Weight: 308
School: Michigan
Position: Offensive Tackle
Ranking: #4 Offensive Tackle
Projection: 1st Round
Strengths
-Has the ideal size, length and frame that teams look for the tackle position
-Experienced. 48 total starts at left tackle
-Good athlete despite his massive size
-Effortlessly drops into pass protection
-Agility and footwork allow him to slide side to side to mirror pass rushers
-Good anchor that allows him to stand his ground against the bull rush
-Strong hands that allow him to lock and and shield in the run game
-Does an excellent job picking up on twists, stunts, and other movement by pass rush
-Has a nasty streak that you like out of offensive lineman
-No durability concerns
Weaknesses
-Not a powerful run blocker at the slightest. Can't move guys off a spot
-Needs to get stronger. Should help run blocking and improve anchor even more.
-Doesn't always finish blocks. Will stop after a little bit.
-Inconsistent pad level causes him issues from time to time
-Can take his aggression too far. Will twist face masks and take dirty shots and get flagged
Summary
After coming back for his senior season there were high expectations for Taylor Lewan. But a disappointing season by the Wolverines for some reason has dampened some people's view of him. However it's not anything Lewan did or didn't do that caused Michigan to struggle this year. Lewan is arguably the top pass protector at the tackle position in this draft. He is a very good athlete and does a great job sliding and moving with defenders to keep the quarterback clean. The downfall that Lewan has though is his run blocking. He's not awful, but improving his strength would go a long ways. The blocking will hurt him from being a top 15 or higher pick, but still look for Lewan to go somewhere in the first round and no later than the early second. He has left tackle skills. A team to really watch is Arizona who under Bruce Arians loves seven step drops and needs somebody like Lewan at left tackle to keep their QB clean.
No comments:
Post a Comment