Here’s the SG 50 so far:

1. Tom Brady, QB Patriots
2. Peyton Manning, QB Colts
3. Ben Roethlisberger, QB Steelers
4. Tony Romo, QB Cowboys
5. Carson Palmer, QB Bengals
6. Joe Thomas, OT Browns
7. Osi Umenyiora, DE Giants
8. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB Chargers
9. Kevin Williams, DT Vikings
10. Albert Haynesworth, DT Flaming Thumbtacks
11. Drew Brees, QB Saints

And with the #12 pick in our little expedition, I select Marcus McNeill, OT, Chargers.

There’s really not a lot of commentary to be had here that I didn’t already delve into while taking Joe Thomas at #6; you can read all about that here. Everything I’ve been saying stands: Football games are most often decided in the trenches, and after the quarterback, dominating offensive and defensive linemen are the most crucial building blocks of any football franchise.

Marcus McNeill is the second offensive lineman to come off the board. McNeill was a top-10 talent that slid into the second round of the 2006 draft because of whispers that he was suffering from a degenerative back condition. McNeill has played every game–in fact, the Chargers claim he’s made every practice–in the two years since they picked him, and has dominated from the day he entered the league, almost to the extent Joe Thomas did last year (but not quite).

McNeill is a dominant pass rush defender who is also an excellent run-game mauler. The Chargers ranked near the bottom of the league in line performance on runs between the tackles, but 11th in the league, by far their best standing, in runs around left end, where McNeill is the point of attack.

There’s no guarantee McNeill’s back problems won’t flare up again, making this pick a bit of a gamble, just as it was when the Chargers tabbed him in the second round. Among the other top-shelf linemen available, Jason Peters’ stats, especially in the running game, are not very good, leaving me to wonder what the fuss is about (though he’s a dominant pass protector). Superguards Steve Hutchinson and Logan Mankins I also strongly considered, but decided not to pass up on a dominant left tackle that’s still only 24 years old.

For the record, I believe McNeill is the most valuable member of the San Diego Chargers, and would not hesitate to rank him ahead of, or draft him onto my football team before, the much more famous LaDainian Tomlinson.