2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Offensive Line Notes
Just so this is on record, I scout offensive line differently than others. The track record speaks for itself AKA calling out that Kenyon Green sucks (and he does… check his rookie numbers). You can hate on the method but it works. Knee bend trumps all. It’s been a long week and I’m ready to be donezo! Come get your 2023 NFL Scouting Combine offensive line notes while they’re hot!
*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.
Group 1
Jake Andrews is fine? Not super tight around the cone in pulls. He’s moving okay but it’s not perfect.
Let me just say this about Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. Looks like he has bad weight on him. It’s one thing to not run fast. It’s another to look frail while carrying ugly weight and run really upright and be slow. His 40 bothered me more than almost any other. Didn’t look like an athlete. Not terrible knee bend but no fire either. Movement drills also bad.
Steve Avila can sink his ass. Not the quickest but no bad quicksand moments either. Change of direction really good. Pulls well. He’s showing out well. Dancing bear vibes. Can bend. No issues going back. By far the best guard in group 1. Liked the way he punched and got off in the screen drill.
Henry Bainvalu too high. Can’t change direction at all. Really slow. Couldn’t bend his knee if his life depended on it. Eyes down looking at the cone. He’s awful at everything. Mirror drill was comical in a bad way.
TJ Bass slow feet. Oregon guard that feels not athletic enough to be a real starter at the NFL level. Slow to react to instructions. Stumbles were evident. Covers no ground. Coaches were even yelling at him for that. Has nothing.
Syacuse overall good but no 40. No real notes but thriving.
Earl Bostick Jr. Not the bend knee bend but wants to be fast. Intensity was noticeable in the drills. Play speed really good. Never feel like he’s out of positon but rushing.
LSU’s offensive line was terrible this past year. Anthony Bradford necessarily wasn’t all the problems but he’s flawed. Foot gets stuck in the ground too often.
Nick Broeker doing his best to stay low. No twitch. Feet are terrible. Bend is all he has going for him. Feels like his feet are being eaten by the turf.
McClendon Curtis really slow feet. Point A to point B is too slow. Head bobbing all over the place. Kick slide is his strength. Pass protection solid. Got better as the day went on. Big guy covering ground even if it’s not 100 percent smooth.
Braeden Daniels moves well but gets stuck in the mud. Feet and balance are a problem. Covers no ground in the kick.
Emil Ekiyor Jr. Plus athletic traits compared to most. Bama level athlete noticeable. Eye level and hand work are very solid. No 40 but very in control. Coaches excited about his kick. Mirror drill outstanding. Impressed that he’s keeping his eyes up.
Jaelyn Duncan ran 40 but did not workout in the drills.
Blake Freeland Really good feet. Light and not overly heavy. Power appears to be weakness. Wasn’t blown away at Senior Bowl. Jump numbers and 40 both really good. Close to record 10 yard time. Feet are fine but not as low as you would like him to be. Athletic traits have really stood out. Yelled at for not covering ground.
UCLA overall good. Regarded as better than his teammate that wasn’t invited. No serious red flags. Guard that held his own.
Connor Galvin nothing special. Nothing to see here. No knee bend.
Jovaughn Gwyn feet are there. Not an excellent knee bender but easy mover. Has some giddy up turning the corner. Short choppy steps going nowhere.
Anton Harrison Really high up. Not bending at all. Good straight line but back bender. Athletic but feels like lost puppy. Mirror drill awful. Gets stuck and crossing his legs.
Ryan Hayes moving well. Overall solid. No red flags. Bending no problems. Doesn’t look like a special tackle.
Paris Johnson *no 40. Good movement skills. Can bend and get to the next spot. Good feet for his size. Surprised he didn’t run cause he gets out and goes. It’s not perfect but burst is there. Showed some good punch. Both Ohio State guys ridiculous arm length. Bit narrow in the base of the mirror that could be a problem. Clip I’m plugging in shows a big difference in the base for Johnson and Jones. Movement skills are fine but the heel clicking really isn’t.
Broderick Jones not super quick but really wide base. Feet aren’t super quick but looks like a brick wall. Long and in control. Good in the pull drill. Lacks twitch. No issues with feet other than just not being speedy. How do you get around him? Man handled the guy holding the bag in the screen drill.
Dawand Jones for a guy his size? His knee bend is really good. The fact that he’s that light on his feet is impressive. Ground shakes and never controls him. He’s Orlando Brown type but moving way better. The bar should be bad in these drills and he’s more than clearing. No grease lightning in the knees but you’re asking for miracles at that point. There’s a pop even if it’s not chasing chickens down fast. Not a freak like Darnell Washington. Overall with context included, this is a great workout. Back pedal really well done.
Group Two
Cody Mauch did well. Transfers weight well. Tight turn around the corner. Balance isn’t perfect but foot work is good. Never stuck in mud. Feet keep churning. Versatility obvious and showed out well in pass rush drops. Kick slide really good. Even complimented by a coach who’s been yelling at everyone. Has a nasty side to him.
Jordan McFadden bad knee bender. Can’t level change and go. I mean at all.
Wanya Morris pulled a hamstring running. Always sucks to see. Would have been someone I’m potentially in on.
Josh Ojukwu completely ate it on the wave drill. Terrible feet. Hard pass.
I think Taylor Lewan said it best about Olu Oluwatimi. He won the Outland Trophy and we’re going to pretend he’s a day 3 pick? Stop it. Bit of heel clicking but no problem setting a base and getting going. The feet are good. Pure 40 wasn’t outstanding but it’s not like he’s slow in the phone booth. Base is really good. Looks terrifying on the screen drill.
Jarrett Patterson bends the knees well. Solid in drills. Feet also good. Tight around corners.
Asim Richards is terrible. Total spaz. His hands don’t even hit the bag. All over the place. Didn’t run either.
Nick Saldiveri never on the balls of his feet. Stuck in the mud. Can bend but not natural.
Wrestling background is obvious with John Michael Schmitz. Eye level fantastic. Bends knees great. Did have an occasional stumble. Lazy around the corner. Pure explosion very average. The pure juice isn’t there.
Juice Scruggs did well. Light on the feet. Really spry. Dialed in with the arm movement.
Peter Skoronski’s knee bend is okay. I don’t see the necessary twitch to take him where he’s being ranked. I know the power is there. Pure athlete not special. Never feel like he’s covering a lot of ground. Did well when I watched Northwestern but in these drills I’m not seeing a premier tackle. More guard. Will get smoked by juice edge monsters if he’s not.
Sidy Sow is a heel clicker. Play speed is fine.
No 40 for Tyler Steen. Wish the arms weren’t as wild. The opposite of being attached to his body. Doesn’t look like a Bama guy. He moves okay but is there any pop? Is there any wow?
Rick Stromberg is terrible. Dragging feet.
O’Cyrus Torrence is a big guy. Bending way better expected. What an ass. Footwork could use to be better but for his size? Better coming downhill but the feet are more than fine. Can definitely open up the hips. Should look worse than he does for his size. Great eye level and smooth. He’s talented man.
Andrew Vorhees not good. All over the place. Not a surprise he twisted his knee up in the drills. The injury sucks but it happened for a reason. I can not be honest about it like the others but that’s what happened.
Darnell Wright am worried he gets too high. Senior Bowl was underwhelming. Don’t ever see a wow moment. Got some punch and athletic traits. Short area not so much. Feet aren’t terrible but really heavy and dragging.
Vendetta Sports Post 2023 NFL Scouting Combine Tackle Rankings
1. Dawand Jones (Ohio State)
2. Broderick Jones (Georgia)
3. Paris Johnson Jr. (Ohio State)
4. Matthew Bergeron (Syracuse)
5. Jaelyn Duncan (Maryland)
Vendetta Sports Post 2023 NFL Scouting Combine Guard Rankings
1. O’Cyrus Torrence (Florida)
2. Cody Mauch (North Dakota State)
3. Peter Skoronski (Northwestern)
4. Steve Avila (TCU)
5. Emil Ekiyor (Alabama)
Vendetta Sports Post 2023 NFL Scouting Combine Center Rankings
1. Olu Oluwatmi (Michigan)
2. John Michael Schmitz (Minnesota)
3. Luke Wypler (Ohio State)
4. Jarrett Patterson (Notre Dame)
5. Juice Scruggs (Penn State)
