6’5” – 320 lbs.
Background:
Four-star recruit who has been starting at left tackle for the Bruins for the past three years, since stepping in for the injured Alec Anderson his true freshman season. Decided to forego his final season of eligibility and enter the draft.
Positives:
Comes with three years of starting experience for a major program. Very thickly-built, with excellent weight distribution through his frame; listed height is adequate for a tackle. Was asked to execute some zone-blocking concepts in school. Plays the game with effort and toughness. Works hard to secure blocks in space; has enough straight-line speed to climb to the second level. Powerful at the point of attack, showing some nastiness to overwhelm smaller opponents; shows the killer instinct to finish when he has a chance. Ability to sustain blocks is solid in a phone booth. Can generate some push when he gets his feet moving. Plays with knee bend and a wide base; trusts his form and doesn’t panic when he’s blocking the speed rush. Good level of aggression and accuracy in his hand use/placement, firing out punches and resetting effectively. Easily absorbs power with his stable base and very good lower-body strength.
Negatives:
Frame might be more evocative of a guard than tackle for some teams; Combine measurements will be important, particularly with regard to his arm length. Can struggle to line up blocks and stay coordinated when working in space. Some lunging and balance issues; will lower his head into contact or bend at the waist and get beat on passing snaps and on the move. Falls off of blocks fairly often. In the run game, feet can occasionally go dead before the whistle blows. Lateral quickness isn’t as good as teams look for in a tackle, making him susceptible to inside moves as he sells out to stop the speed rush; not really nimble enough to recover and pivot back inside. Occasionally had to abandon his form to try and shove speed rushers wide of the pocket.
Summary:
Tape didn’t always look great in college, but that may have been because he was asked to play tackle in a scheme which placed some difficult athletic demands on their linemen, when his physical and athletic attributes are better-suited to playing guard in closer quarters, a role which would highlight his toughness, lower-body strength, and pass sets while minimizing the number of blocks he’s asked to secure on the move and in space. Has starting-caliber traits on the inside, and consequently may come off the board some time on the second day.
DRAFTEXAMINER 