Brian O’Neill - Pitt

Obviously the best athlete in the 2018 NFL Draft offensive tackle class, O’Neill solidified that assessment with his eye-opening performance at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Body Structure...O’Neill has a big frame that is still developing and could add another 15 pounds of bulk. He is high cut, with a thick chest, good arm length and long legs. He has very upper Body muscle development (hard-muscled type) and displays a good bubble with decent thickness in his thighs and calves.

Athletic Ability...O’Neill has very good Quickness for a player his size and can consistently clock at 4.9 or better in the 40-yard dash. He shows good agility coming out of his stance and the low pad level with good hip snap to change direction fluidly when redirecting in pass protection. Because of his foot speed, he shows good Ability to play in space. He plays with good knee bend and flexibility for a player his height. He still needs to develop into a solid leverage player, as he does get his feet crossed at times and needs to be more consistent in setting with a wide base. He demonstrates a good initial burst off the snap, along with the sustained speed to consistently get into the second level. He is a quick-twitch type with the body control to recover when he loses balance, showing fluidness in his lateral moves. He is best served playing on the move, as he does not have the ideal brute power you look for from a left tackle working in-line.

Football Sense...O’Neill shows good ability to pick up plays from the chalkboard and take it to the field with minimal reps. He shows good awareness on the field, displaying the vision to quickly locate blitzers and pick up stunts and games. Still, he is a raw talent that still needs to learn and rely on technique and savvy to compensate for a lack of ideal bulk. He is a self-starter who does not need to be pushed and is a dependable pass protector, but he needs to show more aggression in that area of his game.

Athletic Report

Initial Quickness ...O’Neill shows very good snap quickness and field vision coming off the snap. He is fluid in his kick slide and has very good quickness out of his stance to lock on and control vs. a lethargic defender. Even when he is occasionally late off the snap, he shows the pad level and balance, keeping his hands inside his frame while working to gain advantage. He has good suddenness working into the second level, showing the alertness in the passing game to slide his feet and mirror edge rushers with no wasted motion. He explodes with a flat back and strikes well with his head and arm action to slide and fit. He is a classic knee bender with the lateral agility to prevent opponents from beating him around the corner. Because of bulk issues, he may be better suited for right tackle, but he does show the lateral agility to get out quickly vs. the edge rush.

Lateral Movement...O’Neill has good lateral agility, thanks to his ability to play light on his feet. He stays low in his pads and keeps his legs moving when asked to get out in front on pulls in attempts to get up field. He can slide and be very efficient working in the short area, but with his sustained speed on the move, he could get into an NFL lineup quicker as a right tackle, even though he reminds scouts of the Titans’ Taylor Lewan.

Balance/Stays On Feet...O’Neill has the lateral movement and feet to do the job moving on pulls and traps and getting into the second level. There are times where you will see him overextend and he has to be especially conscious of keeping his feet on the move. He demonstrates good balance, but when he misses with his initial shot, he will revert to lunging and over-extending on the play. He is become effective at playing on his feet, but has to use his hands better to lock on and control the defender, as he does not always set with a wide base. He needs to get stronger, but he does a solid job of sticking and staying with his man, as he works hard to finish once engaged. With his low pad level, he is effective at generating the functional leg drive needed to plow a smaller defender into the ground. He will need to improve his leg strength for the next level to prevent the stronger defenders from pushing him back. Earlier in his career, he had a tendency to put his head down, especially on in-line assignments, resulting in him missing his blocks, but he has worked hard to keep his head on a swivel since the beginning of his junior campaign (has allowed just one sacks and two quarterback hits in his last 25 games).

Explosion/Pop...O’Neill has explosive hands and adequate upper body strength, but must generate the lower body power needed to drive defenders off the ball as a run blocker. He is still learning how to use his hands to joust with the defender and deliver a solid hand punch, but he does show the loose hips needed when moving into the second level. Even with his adequate strength, he is good at getting surge for movement, thanks to his ability to roll his hips. As a senior, he demonstrated much better striking ability at the point of attack in attempts to shock and jolt the defender. He has also shown better ability to generate good energy for movement getting into his blocks working in space, but will never be confused for being a mauler, until he can improve his overall power base.

Run Blocking...O’Neill is not a mauler who can simply use his size to take over blocks, lock on and grind it out with the more physical defenders, but in 2017, his positioning technique saw him do a solid job of using his size to take over defenders, lock on to them and grind it out until the whistle. What he lacks in brute strength and he is still developing good hand usage and a decent punch. He has the ability to wall off and screen edge players, but must improve his base power in order to finish at the next level. Still, with his explosion and quickness, he can generate enough pop on contact to surprise an opponent. He is really a technically sound blocker when he plays with a flat back to get movement at the point of attack. The thing you see on film is the success he has in the second level, as he has a good concept for taking proper angles to screen and wall off. When he keeps his pads down, he can gain movement on contact, but he gets most of his success for the ground game as a cut and reach blocker. When he tries to get too physical, he will sometimes lose his base (gets too narrow with his feet), but he does get good movement once he engages the defender, using his active hands to steer and has shown in 2017 better strength behind his hand punch to jolt than in the past (still not NFL-caliber).

Pass Blocking...Since the end of 2016, O’Neill has shown marked improvement taking on edge rushers and protecting the pocket. He now keeps his head on a swivel (used to put his head down, at times) and displays the initial quickness and hand technique work in his pass set to get under and lock on to a defender’s jersey. He has an adequate base for pass protection, unless he gets too high in his stance. He might not have the strongest anchor you will find in a left tackle, but has the recovery quickness and slide agility to stay in front of the edge rushers. The thing I like is his ability to sink his hips, slide and shuffle his feet and recoil his hands quick enough to generate another punch. Still, it is a bit frustrating when he over-extends or gets too aggressive, and he needs to play with a good tempo and vision to be successful. As a senior, he has been much quicker with his pass set (see Youngstown State, Rice, North Carolina State and Virginia games). When he comes out of his stance, he must be more consistent in setting his base, but he does demonstrate the quick feet to adjust in space.

Pulling/Trapping...When working in-line, O’Neill does not have the brute strength to push the pile, but his quickness on the pull and ability to adjust on the move has seen him deliver impressive second level blocks. He makes every effort to generate contact and follow through when on the move. With his quickness and balance, he more often than not surprises a lethargic defender. He comes out of his stance with good body control and pad level, ready to strike on contact in space, as he knows how to drop his weight and drive through the linebackers. He appears to have enough skills in this area to possibly be a guard or right tackle candidate at the next level. I would not even object to using him as a blocking tight end while he adds bulk and strength to be a starting tackle.

Adjust on Linebacker Downfield...As a former tight end, O’Neill has a good understanding for taking the angles needed to neutralize second level defenders. He is quick to make the cut-off and adjust to movement in space. The thing you see on film is his consistency running through and finishing his blocks on the move. He has the good ability to sink his pads and shift his weight to strike with good pop on contact (better on the move than when in a stationary position). He also demonstrates the change of direction agility and redirection in his angles to shorten the field.

Use of Hands/Punch...While O’Neill has worked hard to improve his hand placement technique, he still lacks the stunning punch and brute strength needed to shock and jolt, but has quick usage of his hands while keeping them inside his framework. He has shown this season that he has the ability to lock out his man with his long arms and knows how to get his hands into the chest of the pass rushers, but he has just adequate strength to lock out and must remember to be active with his hands in attempts to control. When he gets his hands into the chest of the defender, he can generally neutralize his opponent. Once he improves his strength more, he could give a solid effort in attempts to lock out, but that area is still a work in progress.

Reactions/Awareness...The thing about O’Neill is that he will always work hard to get good position blocking at the line of scrimmage, even if he is not always successful. He is a smart blocker who is learning how to keep his feet and maintain balance when he is stationary, even though he is much more effective playing in space. His ability to sustain blocks on the move is the result of his consistency in keeping a relationship on the defender he is blocking. When he plays flat-footed and flashes good ability to change direction and recover, he has the foot balance to slide in the short space area and has no problems sliding to take on wide 9-technique pass rushers. Once he gains confidence in keeping his hands active, he will have better ability to neutralize cross-face action and recoil quick enough to execute a counter move.

Compares To...Taylor Lewan-Tennessee Titans...Like Lewan, O’Neill is one of the finest athletes at the tackle position, but there is still several technique areas that need refinement, especially in pass protection.

Chukwuma Okorafor - Western Michigan

Body Structure...Okorafor has a tall frame with impressive lower body thickness, long arms with large hands, good bubble, broad shoulders, good chest muscle development, thick thighs and room on his frame to carry more weight.

Athletic Ability...Despite measuring in at 320 pounds, Okorafor has a frame that needs to improve his upper body power, as he does not strike with a forceful punch. Because of upper body strength issues, he tries to compensate with explosion off the snap, but he can get too reckless and when he over-extends and his adequate change of direction agility makes him look sluggish trying to recover. He has the functional hip snap and enough flexibility to sink his pads and run fluidly off the line of scrimmage, along with the “heavy feet” to anchor vs. the bull rush.

Football Sense...With all of those foolish penalties, you wonder if Okorafor might have an awareness inability. This is especially noticeable when he is too late to recognize and pick up the blitz. He has average quickness, but needs to attack defenders away from the play more often, as he prefers to execute his block and stay with his man rather than look for secondary targets to attack. He needs more than several reps to retain plays, but has to play with better instincts, as he just appears too slow to analyze plays in an instant.

Athletic Report

Initial Quickness...Okorafor does not have quick, nimble feet, but demonstrates functional balance and body control playing in the trenches (struggles playing in space). He moves well going forward off the snap and does a nice job of using his frame to pinch the defenders back inside. When he stays low in his pads, he can fire low off the snap with good explosion to gain instant advantage. While not explosive, he is rarely late off the line and is quick to make contact and impact the defender. With those long arms and big hands, you would expect him to have better success at gaining advantage on a defender than he has to date. When he flashes suddenness coming off the ball, along with good get-off and proper hand technique, it should put him in the right place to make the block most of the time, but he lacks consistency.

Lateral Movement...Okorafor shows active, quick feet in the trenches, but he lacks great balance on the move, as he does not always adjust well down field. He has enough agility to slide or pick up the blitz and defensive line stunts. When incline blocking, he has shown better ability to sink his weight, which allows him to cave the defensive line with his leg drive and leverage. His needs to improve his concept for taking angles and you’d like to see him do a better job of locking on and winning battles in the second level like he does in the short area. He also has to demonstrate better knee bend, as he looks sluggish when redirecting down the line (play much better when stationary).

Balance/Stays On Feet...Okorafor is better served blocking along the line, as he does not have the burst or the balance to get out and make plays in space (gets narrow and crosses his feet). However, he is a good position blocker, but needs to improve his retreat shuffle, though, when moving along the line. He demonstrates the functional hip snap needed to generate short area movement, but he needs to do a better job of keeping his feet and staying on the defender when working in the second level. He does not look always look fluid enough working down the line and he will get sluggish running long distances and lose balance when he gets his base too narrow (inconsistent working in space).

Explosion/Pop...Okorafor has a thick frame, but could still use more strength in attempts to position and sustain. With more bulk and power added for his anchor, along with more explosive quickness when he sets his base, he won’t get into the problems he has when trying to separate, but additional weight could result in a loss of his adequate quickness. He has the reach ability to keep defenders at bay and while not explosive rolling his hips, at least he is not a waist bender. He sustains best at the line of scrimmage, where he does a good job of running his feet, locking on and finishing (not as good playing in space). He might be a better fit at offensive guard earlier in his career, as he works well in combination with other lineman, but at left tackle, he tends to wait for edge rushers to come to him rather than step forward and attack his man. Despite his average weight room strength, it does not always translate to the field, as he tries to finesse rather than maul his opponent.

Run Blocking... As a drive blocker, he uses his body to root out the defender and when his pad level is down, he can move the pile and drive block with leverage (could be exceptional here as a guard). Okorafor needs to generate a more explosive good get-off coming out of his stance and his narrowing of his base and crossing his feet will put him out of position to make the in-line block. He could be a better fit at guard earlier in his career, as he shows good body control rolling his hips and drives with his legs to flash a line surge. He also has a guard-like approach when pulling in-line, as he knows how to attack the shoulders of a defender. He is not consistent, but when he rolls his hips, he has good success in gaining movement. In 2017 his improved leg drive saw him do a nice job of caving the defensive lineman (see Idaho, Wagner, Ball State games).

Pass Blocking...This is a problem area, at least when it comes to recognizing stunts and twists. Okorafor is inconsistent, but when he keeps his head on a swivel when retreating in pass protection, he shows good urgency moving underneath to cut down the backside pursuit. He needs more lower body strength, but he has the long arms to engulf smaller defenders and stymie the bull rush. He moves his feet well to shield and wall off the interior defender in pass protection, but needs to be quicker moving out to challenge edge rushers. He does a decent job in handling multiple defenders, but does get a bit upright in his stance, causing his base to narrow (this results in stronger defenders having success pushing him back into the pocket, see 2017 USC, Michigan State, Toledo games). Another flaw he needs to correct is that he will sometimes try to use his body too much to lean into an opponent rather than extend his arms to lock out and control. When he anchors firmly, he can slide and find ways to adjust to the action in front of him.

Pulling/Trapping...Okorafor is not an ideal trap blocker, as he does not always fire off the line with intent and must do a better job of angling getting into the second level. He has adequate body control on long distance runs and needs to stop crossing his feet so much, as it affects his quickness and balance to hit a moving target. He is better flashing pop on contact when executing the short traps.

Adjust on Linebacker Downfield...Okorafor has a tendency to put his head down before connecting when playing into the second level. He must do it with more consistency, but he has the ability to take good angles and adjust to second level defenders. Still, he is a liability, as he does not always land a strong punch when in the open field.

Use of Hands/Punch...During his first three seasons, Okorafor was more of a push/shove/grab type and needed to refine his hand technique, which he appeared to carry too low, letting defenders get a piece of his jersey, as he often left his chest exposed. He worked hard to improve his hand placement, but when he gets outside his frame shooting his hands, it makes him look slow when trying to recoil and reset them. He is still learning how to use his hand punch, but he has that long reach and large hands to pop, lock out and maintain separation. When he does generate force behind his punch, he can knock his opponent off balance. His power base and hand strength needs more refinement, but he showed in 2017 that he has the ability to use his hands to control and can create a good surge off the snap due to his balance. When he uses his hands, he has the ability to get under the defender’s pads, jolt and dominate (see 2017 Wagner and Buffalo games).

Reactions/Awareness...Oh Boy! Okorafor has had problems with penalties and you wonder about his ability to retain plays. He is not always alert to twists and games and needs to show better awareness reading the defense. He also sometimes has problems with games up front and needs to do a better job of recognizing.

Compares To...Michael Oher-ex-Carolina Panthers...The raw talent is there, but you wonder if the light will go on upstairs. Coming to the United States just eight years ago, he is still a neophyte at the tackle position, with just three years of starting experience at the collegiate level and I worry that he might not have the natural instincts to play out on an island and would perhaps be better suited covered up playing inside. Athletically, he is a fine specimen, but it will take patient coaching to help him unearth his potential.

Alex Cappa - Humbolt State

A colorful character who enjoys acting and improvisation, it was no joke for defensive linemen that had to face this once 240-pound freshman in the trenches. Cappa was not regarded as a valid recruit after playing three seasons for Dublin High School, where he lettered as a defensive lineman during his first two varsity seasons before shifting to the offensive line.

Even small colleges look for linemen bigger than 240 pounds, so Cappa spent his first season with the Lumberjacks on the scout team in 2013. His transformation in the weight room saw him report for 2014 fall camp checking in at 294 pounds.

The 2017 Season...Cappa became a three-time All-American selection, as the All-American Super Sleeper Team pick by The NFL Draft Report was the first ever to capture GNAC Offensive Lineman of the Year honors four-straight times. His 92.1% blocking consistency grade topped the Division II ranks, adding 18 touchdown-resulting blocks for the running unit that scored 25 times.

Cappa Scouting Report

The Lumberjacks left tackle is starting to garner late-Day 2 round draft attention, as he graded 89.1% for blocking consistency through 41 career starts. A vastly underrated talent, Cappa graded 92.1% for blocking consistency and delivered 127 pancake blocks in 2017. He has a tall frame that makes him look leaner than he actually is, but possesses good overall muscle definition, but is shorter than ideal arms and wingspan (along with adequate hand width) could force him to shift inside to guard at the next level.

Cappa plays with a good base, moving his feet well to stay off the ground and get out in front on traps and pulls. He is a mauler who uses his size to take over blocks and when he stays low in his pads, he can lock on and grind out getting off the snap. He comes off the snap with his back flat, but must do a better job of rolling his hips (his hips are loose, but he just lacks technique). He has just adequate long distance speed and lacks great footwork on the move, but has the ability to quickly recover when out on an island with an edge rusher. Still, he might find a quicker route to an NFL starting job on the right side of the line or as a guard.

The Lumberjacks blocker shows good strength (24 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press) and good explosion out of his stance, as he consistently plays with a good base. He doesn’t bend too much at the waist but is not a solid second level blocker, thanks to a lack of great foot speed or agility in the open field.

Cappa is the type of athlete that “looks better” on tape, as he will surprise a lethargic defender with his quickness anchoring and establishing position. He flashes above average body control, balance and change of direction agility working in-line (just not as good when on the move), and those attributes could see a few teams regard him more as a guard, due to his success on traps and pulls.

The senior developed good field savvy, as he does the job by using his size and strength to sustain blocks, moving his feet quickly in order to get out in front on pulls and traps. He sustains well working in the trenches and when he locks on to a defender, he is quick to run his feet, playing with a finishing attitude. The thing that you see on film is that even when he does not get great position, he does an outstanding job using his reach, strength and explosion to finish his blocks in the trenches.

Cappa is more effective as a drive blocker than in pass protection. When he bends at the waist instead of his knees, he loses leverage vs. a physical pass rush and can be walked back into the pocket. He is not the type that takes false steps though, as he has too good of a balance when trying to make the reach block. The Ram blocker just lacks the arm reach and wingspan to lock on and wash out the bull rushers, but has good success staying in front of the smaller edge rushers when he plays with consistent footwork. He does a nice job of shuffling his feet to counter the spin moves and there are times where he can literally “shock and awe” an opponent with his hand punch. While lacking long distance speed, he shows good agility to readjust to a defender’s inside moves.

Compares To...Max Garcia-Denver Broncos...Cappa has a lot of postseason pedigree, but like Garcia, his shorter than ideal arms and Donald Trump-sized hands make him perhaps a better fit at guard or even right tackle. He has good retreat skills in pass protection, but I don’t think he has the valid overall quickness to handle NFL edge rushers or the brute strength to stand up bull rushers...yet.

Kolton Miller - UCLA

A classic late bloomer story, Miller was a lightly regarded player until his senior year with the Bruins.

Miller Scouting Report

One of the main reasons for UCLA’s improved offense in 2017 was their quarterback, Josh Rosen, but it was also due to their new left tackle performing at his best, as Miller delivered fifteen touch-down-resulting blocks and 98 knockdowns during his final season with the Bruins. The former right tackle took over duties on the left side this season and was regarded as the Pac-12 Conference’s speediest offensive lineman (4.9 in the 40-yard dash).

Miller offers a team versatility, having started ten games at right tackle during the 2015-16 seasons and thirteen on the left side in 2017. He originally joined the program as a guard. Despite his foot speed, there are times when Miller lacks consistent explosion and drive off the ball, but has good balance and ability to stay on his feet after contact. He flashes a strong hand punch, but while he keeps good position, he needs to add more power in order to drive block with consistency (tries to run his feet, but needs to improve lower strength).

In the run game, he stays low in his pads and uses his long arms to get movement and root out the defender. He is very good at reading and reacting to the action in front of him. His foot agility allows him to slide, adjust and maintain position on his man in the short area. He is not the most fluid runner working in space, but has improved his flexibility, body control and sink-ability.

The first thing you notice on film is Miller’s ability to explode off the snap. He has good quickness getting into the second level. He also displays a somewhat strong base, along with the suddenness to get his hands into the defender. He is light on his feet for a player of his size, showing quick reactions to combat any defensive movement.

Whether lining up in a two- or three-point stance, he can set up to protect the edge with good urgency, but must be conscious of maintaining a wide base, as he tends to get too upright and narrow at times, which allow defenders to slip inside with a quick swim move.

Miller is a hard object to move out when he plants his feet firmly at the point of attack, but if he gets too tall or fails to keep his hands inside the frame, a defender can easily walk him back by grabbing his jersey. He does a solid job executing reach blocks and maintaining position when working in-line, thanks to his long arms and wingspan, but due to some issues maintaining good pad level, a shift back to right tackle might be in his future.

At 6:09, 309, Miller could use more bulk to clear out and maintain the rush lanes, but shows quick feet in his kick slide. For some reason, he seems to struggle getting low in his stance to generate leverage on the move, but he has the reach and extension ability to cover defenders up at the line of scrimmage.

Miller shows much better explosion with his hands coming off the snap, but will tend to lean and use his body more than gain proper hand placement. When he stays low in his stance, he is effective at getting under the defender’s pads to jolt the opponent, but he needs to do a more consistent job with sitting, as he is prone to locking his feet and getting too upright in his stance.

Miller is not asked to pull and trap much, but has the quickness to turn it up on the second level defenders. He is athletic and smooth in his movements and has the body control to execute blocks in space, but needs to maintain proper pad level working in the second level, but there are times where he will get too tall in his stance, causing his base to narrow.

Miller can extend, jolt and shock the opponent when he gets his hands on them, but needs to do it with more consistency. He is strong on top, but still learning the proper technique for grabbing. He can stun people with his punch and control the point of attack, but while he flashes good arm extension in-line, he fails to maintain that extension blocking on the move.

Compares To...Jake Fisher-Cincinnati Bengals...Like Fisher, Miller is an above-average athlete with quality length, foot quickness and lateral agility. He can shuffle and mirror when getting into sound position and with his adequate anchor and flexibility in his lower half, he can sink and anchor against power moves. While he does have a jarring punch, his upper body functional strength needs improvement. Being so tall, he has to be consistent with a low pad level. When he gets too tall, his footwork and technique disappear, as he will revert to Will lunging and opening the gate, instead of bringing his feet vs. the speedy edge rushers. He also must learn to show more patience to sit back in sets.

Day 3 prospects

Jamarco Jones - Ohio State

Jones has a tall, developing frame, but despite possessing broad shoulders and long arms, he desperately needs to add bulk to his 299-pound frame to compensate for a lack of foot speed. His lack of initial quickness is disguised when he is able to engulf defenders with his long wingspan (85 1/8-inches) that he uses effectively to neutralize even the power bull rush. He lacks good strength, but somehow demonstrates forceful hands and is an adequate fist fighter, doing a good job of widening the rush lanes with his leg drive.

Despite poor timed speed, the Buckeye stays square in his base and moves well laterally, showing solid footwork and agility. He has the hand strength to lock on, pop and shock defenders, doing a good job of unlocking his hips to explode behind his arm swipes. He hits with good leverage and uses his huge body mass to get movement off the snap.

Jones is a liability moving in the second level due to very poor sustained speed, but he demonstrates valid footwork in the short area, as he can redirect and take proper angles in his pass set, making him a better fit as an interior blocker (guard) than playing outside (tackle). He shows good awareness in picking up threats and moves his feet well in space.

While he simply mauls defenders, he plays under control, but lacks suddenness coming off the ball. While he has a strong hand punch, he tires late in games and the result is that he becomes inconsistent using it, as he tends to catch and extend more than pop on contact. He is best when working at the line, as he does not have the sustained speed to get out on pulls and traps, or the acceleration to attack second level defenders.

Jones is slow to set in pass protection at times, as he tends to bend at the waist and take false steps. Despite his balance and leg drive, he can get turned some when he gets too high in his stance and narrows his base. He has the physical tools to be a productive starting right guard thanks to his large wingspan and good pass set to be effective.

Jones is slow coming off the ball, but gets into the block with ease and know how to use his body mass to engulf people. He gets good fits and does a good job to stay up and on the block. He has just marginal lateral quickness to get out of his stance and reach a wide defensive end. He plays with leverage and keeps his feet, but can get turned some when he narrows his base and gets too tall in his stance.

Jones takes better angles working in-line than on the second level, but is able to adjust with ease to a moving target in the backfield. He gets out on the short pull, but does not have the speed to go long distances. Still, he is light on his feet and can adjust on the fly, taking good sets in pass protection.

Jones plays under control and has the ability to go get a wide edge rusher. He places his hands well, but you would like to see him place them with much more violence. Still, he can widen the pocket and has the agility to sit and recover inside. He needs some work to get a out of his stance quicker and there are overall weight room issues, but compensates by being “country strong” and knowing how to use his body to occupy the defender and create stalemates at the line of scrimmage.

Compares To...Rob Havenstein-Los Angeles Rams.

Desmond Harrison - West Georgia

Harrison’s dreams for playing in the NFL took a different path than what the normal college player would experience - due to his off-field issues. Coming out of the Houston area, he attended Oak Ridge Military Academy in North Carolina, where he drew interest from recruiters but failed to qualify academically, opting to move again to Contra Costa Community College in San Pablo, Calif., to continue playing football.

Rated among the top ten players in the junior college ranks in 2012, he was heavily pursued by Oklahoma and Southern California, but decided to return to his home state by enrolling at the University of Texas. He managed to get on the field for seven games as a reserve and on special teams in 2013, caddying for left tackle Donald Hawkins.

In 2014, Harrison was suspended from the team twice, failing to play in a single game. First, there were issues with an online class that he took through Brigham Young while he was enrolled in junior college. Those issues were ultimately resolved, allowing Harrison to play, but projected as the Longhorns’ left tackle, he received his second suspension prior to the season opener for failing a drug test and was eventually dismissed by school officials.

Harrison did not play football again until the 2017 campaign, when he joined the West Georgia program.

Harrison has a linear frame with good upper body length in his arms and good width in his chest, but has the ability to add at least another 30 pounds of bulk without it impacting his impressive quickness. The former prep standout shows good initial quickness to engage and reach his pass set point. He plays on his feet with good balance and has above average lower body flexibility when redirecting.

Harrison has good mobility to stay with his man, and last season, you saw a temperament change, as he showed more determination to finish and play with more aggression. He gets into his blocks quickly, thanks to above average knee bend and his natural foot quickness. He can be sudden out of his stance and quickly fits into his blocks. Even when he is late off the snap, he shows good adjustment skills on the move (very good leading on outside sweeps).

The West Georgia left tackle has good initial quickness to slide, drop back and anchor in one-on-one confrontations with edge rushers. He also has the upper body power needed to stall bull rushers, which will be a requirement if he makes an expected move to guard. He will position and wall off with good desire and makes every effort to control the speedy edge rushers with his long reach. When he gets in front of his man, he uses his body effectively to stop the oncoming charge, and takes good advantage of his power base to anchor and prevent himself from getting pushed back vs. the bull rushers.

Harrison is able to gain position quickly off the snap and use his body to wall when leading on outside runs. With his frame and impressive strength, he has done a nice job working with other linemen to push the edge action in-line and his nimble feet allow him to make adjustments in space. He uses his body well to turn and drive out a defender, thanks to him developing a much better strong hand punch and placement to control skills as a senior than he showed the previous season.

Harrison is good at making blocks for the outside running game, but thanks to his quickness and loose hips, coupled with his power, he should have no problems in attempt to root out defenders working in-line as a guard. He is able to gain initial position on second level defenders, as he has developed a good concept for angling. He has the loose hips to do a good job of taking side blocks to shock and jolt a defender. Because of his hip snap, he could be a quality trap blocker, as he gets out front in an instant on pulls and his acceleration does not tail off running long distances.

Brandon Parker - North Carolina State A&T

Parker is a gifted athlete who consistently plays on his feet. Do not be fooled by his timed speed, as he shows good quickness and balance for his position and is very well coordinated, demonstrating quick lateral movement. He is only on the ground when he overextends and lunges as a drive blocker, but recovers quickly due to his flexibility. He is quite nimble in pass protection and flashes the ability to move his feet working up field.

Parker is quick to recognize stunts and games. He shows very good alertness in pass protection and learns and retains plays well. He is not the type that will need several reps in order to understanding blocking concepts. He keeps his head on a swivel and does a very nice job of picking up the action working on the edge.

His surprising initial quickness is evident by his ability to consistently get off the line with explosion to gain position. Still, while he has good explosion off the ball, he needs to keep his base wider. When he gets too narrow, he fails to redirect quickly and can be beaten with an effective cross-over face action. He does play well on his feet and knows how to work his hips and put the defender down when working the chase route.

Even when he overextends, Parker has the valid balance to recover. He uses his hands very effectively to separate and sustain. The only thing he lacks is a crunching hand punch to shock and jolt, surprising for a player with his baseball mitt-like hands (9 ¾-inch width) and massive wingspan (84 7/8-inches). He creates most of his movement with rise off the snap and ability to use his body mass to stall a defender’s forward progress, but needs to flash a stronger punch in order to knock defenders off the line of scrimmage.

Late in games, Parker will bend more often at the waist than with his knees. When he locks on, he knows how to use his size and natural power to control the defender though. He has enough lower body strength and mass when he comes off the snap with a flat back, but he does struggle in attempts to keep his pad level down.

Parker has the leg drive and blocking angle technique to make the cut off at the second level. He might overextend some, but can recover and drive the defender off the ball. His wing span and kick slide allow him to make blocks on the edge to ride out the speedy pass rushers and he certainly has the balance and feet to mirror when working in-line and in unison with his guards to widen the rush lane.

Parker has improved his base and hand usage to compensate for a lack of ideal knee bend. When he gets his hands into a defender, he will stun his opponent. His long arms and ability to rest his hands consistently lets him keep edge rushers at bay. He might be a better fit as a guard, as he demonstrates the body control and balance on pulls and traps.

On roll-outs, Parker gets into the linebacker quickly. When he makes contact, he can wheel and cut the defender off. His feet are very nimble for a player of his size and he rarely misses cuts while consistently finishing. He makes good adjustments in space and is very adept at taking proper blocking angles in the second level.

He has made strides in improving his timing when throwing his hands, but you would like to see more raw power and aggressiveness in this area. He uses his long arms very well to sustain blocks and shut down the edge rush. He does not grab as much as he should, but he does more his feet constantly to gain position. All he needs to be exceptional here is to flash more strength behind his punch.

Joseph Noteboom - TCU

The Horned Frog has excelled both on the field and in the classroom, where he became a four-time Academic All-Big Twelve Conference selection. He started all forty contests for TCU at the left tackle position the last three seasons and his performance in the trenches saw him participate in the 2018 Senior Bowl.

Noteboom is equally effective as a drive blocker as he is in pass protection. His 4.96 speed is immediately noticed with his ease of movement and balance attacking edge rushers and riding his opponent away from the pocket. He has tight end-like knee bend and field awareness as a down field blocker and operating in the trenches, he is well-versed with his hand placement, along with doing an excellent job of delivering a strong punch to rock defenders back on their heels.

The Horned Frog is also savvy enough to know how to grab on to his man’s jersey without being penalized. The senior uses his leg drive well to fire off the snap, showing good hip rotation and surge in short yardage situations. He can generate enough explosiveness to be effective on the short pull. His strength allows him to neutralize the defender’s charge and create movement. When he plays at a proper pad level, he shows the ability to sink his hips and use his lower body to explode into his man.

Noteboom could also be utilized as an interior blocker, as he does a nice job of pulling and trapping, reaching and logging. He has the speed to cut off the linebackers when leading through the inside holes and looks very fluid, with good feet adjustment to make solid contact in the open. He is athletic and smooth when moving off the line and has the body control to execute blocks in space. He has very good athleticism to stay up and play the game on his feet.

You can see that Noteboom is very capable of coming off the snap smoothly to pull, some-thing teams require from a potential offensive guard candidate. He has better quickness out of his stance and a first step than any other draft eligible guard, even though he is a collegiate tackle. He also hits his targets well with intent to finish, along with very good agility to kick out or seal with high efficiency.

Noteboom consistently gets placement and has the strength to grab and control. With his powerful hand punch, he can stymie a defender in an instant. When making contact, he will usually put the defenders up on their heels. He can generate very good power to shock and jolt when he gets his hands into the defender’s chest. He has improved greatly his recoil and recovery quickness (his hand speed could see him eventually shift to guard or center). His powerful short punch is a dangerous weapon when working in-line.

As a left tackle he demonstrates more than enough foot quickness to slide, good knee bend and hip flexibility, patience and a strong hand punch. With that crushing punch and anchoring ability, he is very consistent when attempting to shock the bull rushers, doing a very nice job of extending his arms while sliding his feet to maintain the integrity of the pocket. He stays square vs. movement and when challenged by multiple defenders, he uses his solid punch on the way to anchoring and stopping the charge.

Noteboom ability to get on the defender comes from the consistency he shows in playing with a wide base, as he can easily move defenders off the ball, especially when he sinks his pads and drives with his legs to generate more power. Perhaps the reason some teams are eyeing him as a possible guard candidate is because he is an elite zone blocker with superb lateral quickness and mobility.

Noteboom is also a savvy player with the high intelligence factor that he uses consistently when trying to angle and positioning. With his burst off the snap, he has no problems getting out in front in attempts to stalk and wall-off linebackers at the second level. He is very active shooting his hands in pass protection and is the type that is rarely ever caught off guard or out of position.