Benjamin Ijalana Scouting Report

It's not everyday that an offensive lineman from an FCS school is named to the Outland Trophy Watch List. Ben Ijalana of Villanova certainly deserved the accolades. On top of simply being on the watch list, Ijalana ended up tenth in voting for the award given to the nation's top interior lineman. That was the culmination of a stellar collegiate career that saw Ijalana named to the first-team All-CAA team three times and to the first-team All-American squad twice.

Back in 2007 Ijalana started 11 games for the Wildcats as a true freshman at the tackle position. By 2008 he was starting all the games for Villanova and he never gave up that starting job. In all, Ijalana started an impressive 53 games during his collegiate career. Ijalana's toughness and ability to stay healthy is one of his many positive characteristics. At 6-4 and 320 pounds, Ijalana may not be the greatest fit at tackle in the NFL. However, he could easily move inside and play guard and that is what most NFL teams would expect him to do.

Ijalana continues to work his way up draft boards. An invite to the Senior Bowl was a big deal for a player out of Villanova, the last being Brian Westbrook in 2002, but Ijalana did not do too much during the week to increase his stock. He will have more opportunities, but for now he is a solid second or third round selection.