OFFENSIVE GUARDS
Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
Game Film Evaluated:
Stanford (2016)
Miami FL (2017)
North Carolina (2017)
Analysis: Good feet, wide base. Strong at the initial POA. Handles stunts with ease. Excellent balance and consistently stays on his feet. He can pull and get to the second level consistently. Super quick tackles will give him trouble. He is a guard only, lacks the quick feet to handle speed rushers. Disappointed he did not face Solomon Thomas at Stanford on one snap. Struggled vs the speed and quickness against Miami. He doesn’t have the length to knock a lineman off at first contact nor quick enough to get set before a penetrating tackle beats him to a spot. Excellent awareness in pass protection, stunts, twists and delayed blitzes do not give him trouble. He is able to get out in space but struggles to hit the moving target.
Analysis: Quenton Nelson is an excellent guard only prospect to the next level. He projects as an angle blocking guard only since he lacks the quick feet athleticism to really excel in zone blocking. He can work down the line but athletic tackles can beat him to a spot with quickness. He will not lose battles when it comes to power. He can handle bull rushes and powerful tackles consistently. It can get ugly for a tackle when they take him one on one and Nelson starts driving his feet downfield. He is a mauler and looks to finish his blocks consistently. I like him best as a right guard in an angle blocking scheme but he can play on the left side like he did in college. 1st round grade and day one starter at a high level in the right scheme.
Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
Game Film Evaluated:
Missouri (2016)
Georgia Tech (2016)
Kentucky (2016)
Senior Bowl (2018)
Analysis: Excellent frame with strong base and long strong arms. He moves extremely well and has some burst off the line when getting upfield. He can get to the second level with ease and hit a moving target. Good balance and rarely ever ends up on the ground. Strong hands and he handles his man once he gets his hands on them. Moves well and will keep his feet moving once engaged. Moves well down the line and able to pull effectively. Not a mauler and unable to overpower and man handle his man. Good technique and understands positioning, hand placement and bending at the knees. He played tackle at Georgia but his future might be inside as a left guard to utilize his athleticism.
Summary: Isaiah Wynn is a good lineman, fits best as a zone blocking lineman to use his footwork, technique and strong hands to handle his defender without needing much help. He can anchor vs powerful rushers and has the frame and strong hands to handle good inside pass rushers. He will be a weapon blocking to the second level and able to seal off inside runs and turn his man effectively. 1st round grade.
Austin Corbett, Nevada
Game Film Evaluated:
Notre Dame (2016)
Hawaii (2017)
Boise State (2017)
Analysis: Ideal frame for a guard. He played LT while at Nevada but lacks height and length for the tackle position in the pros. Excellent core strength, strong initial punch and gets excellent push in the run game. He looks to not only get a push, he wants to bury his man out of the hole and drive him into the ground. Very physical and always looks to hit someone. Strong hands and has adequate footwork. He keeps them moving in pass protection but not the quickest feet. Defenders can handle him if they get his hands on him first, the lack of length is primary reason he needs to move inside. He flashes leg drive in the run game but not consistent. Aggressive in the pass rush, he prefers to get set up and then attack the defender instead of just waiting for them to come to him. He needs to be more patient in the pass rush and learn to keep his hands inside. He is a bit of a grabber. A technical pass rusher will use this against him especially with good counter moves to get him off balance easily was was seen vs Hawaii. Good balance and rarely ends up on the ground. He can anchor effectively and absorbs contact without giving up much yardage at all. He handles stunts and passes off defenders effectively with good awareness and sliding his feet. The lack of quick feet can get exposed when he anticipates a speed rush and struggles to recover when defenders cross his face to the inside.
Summary: Austin Corbett played LT in college but he is going to make a position change inside at the next level. He brings excellent game strength with the necessary strong punch at the initial POA. He has the frame of a guard with adequate feet although not preferred length or quickness. He was not observed pulling or getting out in space during the games observed. However his balance suggest he is capable of getting out in space and possibly hitting the moving target. He brings the ideal mentality to any offensive lineman wanting to punish his man especially in the run game. He needs to improve his technique, getting the hands inside properly and keeping his feet moving in the run game to maximize the push he is capable of. He needs to work on his footwork in pass protection, become more patient and not be aggressive wanting to attack his man. He plays like a 2nd round pick at times in college but the length and quickness issue were exploited with him on the outside in college. I think he can be a left guard in a primarily angle blocking scheme and compete for a starting job as a rookie. Good college player who should be even better as a professional for an offense that wants to run the ball. 2nd round grade.
Will Hernandez, UT-El Paso
Game Film Evaluated:
Oklahoma (2017)
Texas (2016)
Senior Bowl (2018)
Analysis: Struggles to hit a moving target. Good awareness and able to adjust to stunts and pass off defenders effectively. Quick feet allows him to get set up in pass protection and prevents him from reaching. He’s a grabber but does a good job of keeping his feet moving preventing holding penalties. Massive frame but he is athletic for his size. He moves well and has a lower center of gravity and carries the weight well. He moves under control and has good balance. Although he can move, pull and get to the second level, he struggles to hit secondary targets and defenders on the move. The athletic tackles at Texas Poona Ford and Paul Boyette gave him trouble on a few snaps but he consistently won those match ups. He gets into trouble when he drops his head and is overaggressive trying to drive into his man.
Summary: Will Hernandez is an ideal right guard in an angle blocking scheme capable of starting as a rookie in the NFL. He is a mauling type guard who is extremely difficult to beat once he locks on to you. While he lacks top footwork to work down the line and hit the moving target, he can get the job done effectively consistently. 3rd round grade.
Jamarco Jones, Ohio State
Game Film Evaluated:
Wisconsin (2016)
Michigan (2017)
USC (2017)
Analysis: Elite length with good size. Below average footwork, struggles to keep them moving in pass protection. Poor balance, ends up on the ground too often. Struggles with mobility, heavy feet. Extremely strong hands, it is over once he locks onto his man. He is a grabber but his length and strength make it nearly impossible for defenders to get away from him. When he loses, it is at the initial point of contact or off the snap. Struggles to hit the moving target. He can get to the second level and bury his man if he gets his hands on. He got run over by Maurice Hurst vs Michigan near the goaline. Poor technique, needs to keep his hands inside and improve his footwork. He played LT in college but may need to move inside at the next level due to the lack of quick feet. He can anchor effectively and bull rushers do not give him trouble unless they have explosive quickness and can get under his pads before he sets up.
Summary: Jamarco Jones is a frustrating prospect who needs to make a position change to have the best chance of success at the next level. He has excellent size, ideal arm length and strong hands. However he is lacking the footwork to keep up with top speed rushers nor the technique to suggest he can handle rushers with significant counter moves that will give him fits in pass protection. His length and strength project well to guard and should be able to handle the strongest of tackles without difficulty. He needs to improve his technique, keeping his hands inside and add a strong initial punch to eliminate all momentum on the rush. He will never be a plus pass protector but he can be a mauler in the run game. He just needs to get his feet moving once he’s engaged to drive his man off the line. There is high risk with Jones, if he doesn’t put in the work to improve his technique, he may be out of the league quickly. I project him best as a right guard in an angle blocking scheme that prefers to run the ball and plays mostly 3-4 teams in the division. Explosive 3 technique tackles will give him trouble at the next level. Late 3rd round grade with high risk if he stays at tackle. I like him best as a guard.
Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan
Game Film Evaluated:
Michigan State (2017)
Wisconsin (2017)
Analysis: Not super light on his feet to handle stunts and twists. Quick feet and able to set up quickly in position. He has necessary length and very strong hands. He wins the match up once he gets his hands on you. However he lacks the top lateral quickness to handle top speed rushers. He needs to do better keeping defenders off his body and maintain good separation. He needs to develop a strong initial punch to kill the momentum of defenders. TJ Watt gave him trouble with speed and quickness around the edge. He was able to get his hands into his body and not allow his length and hands to protect the QB.
Summary: Chukwuma Okorafor is an above average tackle but moving inside might be in his future at the next level. He can win with his base, ability to anchor and strong hands to lock down his man once he gets his hands on. He lacks the athleticism to stay on the blindside at the next level. A move to the right side might work out but best if the team has a TE that stays inline to help with chipping the end. I project him as a right guard in an angle blocking scheme so he can focus on just attacking what is in front of him. He isn’t a drive blocking mauler but can be a serviceable starting guard. 4th round grade.
Tony Adams, North Carolina State
Game Film Evaluated:
Louisville (2016)
Shrine game (2018)
Analysis: Shorter compact frame with wide lower body. Long arms and strong hands. Adequate feet and has a good feel for keeping his feet moving in pass protection. Not overly quick or someone who can move down the line quickly. He can anchor effectively and keeps fighting with his man to the whistle. He can get out in space on screen passes but lacks good balance to hit the moving target. He needs to drive his legs into the defender when engaged to get a push in the running game. He lacks the quickness to handle athletic tackle rushers. He needs to get his hands on them quickly and its over once he locks on.
Summary: Tony Adams is a solid guard only prospect who has a compact frame for the position. He plays with good length and has above average footwork capable of keeping them moving in pass protection. He needs to improve his technique and drive his legs in the run game. He is better in pass protection than the run game at this point. He is limited athletically as does not project well to zone blocking and not someone who can pull effectively or hit the moving target consistently. He projects to a right guard only in an angle blocking scheme. He could become a average to slightly above average guard prospect from the middle rounds. 4th round grade.
Braden Smith, Auburn
Game Film Evaluated:
Alabama (2017)
Georgia (2017)
LSU (2017)
Analysis: Good frame and has room to add more weight without losing his athleticism. He moves well in space, he can get to the second level effective and hit the moving target. He has good quickness and can move his feet laterally in pass protection with ease. As mobile a lineman he is, he lacks power and strength. He gets zero push in the run game. Power tackles are able to easily neutralize him and knock his hands away to get off the block. Poor hand strength. He has better than average length and can keep some tackles at bay but lacks any power to stay engaged with them. He lined up mostly as a right guard but also saw time outside as a tackle.
Summary: Braden Smith is a project guard prospect who has some good athletic skills to project for a zone blocking guard. However there are serious red flags that will make it difficult for him to ever compete for a job in the NFL. He needs multiple seasons in the strength program to improve his core strength and upper body so he has a chance to hold up against athletic and powerful tackles. His technique is poor and lacks the functional strength to handle even average tackles. He needs to take great coaching and change his body in the workout room to give him a chance to fight for a job in a few years. Ideal player for the practice squad to a zone blocking team that has an excellent offensive line coach. 6th round grade.
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