Jake Matthews is widely considered to be an offensive tackle prospect, and arguably the best one available, in next month's NFL draft. But the former Texas A&M star and son of Hall of Fame lineman Bruce Matthews might not be limited to one position where his pro potential is concerned.
Bruce Matthews, who played 19 NFL seasons at all five positions on the offensive line, imparted some of that versatility to his son, according to St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher.
"With Bruce having played all the positions and being selected to the Pro Bowl ... he was probably one of the more flexible offensive linemen to ever (play)," Fisher said, according to stltoday.com. "I think Jake's got some similar traits. We haven't seen Jake play center yet or guard. But athletically, he can do both I'm sure."
Fisher went on to draw more comparisons between father and son in the areas of competitiveness and durability. The elder Matthews made 297 career starts, including the postseason.
"It's not incorrect to assume that Jake's also going to be durable," said Fisher, who coached Matthews in the NFL after being his college teammate.
The Rams, with the draft's No. 2 overall pick and no need for either a quarterback or a defensive end like South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, could opt for either Matthews or Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson to strengthen their offensive line. No matter what club picks Matthews, he'll be counted on first as an offensive tackle after playing both the left and right sides over his last two seasons at Texas A&M. But if he ever needed to move inside, he would have as good a bloodline as anyone to help him with the challenge.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread.*
