The few high rated tackles - Monroe Freeling, Blake Miller and Gennings Dunker had good performances.
Freeling has 34 3/4" arms. According to the NFL.com scouting report that's good enough for right tackle!
Overview
Freeling offers coveted length and athleticism at right tackle. With only 16 career starts, filling out his frame and improving his technique should be early priorities. His quickness brings first-phase positioning advantages, but he needs more play strength to carry that over to block sustain and finish. Lunging and deadening feet post-punch must be coached out of his muscle memory in pass protection so his athleticism and length can do their jobs. Independent hand usage and a reliable “snatch and trap” could instantly bolster his success rate. There is some buyer beware on tape, but if smoothed out, he has the ceiling of a quality NFL starter.
Blake Miller with 34 1/4 arms - all the makings of a right tackle according to NFL.com
Overview
Ultimate iron man at right tackle with 54 career starts. Miller has unusual lateral quickness and fluidity in space despite playing too upright. His hands lack accuracy and command in both phases, but he can recover and make blocks with a finisher’s mindset. Miller is rarely beaten by rush games, but he has his edges attacked because of his hand issues. He will encounter difficulties at the next level without better pad level, core strength and cleaner technique. If he tightens up in those areas, Miller can become a solid NFL right tackle.
Reviewing the rest of the scouting reports of White atheltes listed at tackle:
Carver Willis
Overview
Willis’ run-blocking tape is impressive. He's quick out of his stance, gets into run fits with good pop/aggression and is a consistent block finisher. However,
he lacks the length and anchor associated with pro tackles. He also doesn’t have the broad frame and core strength of a guard. His pass protection can be spotty due to oversets and the aforementioned anchor issue, but he has the quickness/grip strength to compete. Willis can fit as a zone-scheme guard and could be considered as a swing tackle who might need protection help.
Austin Barber - He was a left tackle in the supposed best conference in the nation according to the same experts who now deride his ability and talent.
Overview
Tall tackle prospect with starting experience at both tackle spots. He’s played against top-tier talent in the SEC, which bolsters his case, but his struggles against Texas A&M and Miami provide an idea of his ceiling. He has good feet and strong hands. He knows how to play but he struggles to bend and drive at the point of attack. Same goes for anchoring or defending his edges against power rushers.
Barber projects as a Day 3 pick with a chance of becoming a swing tackle.
Kage Casey - upside mention...wow!
Overview
Well-proportioned, durable tackle prospect who counters his
lack of length with persistence that helps him finish the job. Casey is a capable athlete with enough range to reach zone landmarks and the body control to redirect when mirroring edge-to-edge. Initial slides can be a little tight, causing occasional over-sets and early openings that leave him vulnerable to inside moves/spin counters. In the run game, he’s strong and steady as a drive blocker and his anchor projects as NFL-caliber as he continues to add functional mass. C
asey has the upside to start in the league and could begin his career as a swing tackle with guard flexibility.
Caleb Tiernan
Overview
Highly experienced college tackle who is likely to kick inside
due to a lack of length that affects his protection projection. Tiernan is tall but carries the denseness of frame and core strength of a guard. Feet feature good initial quickness and he takes excellent angles on the move. He often finds early positioning advantages as a base blocker but lacks the anchor and play strength to consistently fortify/sustain. Leaky edges in pass pro will be less concerning with smaller spaces to patrol, while his punch timing and lateral quickness provide advantages. “Solid” feels like the ceiling for Tiernan as a guard/swing tackle who can eventually elevate into a starting role.
Alex Harkey (listed as a guard by NFL.com despite being a tackle)
Overview
Sixth-year senior whose lack of length is likely to push him inside to guard. Harkey has the mass to play guard but needs to prove he has the core strength to deal with interior bullies. He can operate in both gap and zone schemes. However, he will need better patience/body control to fit and sustain at the desired level. Harkey’s experience at tackle and his athletic tools create a real opportunity to become a successful interior protector provided he can hold up to the bull rush. Harkey projects as a backup guard with starting potential.
However two black DEs do not face the same constraints with their lack of arm length. They are projected to be high end starters
Rueben Bain - seems like the cuck zio-Zerlein had more than one orgasm while throwing together as many homosexual descriptions for this negro
Overview
Note taker, grudge holder and block destructor with a compact frame and defensive tackle play strength. Bain is
ill-tempered with his take-ons, hitting blockers with heavy hand strikes. He plays through tight ends and can anchor against tackles and double teams. However, his lack of length can lead to him being smothered if he doesn’t land the first strike. He can
bend and flip his hips at the top of the rush, swipe away punches and generate a strong bull rush. His playoff run showed an ability to generate quick wins if tackles are passive in setting to him. He can rush off the edge or mismatch guards as a sub-package rusher.
Bain’s explosive power and toughness should translate, giving him a high floor as an NFL starter.
Cashius Howell - 6'2 1/2 253 lbs not one mention of his short arms in his whole "scouting report"
Overview
Bendy edge rusher with standout sack totals. Burst and elusiveness are on Howell’s rush menu and he pairs it with a refreshing inside spin counter. Though threatening, his rush could use more cohesive sequencing and better hand work to fully unlock its potential. As a run defender he’s frequently knocked around at the point and struggles to consistently execute tasks asked of an NFL edge-setter. Howell might not be a three-down player right away, but his ability to create pressure sets him up for a role as a designated rusher, at minimum.
Strengths
- Three straight seasons of impressive pressure and sack totals.
- Can bend, corner and flatten into pockets.
- Creates smart rush distance, avoiding punch by long tackles.
- Already working with a series of go-to moves in his bag.
- A wicked inside spin counter can defeat tackles.
- Long hop helps gain positioning advantage on vertical rush.
- Major problem for quarterbacks with undisciplined drop depth.
- Trigger quickness to knife into B-gap and blow up play design.
- Above-average change direction and pursuit burst from the back side.
Weaknesses
- Not enough sand in his pants to hold his ground at the point.
- Requires better technique for competent edge-setting.
- Drops eyes and ducks his helmet into first contact.
- Displays occasional indecisiveness in attacking run blocks.
- Pass rush lacks speed variance and diversified setup.
- Hands need more schooling to unlock NFL rush potential.
Compare to DE Mason Reiger - 6'5 251 lbs
Overview
Reiger is a tall, linear edge rusher with a slender frame.
He doesn’t look like a pro pre-snap, but he certainly plays like one after the snap.
He lacks the size/anchor to consistently set the edge and can be controlled when tackles latch on, but he’s unusually talented to work off contact for quick wins at the point of attack. He’s a short-striding rusher who takes similar tracks at similar speeds and is more pressure-creator than sack-finisher at this time. However, altering his approach (tempo and angles) and adding a better inside counter could create a bump in his sack production. Reiger needs more mass and refinement but could become a good rotational odd-front edge in time.
