The demand for offensive tackles is expected to be on display again in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Last year a record eight tackles were taken in the first round, and seven of the eight wound up starting as rookies.

This year as many as five offensive tackles are expected to go in the first 32 picks, which would be the second highest total in the past decade.

The group is led by Baylor’s Jason Smith, a 6-foot-5, 309-pounder whose athleticism was displayed by the fact he shifted across the entire front line in his career. He was a starting tight end as a redshirt freshman, shifted to right tackle as a sophomore and excelled at left tackle his last two seasons.

“He reminds me of Ryan Clady,” said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, referring to Denver’s all-rookie team left tackle. “He’s a little hard to evaluate in the run game because Baylor’s a spread offense, and they’re in the two-point stance 98 percent of the time. I like him a lot.”

“My greatest strengths are my ability to play fast, physical and with a lot of effort for four quarters,” Smith said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Something I need to improve on is playing in a three-point stance. In the NFL they do that, and in college we didn’t do that much.”

Both Smith and the second-best tackle, Virginia’s Eugene Monroe, are likely to go among the first five picks. Monroe, also 6-5 and 309, is a bit more fluid than Smith but not quite as strong. He’s the youngest of 16 children. He’s so talented that he kept Virginia product Branden Albert, drafted 15th overall last year by Kansas City and who started 16 games at left tackle, at guard all through college.

“He’s a very talented pass protector,” Mayock said. “Not as tough in the run game as some of the others, but in the NFL for a left tackle, you want a pass protector.”

One of the mysteries of the draft will be where Alabama’s Andre Smith goes. He’s a top-10 talent, but he had a miserable offseason. He was suspended from the Sugar Bowl for having improper dealings with an agent. He showed up at the NFL Scouting Combine out of shape and left unexpectedly without working out and without informing league officials. By most accounts his pro-day workout on campus was unimpressive. He lifted 225 pounds only 19 times. (Jason Smith did it 33 times and Monroe 23). He did show up at the pro day at 325 pounds, about 18 fewer than his playing weight during the season.

Still, he’s arguably the most physically gifted Oline prospect this year. He’s a powerful run blocker, with long arms (35m inche 1/3 ). He started 13 games as a true freshman. He was just the seventh true freshman ever at ’Bama to start a season opener. He’s a powerful run blocker, and he won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top blocker.

“He has the arms of a 6-7 guy,” Mayock said. “I’ve got some mixed emotions on him. He’s got good feet for a big guy but I’m not sure he’s an elite left tackle or not. Some teams are even talking about whether he’s better suited at guard. And he’s got some weight fluctuations. You better know what you’re getting if you draft him high.”

Arizona’s Eben Britton and Mississippi’s Michael Oher probably will be first rounders. Britton started at right tackle as a freshman and sophomore and at left tackle last fall. Oher’s life is the subject of a best-selling book. His mother was a drug addict. He attended 11 different schools during his first nine years of education and spent time in and out of foster homes until he was 16. He started 10 games as a true freshman at Ole Miss. His long arms (34 inches) and good feet make him a first-round talent.

“Oher is a tremendously gifted athlete who has been inconsistent, I think, as a player,” Mayock said. “I think you saw that at the Senior Bowl. He looks great for two, three, four or five plays in a row then has a pass protection bust.”

“Britton is an interesting guy,” Mayock said. “He’s 6-6 but he’s got short arms. He might only be a right tackle but he’s an athletic kid who’s a technician.”

The next three tackles probably will go somewhere in the second round. They are Connecticut’s William Beatty, South Carolina’s Jamon Meredith and Oklahoma’s Phil Loadholt.

The best pure right tackle in the draft may be Loadholt, who played left tackle in college. He’s massive, at 6-7z, 332 pounds, and was a good basketball player. He has the longest arms in the draft, at 36z inche 1/3 . Beatty started 35 games at left tackle and also has long arms (34b inche 1/3 ). Meredith, with 34z inch arms, could play tackle or guard.

At least six pretty good center prospects make this draft a better-than-usual year at the position.

“There’s five or six centers, and then there’s nothing, but that’s a rarity to have that many centers,” said ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.

At the top is California’s Alex Mack, followed by Oregon’s Max Unger and Louisville’s Eric Wood. But even the sixth man, Penn State’s A. Q. Shipley, is a decent prospect.

The Bills, who need interior line depth, could find a center on the second day of the draft.

The top guard prospect is Oklahoma’s Duke Robinson. The No. 2 guard, Louisiana State’s Herman Johnson, is 6-7 and 356. He was 411 when he showed up in Baton Rouge, La., and played at 386. He may go in the second or third round.

NEXT: Linebackers