Brian Baldinger has identified his favorite player in this year's draft, and yes, it's Vega Ioane.
Brian Bldinger has made quite the post-playing career out of grinding NFL tape and leaving no stone unturned.
He watches every single game, every single week, and because of that, watches the most snaps out of anyone who doesn't go by the name "coach."
Baldinger is the authority when it comes to the line of scrimmage. He played on it when he was still wearing shoulder pads, and now that he evaluates it, he knows exactly what to look for and watch.
Baldinger released his favorite player in this year's draft, and look no further than Happy Valley. The guy he loves the most is Penn State's Vega Ioane.
Ioane is a special talent on the football field. He is built like a tree stump, standing at 6-foot-4, weighing 330 lbs., yet he moves like a ballerina. He is light on his feet, he is athletic, he can go on the move and hit his strike point, and when he gets to the point of contact, he gets there with incredibly bad intentions.
In addition to his terrific athleticism, Ioane has cinderblock hands, and when he gets them on a defender, they are going nowhere. He is a very special talent, and wherever he ends up, that team is getting a guy who could be a reliable piece up front for many years to come.
The best part about Ioane is that he is in the sweet spot to land with a contender. He isn't quite at the very top tier of guys in this draft, so he is likely not going to go in the top-15. He is also too good a talent to get through the first round. So where does that leave him?
Ioane is projected to go as high as 21 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and as low as 28 to the Houston Texans. The point here is that he is likely going to go to a contender that is ready and looking to win right away.
So far, the best fit that I have seen for Ioane is adding to the Steelers' collection of former Nittany Lions. Pittsburgh just added another Nittany Lion last week in Jaquon Brisker to go along with Pat Freirmuth and Joey Porter Jr. If Ioane goes to Pittsburgh, he will be the fourth one on their roster.
The most fun fit that I have seen for Ioane is the Los Angeles Chargers at pick No. 22. The Chargers just lost their right guard, Zion Johnson, to Cleveland, so the spot could be tailor-made for Ioane, and the Chargers desperately need help on their offensive line.
Whatever happens, Ioane is going to land on a competitive team that is ready to go win a Championship. He will immediately make his new offensive line significantly better.