Boston College Athletics
Lindstrom, Allen Poised to Shatter First Round Drought
April 24, 2019 | Football, #ForBoston Files
It's part of a BC NFL Draft class with record-breaking potential
The NFL Draft is one of the most celebratory days on the football calendar. For selected players, it's the culmination of a lifelong journey. It transforms them into the heroes they once idolized, and they become the names on jerseys with the power to create for others what was inspired in them. It changes them forever by opening the doors onto the hallowed gridirons of the most popular league in the American sports cultural footprint.
Boston College has always its staple position in the NFL Draft. More than 200 Eagles matriculated to the professional ranks through the years, setting BC within the company of football factories like Clemson, Florida State, Auburn and Stanford. Nearly two dozen of those names went in the first round, with an equal amount heard in the second round or third round, respectively.
But it's been seven years since an Eagle heard his name called in the first round. The Carolina Panthers chose Luke Kuechly ninth overall that year, a year after the Indianapolis Colts chose Anthony Castonzo at No. 22 overall. In the near-decade since Kuechly, BC has been marked by a pointed rebuild, one that required an overhaul of the development pipeline and systemic detail. After a near-hit last year with Harold Landry, Zach Allen and Chris Lindstrom represent two supreme options to topple the drought on Thursday in Nashville.
"If you're looking for tough, hard-nosed players who can take hard coaching, are smart and have high character, these guys provide that," head coach Steve Addazio said during the BC Pro Day last month. "These guys aren't going to make mistakes. (NFL franchises) aren't making mistakes with these guys. There is no mistake in Chris LIndstrom or Zach Allen. They're going to be highly successful. Our guys, BC guys, do very well because they always continue to ascend. I think people have an appreciation for that."
Allen and Lindstrom are taking two very different paths to the NFL Draft and, potentially, the first round. Allen is the glittery pick projected for most of last year as a high-return selection, while Lindstrom was something of a hidden gem until the pre-draft process. Both were cornerstones of the Boston College program rebuild that began when they arrived on campus in Chestnut Hill.
"We came into BC together," offensive lineman Aaron Monteiro said of his teammates. "We've seen each other grow over the past four years. I care about these guys and have been to hell and back with them. It's pretty cool to see us all together now at this level."
Both came to BC as three-star recruits, but Allen came to Boston College with a little bit higher of a recruiting sheet. He had drawn interest from power conference schools and already possessed a massive size for a defensive end. He was "tall and lengthy" according to a scouting report, with a frame that could support the growth of the Division I level.
He added nearly 30 pounds of mass over the next four years, eventually becoming one of the biggest, most explosive pass rushers in the ACC. He became a national star in 2017 with a 100-tackle season and became a household name next to Harold Landry. Almost a quarter of his tackles went for losses, and he recorded six sacks and an interception.
Allen was the pillar of consistency at BC, pushing out the same kind of situational numbers even as offenses started preparing for him. He had 10 tackles for loss in his sophomore year in 2016, then followed it up with 15 in both his junior and senior seasons. He had six sacks in three consecutive years, deflecting four passes two years in a row and eight in 2018.
"I want everyone to know what kind of guy they're going to get (in the draft)," Allen said. "I'm the hardest working guy in the building, and that's not just a cliché (to me). I feel like I have a high football IQ."
Allen is very similar to Landry, who slipped to the Tennessee Titans in the second round last year. He enters the draft facing the criticism that he is built better for the linebacker position in the NFL even as he played as an edge rusher. Landry converted to playing a hybrid position without any incident last year, becoming one of the steals in the draft with 24 tackles and over four sacks for a team that went 9-7 last year.
Allen will likely enter the NFL with the same expectation and, to a degree, the same hype. He's been a highly-regarded prospect throughout the 2018-2019 offseason, and he enters Thursday at the ninth-ranked defensive end, per ESPN's "Best Available." He was one of Mel Kiper's potential first-round prospects dating back to the beginning of the draft evaluation process, and he remains one of the players whose name will draw attention when it's called in Nashville.
"I just wanted to show (teams) that I could do it all, whether they want me to be an edge guy, move inside, bend, (be) explosive," Allen said. "My big thing is that I'm versatile, so I wanted to prove that I could keep on doing it. I thought I did a good job showing it, so now I just sit back and hope that I can get picked."
That contrasts mightily with Lindstrom, the quiet, unassuming offensive lineman with the million-watt smile. Lindstrom was like Allen in the sense that he was a three-star recruit to BC, but he lacked real power conference interest. He was something of an outlier because he was from the western part of Massachusetts and grew up away from the brighter lights of the Eastern Mass. powerhouses of Everett, St. John's Prep and Xaverian.
He was a total development product because he was completely undersized for Division I college football. He stood six feet, five inches, which is perfect for an offensive lineman, but he entered BC at 235 pounds with a 40-yard dash time well over five seconds. He didn't so much need to "add mass" as much as he had to reinvent his entire physical build under BC's strength and conditioning program.
To say he succeeded, though, is an understatement. Roster attrition forced Lindstrom into a starting role as an offensive guard when he was barely 250 pounds, and he lined up in 2015 against ACC defensive linemen that were both bigger, stronger and faster. Four years later, he had nearly 80 more pounds of rip and mass than when he was recruited, and his 310-pound frame could bulldoze a path for one of the nation's top rushing games.
He became a two-time All-ACC honoree and earned a first-team selection in 2018, all while shifting between the left and right sides of the line. He played 100 snaps at right guard against Temple, another 83 against Miami and 87 against Florida State. He did all of that while not missing a game, something that was a trend during his 50-game tenure at The Heights. When his career ended, he was a high-value, sleeper pick that draft experts knew about but expected to fall into the third-round area where other high-value players like John Johnson or Justin Simmons fell.
"We know the Northeast," Addazio said. "I've recruited here the whole time. This is a real process. When you're not plug and playing junior college players, you have to build the base slowly. We had to do that here. It was a four-to-five-year process. This was a big class for us because of (that period)."
Then came the pre-draft process and the NFL Combine. Lindstrom posted a 4.91 40-yard dash at a position where most athletes hover around the 5.00 mark. He had a 4.54 time in the shuttle and excelled in blocking drills. He flashed an athletic ability that projected to a seasoned veteran on kick-outs and pull blocks. He was unafraid of anything on the other side of the ball, and when he left the combine, his name was at the top of most offensive linemen lists.
"The whole process is really exciting," Lindstrom said. "I just want to come in every day and be thankful (for the opportunity). I have a great support system around me to keep me focused. Being in a program like (BC), you take it day-by-day and focus on the rep or drill that you're doing. Over time, everything will add up."
Lindstrom now enters Thursday as the top offensive guard name on the ESPN list. He's the versatile kind of player who should hear his name called on Thursday, and he has the high ceiling that gets NFL franchises drooling. He's not the flashy left tackle protecting the quarterback's blind side, but he's the kind of cornerstone athlete who can play in any situation. Giving him the opportunity to go to an NFL franchise is to allow the team to build around a guard that can play either side of the line, with the size to play tackle, while retaining the mental capacity to work on snapping as a potential center.
Thursday marks the next new day for NFL franchises. Like National Signing Day, it's the replenishment of the talent pipeline. It's the moment where the future becomes the present, and plans become apparent. There will be flashy moments where players stand on stage with a jersey, hugging the NFL Commissioner.
A commissioner hasn't announced a Boston College name in the first round in seven years. It will likely happen in 2019 for a program considered on the rise into college football's elite last season. When it does, it's a moment worth celebrating for all parties involved.
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Boston College has always its staple position in the NFL Draft. More than 200 Eagles matriculated to the professional ranks through the years, setting BC within the company of football factories like Clemson, Florida State, Auburn and Stanford. Nearly two dozen of those names went in the first round, with an equal amount heard in the second round or third round, respectively.
But it's been seven years since an Eagle heard his name called in the first round. The Carolina Panthers chose Luke Kuechly ninth overall that year, a year after the Indianapolis Colts chose Anthony Castonzo at No. 22 overall. In the near-decade since Kuechly, BC has been marked by a pointed rebuild, one that required an overhaul of the development pipeline and systemic detail. After a near-hit last year with Harold Landry, Zach Allen and Chris Lindstrom represent two supreme options to topple the drought on Thursday in Nashville.
"If you're looking for tough, hard-nosed players who can take hard coaching, are smart and have high character, these guys provide that," head coach Steve Addazio said during the BC Pro Day last month. "These guys aren't going to make mistakes. (NFL franchises) aren't making mistakes with these guys. There is no mistake in Chris LIndstrom or Zach Allen. They're going to be highly successful. Our guys, BC guys, do very well because they always continue to ascend. I think people have an appreciation for that."
Allen and Lindstrom are taking two very different paths to the NFL Draft and, potentially, the first round. Allen is the glittery pick projected for most of last year as a high-return selection, while Lindstrom was something of a hidden gem until the pre-draft process. Both were cornerstones of the Boston College program rebuild that began when they arrived on campus in Chestnut Hill.
"We came into BC together," offensive lineman Aaron Monteiro said of his teammates. "We've seen each other grow over the past four years. I care about these guys and have been to hell and back with them. It's pretty cool to see us all together now at this level."
Both came to BC as three-star recruits, but Allen came to Boston College with a little bit higher of a recruiting sheet. He had drawn interest from power conference schools and already possessed a massive size for a defensive end. He was "tall and lengthy" according to a scouting report, with a frame that could support the growth of the Division I level.
He added nearly 30 pounds of mass over the next four years, eventually becoming one of the biggest, most explosive pass rushers in the ACC. He became a national star in 2017 with a 100-tackle season and became a household name next to Harold Landry. Almost a quarter of his tackles went for losses, and he recorded six sacks and an interception.
Allen was the pillar of consistency at BC, pushing out the same kind of situational numbers even as offenses started preparing for him. He had 10 tackles for loss in his sophomore year in 2016, then followed it up with 15 in both his junior and senior seasons. He had six sacks in three consecutive years, deflecting four passes two years in a row and eight in 2018.
"I want everyone to know what kind of guy they're going to get (in the draft)," Allen said. "I'm the hardest working guy in the building, and that's not just a cliché (to me). I feel like I have a high football IQ."
Allen is very similar to Landry, who slipped to the Tennessee Titans in the second round last year. He enters the draft facing the criticism that he is built better for the linebacker position in the NFL even as he played as an edge rusher. Landry converted to playing a hybrid position without any incident last year, becoming one of the steals in the draft with 24 tackles and over four sacks for a team that went 9-7 last year.
Allen will likely enter the NFL with the same expectation and, to a degree, the same hype. He's been a highly-regarded prospect throughout the 2018-2019 offseason, and he enters Thursday at the ninth-ranked defensive end, per ESPN's "Best Available." He was one of Mel Kiper's potential first-round prospects dating back to the beginning of the draft evaluation process, and he remains one of the players whose name will draw attention when it's called in Nashville.
"I just wanted to show (teams) that I could do it all, whether they want me to be an edge guy, move inside, bend, (be) explosive," Allen said. "My big thing is that I'm versatile, so I wanted to prove that I could keep on doing it. I thought I did a good job showing it, so now I just sit back and hope that I can get picked."
That contrasts mightily with Lindstrom, the quiet, unassuming offensive lineman with the million-watt smile. Lindstrom was like Allen in the sense that he was a three-star recruit to BC, but he lacked real power conference interest. He was something of an outlier because he was from the western part of Massachusetts and grew up away from the brighter lights of the Eastern Mass. powerhouses of Everett, St. John's Prep and Xaverian.
He was a total development product because he was completely undersized for Division I college football. He stood six feet, five inches, which is perfect for an offensive lineman, but he entered BC at 235 pounds with a 40-yard dash time well over five seconds. He didn't so much need to "add mass" as much as he had to reinvent his entire physical build under BC's strength and conditioning program.
To say he succeeded, though, is an understatement. Roster attrition forced Lindstrom into a starting role as an offensive guard when he was barely 250 pounds, and he lined up in 2015 against ACC defensive linemen that were both bigger, stronger and faster. Four years later, he had nearly 80 more pounds of rip and mass than when he was recruited, and his 310-pound frame could bulldoze a path for one of the nation's top rushing games.
He became a two-time All-ACC honoree and earned a first-team selection in 2018, all while shifting between the left and right sides of the line. He played 100 snaps at right guard against Temple, another 83 against Miami and 87 against Florida State. He did all of that while not missing a game, something that was a trend during his 50-game tenure at The Heights. When his career ended, he was a high-value, sleeper pick that draft experts knew about but expected to fall into the third-round area where other high-value players like John Johnson or Justin Simmons fell.
"We know the Northeast," Addazio said. "I've recruited here the whole time. This is a real process. When you're not plug and playing junior college players, you have to build the base slowly. We had to do that here. It was a four-to-five-year process. This was a big class for us because of (that period)."
Then came the pre-draft process and the NFL Combine. Lindstrom posted a 4.91 40-yard dash at a position where most athletes hover around the 5.00 mark. He had a 4.54 time in the shuttle and excelled in blocking drills. He flashed an athletic ability that projected to a seasoned veteran on kick-outs and pull blocks. He was unafraid of anything on the other side of the ball, and when he left the combine, his name was at the top of most offensive linemen lists.
"The whole process is really exciting," Lindstrom said. "I just want to come in every day and be thankful (for the opportunity). I have a great support system around me to keep me focused. Being in a program like (BC), you take it day-by-day and focus on the rep or drill that you're doing. Over time, everything will add up."
Lindstrom now enters Thursday as the top offensive guard name on the ESPN list. He's the versatile kind of player who should hear his name called on Thursday, and he has the high ceiling that gets NFL franchises drooling. He's not the flashy left tackle protecting the quarterback's blind side, but he's the kind of cornerstone athlete who can play in any situation. Giving him the opportunity to go to an NFL franchise is to allow the team to build around a guard that can play either side of the line, with the size to play tackle, while retaining the mental capacity to work on snapping as a potential center.
Thursday marks the next new day for NFL franchises. Like National Signing Day, it's the replenishment of the talent pipeline. It's the moment where the future becomes the present, and plans become apparent. There will be flashy moments where players stand on stage with a jersey, hugging the NFL Commissioner.
A commissioner hasn't announced a Boston College name in the first round in seven years. It will likely happen in 2019 for a program considered on the rise into college football's elite last season. When it does, it's a moment worth celebrating for all parties involved.
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Players Mentioned
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