is the first guy here where we know his position. He’s a tackle.
Juwann is an arm guy. That’s good because it allows him to get good punches in pass blocks, lock onto outside shoulders, and make a good initial impact on plays. Unfortunately, linemen need more than that to be complete. Being an arm guy also means he’s susceptible to bull rushing and he can be thrown from his base.
Now, on the edge, bull-rushing is an issue if you don’t have a great base, but if he can be coached to have lighter feet and if he can get a good initial kick, he can be good against speed rushes off the edge.
Steven Gonzalez
25 years old
6’ 4”
342 lbs
Gonzalez is going to be a guard. He’s a big wide body and uses it to his advantage. He’s got good body control and can get leverage using his hips. His hands can be finicky. He can pop guys out of position if they are blitzing, but slow hands can be “easy” to beat while he’s pass-blocking.
He’s not the most athletic guy which can make him a little slow to get to the second level. Hopefully, the Battlehawks can use his strengths when they scheme their run game.
Jaryd Jones-Smith
27 years old
6’ 7”
320 lbs
Jaryd is a tackle with a big body that both hurts and helps him.
He’s able to use his 36” arms to create separation, set edges, and just be an all-around bully. That’s really great to see.
The bad news is that he had a tough injury in 2015 and he tore 3 of 4 ligaments in his knee. I’m not familiar with what he did before the injury, but now he has heavy feet and can’t deliver a push that matches up with the initial impact that he makes. It’s also affecting how he moves and how he finishes blocks.
Otherwise, I love a lineman that plays well with what his body has given him.
Eric Magwood
6’ 4”
300 lbs
Hard finding stuff on Magwood. He can play tackle, guard, and maybe center. He doesn’t have a whole lot of experience against high-level competition. He was a walk-on at Old Dominion, transferred to Eastern Kentucky, and then to Middle Tennessee State University.
Vadal Alexander
28 years old
6’ 5”
336 lbs
Vadal Alexander has “mostly” played guard in his professional career and I assume he’s going to keep doing that for the Battlehawks. He had a 2-year (2016-2017) career in the NFL playing for the Raiders before he got popped for PEDs in 2018 and got waived by the team. He played for a team in the USFL but got put on the inactive roster because of an arthritis flare-up. That’s not promising.
But when he’s healthy, he should be good. In the NFL he had issues with not being quick enough, but against this level of competition, I think he should be able to do well. He’s a big strong guy. He makes a wall and puts dudes on lockdown when he gets his hands on them. He’ll be great at helping create a pocket against rushers and I think that’s going to be key for a 32-year-old AJ McCarron to be successful.
Again, when healthy: he’ll do good.
Daishawn Dixon
25 years old
6’ 5”
330 lbs
Another big-bodied guard. He’s got good length and can really pop the first defender on the play. His strengths are really getting a punch on guys in front of him and blocking on runs.
It’s when it comes to lateral movement and pass protection that he gets knocked. He’s vulnerable when someone bounces outside of him and he can be slow when he has to pull.