2020 NFL Scouting Combine: Offensive Line Notes
After a long day yesterday, the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is back with the offensive line and running back group. Personally, I love watching the offensive line go to town. I think the combine for these guys is so much more important than any other position. Do you have strength? Can you bend your knees? That’s all I need. Here we go. Let’s take a look at the offensive line notes at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. I think this is a really good group.
*General Overview:
A lot of the verbiage in this section may be difficult to understand but I will simplify it as best I can. When watching the offensive lineman during the on the field drills I take a different approach than more draft experts would. For example, one player may be a natural knee bender while the other bends at his back instead. Does a player show fluid hip movement? It’s things of that nature that I care about. The normal arm length measurables that people look for is 32″ arms for guards and 34″ arms for tackles. I will break the offensive lineman into groups to give the viewer a better understanding of what kind of offensive lineman each player is.
*Llyod Cushenberry sat out drills after running. Pulled something. Shame because he is a very good prospect. Starting guard all day.
*Damien Lewis also rolled his ankle in the first drill. Both LSU guys went down. I saw enough at the Senior Bowl.
Technically Sound Left Tackles
Andrew Thomas is a technician. Covers ground, great ankle flection, knee bend. This guy has it all. This is what a left tackle looks like. Thomas looks like he was created out of lab. Total Monster. There was a moment in the drill where the coach points a football in a direction telling the player where to go. I thought Thomas was going Thomas was pancake his ass. He stopped on a dime and went the right direction in a split second. Doesn’t take long to spot the talent. Kill the mirror drill too. Right down the line with ease.
It’s a good tackle class. Jedrick Wills I haven’t totally figured out. He’s not quite as polished dropping back but he’s super athletic. He can get a bit high at times but this guy’s athletic. I’m not quite sure what position he is either. I’ve seen him enough at Alabama to know this is a great player. Might be more of a right tackle but he had a great punch. One of the few guys that made a serious thump. I thought his mirror drill was ridiculous. Watch him change direction my goodness.
Josh Jones doesn’t have perfect technique. The arms get a bit wild. He doesn’t have super long arms either. You can tell he has what it takes. Played his ass off at the Senior Bowl too. He’s an efficient blocker that gets the job done.
Tristan Wirfs blew me away. His quads are insane. He’s able to repeat his mechanics easy. The wrestling background is easy to spot. You can just envision him with the engage going low to high. He’s the only player to start for Iowa at tackle as a true Freshman for Kirk Ferentz.
This guy is off the charts special. The way he’s able to open up his hips and get going was fun to watch. 36.5 vert is insane. Add in the 4.86 – 40 time and 1.69 10 yard time. He won’t fail.
Right Tackles Only
I thought Mekhi Becton moved really well for a guy his size. 6-foot-7, 347, and really moved well. I didn’t expect his 40 time of 5.10. To be that big and fast is scary. 1.77 10 yard split time shows how dynamic he can be off the line of scrimmage. for that 10 yard time to be under 1.8 at his size is nuts.
The comparisions to Trent Brown aren’t even fair. He’s a way better athlete. I had a blank slate going in. Gotta be honest, I didn’t watch more than 5 minutes of Louisville this year. We only saw limited action of him because of an injury. Still, I saw enough to know he’s for real.
Isaiah Wilson is so physically opposing. Jacked and big. You won’t see him as an elite mover. Still, you can see him plugging in at right tackle with the frame to develop into something crazy. There were some concerns though. Saw him bend at the waist at times and never really covered any ground. Short choppy steps.
Mauling Guards
Jonah Jackson is top heavy but looks really stout. Moved well. Powerful punch too.
Jon Runyan isn’t as long or athletic as his dad, but this is a good football player. In the drop back drills, you can tell he has tackle skills. Shorter guy who can bend and technically sound.
The Centers
Nick Harris put on a show. Low center of gravity, super explosive. Hell of an athlete. Great hips, opens up, and explodes. Guy is a clinic. Sign me up for whatever he’s selling. How about that 1.76 – 10 yard time!
Matt Hennessy was an easy mover. Fantastic in drills. Great knee bend and change of direction. You could see how great he was at pulling at Temple. Always on balance. Kept perfect technique in mirror drill. Hands and eyes up in mirror drill.
Throw Cesar Ruiz in here too. God did he look great. Ruiz was crisp snapping the ball coming around the corner and was great going side to side. Eyes up and hands up in mirror. He killed every drill.
Daryl Williams would be a notch below these three guys. You don’t see the explosion but he gets the job done. No problems bending.
Developmental Players
Clemson’s Tremayne Anchrum did a really nice job, in my opinion, shifting his hips and moving. The other Clemson guy, John Simpson wasn’t as good. He had a hitch in his step going left. No base to him either.
Ezra Cleveland and Jack Driscoll are interesting. Both look like skinny tight ends but moved really well. Cleveland actually got 30 bench reps whichs clears that concern. Driscoll got 23 which is fine too.
Cleveland had a beautiful kick step looked good going back and fourth. Never clicked heels. Driscoll looked similar. Hard to separate them. Cleveland looked a notch more athletic. 4.93 – 40 time is great.
Charlie Heck did a nice job too. For a guy so tall, he did a nice job bending his knees. Give him credit. For being 6-foot-7, he did a nice job with leverage.
Matt Peart was super impressive. Crazy wingspan who is super long but move well side to side.
Alex Taylor is interesting. He’s almost too tall. He’s going to lose leverage has an issue getting low. Really tight too.
No Thanks
Yasir Durant super slow in direction. Top heavy guy that lost balance. On his heels a bunch never on his toes to explode.
Trey Adams is a slug, man. It seems like injuries have killed any athleticism he’s had. Easy movements looked difficult for him. A 5.60 – 40 time is not great. It’s one thing to be slow. Being this slow is usually a death sentence.
Cameron Clark had maybe the worst kick slide ever. Covered no ground on his drop. Didn’t look good in drills either. Slow footed.
Terence Steele looks like he’s caught in mud. Can’t get going in any direction. Bad sign for small guy. We know the drill here from the Senior Bowl. This guy stinks. Weak ass punch too.
Trystan Colon-Castillo did 11 bench press reps. Automatic no. That’s horrendous.
Other Notes
Hakeem Adeniji super slow footed. Struggled with change of direction. Not a good workout. I thought it was an ok workout. Just not elite kept hands low in mirror drill. Good 10-yard time of 1.78 thought. He was a tricky one to figure out.
Saadiq Charles had an up and down day. He had good feet but really tight hips.
Austin Jackson was hard for me to figure out. Looks athletic but didn’t see big explosion. Just seemed a step slow. Then you see him flash the next second.
Shane Lemieux had an all around great day too.
