2021 Prospect Analysis (Interior Offensive Line)
Ahead of the NFL Draft, I wanted to highlight some players that stuck out to me and seemed like they could be a good fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers, either as a draft pick or as a free agent after the draft. This series looks to provide some analysis on what I saw from these players, what I liked and didn't like and if they might be worth their current stock.
Position: Interior Offensive Line
Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma, R-JR, 6’5”, 320 lbs
- Bio
- HS: Former 4 star recruit, ranked as third best center in the country, First-Team All-State
- FR: Redshirted
- R-FR: Second-Team All-Big-12, Freshman All-American, 14 games, 12 starts (Offensive line won Joe Moore Award)
- R-SO: Second-Team All-American, Finalist for Rimington Award, Big 12 Co-Offensive lineman of the year, First-Team All-Big-12, 14 games and starts
- R-JR: Third-Team All-American, Big 12 Offensive lineman of the year, First-Team All-Big-12, 11 games and starts
- Career: 39 games, 37 starts
- Footwork- Strong at the start of his pass sets, tends to struggle to keep his feet chopping. Can stop his feet deeper into plays at times, though this is more notable on passing plays, not running plays. Still generates a good push by driving his feet. (B)
- Pass Protection- This is one area of his game where he disappointed a bit after a strong start to his college career. While he still grades as above average in this area. He clearly struggled against NFL talent in Quinnen Williams and Bravvion Roy in this department. His shorter arms really hurt him in pass protection and he may never become a great pass blocking lineman. Also faced a ton of three man rushes in the Big 12. (B-)
- Run Blocking- Certainly the better half of his blocking skills. Humphrey has big and strong hands that he uses to latch onto defenders. When he can’t get a good grip on a defender, he’s usually smart enough to position himself in a way that walls the defender off from the running back or ball carrier, showing that he can help on a play even when he isn’t dominating. Humphrey graded above the 85th percentile among peers at center in terms of PFF run blocking grade. (A-)
- Upper Body Strength- Strong enough to redirect penetrating style defensive tackles out of the rushing lane and can straight up move guys out of the way with a strong upper body. Tends to struggle moving shorter/heavier classic 3-4 nose tackles with his upper body strength alone. (B+)
- Lower Body Power- I’d call this average, as I said before sometimes he doesn’t drive his feet through the play and it feels like he could get a little stronger in the lower body. Missing just a bit when it comes to the ability to finish off blocks and push the pile. (B-)
- Violence- Humphrey is the classic, mean and nasty center that sets the tone for the rest of his offensive line. He was the Sooners anchor and was a well respected leader for the way he played the game. Defenders beware… (A)
- First Step Quickness- I feel like he’s not getting a ton of depth either down or upfield on his first step. He’s usually not getting down field to the second level quickly either way. That being said he does a really good job of trying to get his hands on the defensive tackle as fast as possible, because he knows how valuable his strong hands are to helping him win the battle at the point of attack. (B)
- Movement/Athleticism- Definitely a weak point for Humphrey, while he has some functional quickness and isn’t incapable of pulling in short spaces. He tested well in the 40 yard dash, but was below average in every other speed/agility test compared to other centers. Asking him to lead block on receiver screens like Maurkice Pouncey once did is not going to work. The less he has to move the better. (C-)
- Awareness/Blitz Pickup- Can give a little ground on initial twists and stunts from strong players that charge into him. But for the most part he does a good job of setting the protection and can recognize what defenses are throwing at him more often than not. (B+)
- Overall-
- Pros:
- Lots of starting experience in college, with games time against other great programs in the CFP
- Very strong hands, that latch onto defenders
- Ferocious blocker with a mean streak/seen as natural leader
- Good upper body strength and has the size to play along the whole interior OL
- Ceiling: Matt Birk
- Cons:
- Lower body strength not up to par with the upper body strength
- Manhandled by other NFL talent at DT
- Faced a lot of three man rushes and vanilla blitz concepts
- Not a great athlete, not going to help in space
- Floor: Sean Mahan
- Projection: R2-R4
- Final Thoughts: Creed Humphrey is another in a long line of really good linemen to play for the Oklahoma Sooners. Humphrey brings a ton of experience to the table as a three year starter and has a lot of good tape to back up his hype. While he struggled against other future NFL players that lined up across from him, he was for the most part very steady in his craft. His size and strength should help him be a swing interior offensive lineman at the very worst and if he can get a little bit stronger in the lower body, he could become a solid starting center for a number of years in the NFL. (B)
- Sources
- Missouri State
- Texas
- Florida (Bowl game)
- Bio
- HS: Former 5 star recruit, former All-State player in 2015 and 2016, named an All-American
- FR: Second-Team All-SEC, Freshman All-American, 12 games and starts
- SO: 7 games and starts (missed remainder of the season after blood clots)
- JR: First-Team All-SEC, 13 games, 12 starts
- SR: Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-SEC, 10 games and starts
- Career: 42 games, 41 starts
- Footwork- Gets off the line quickly and his feet follow him well at the start of the play. But otherwise it feels like his cleats are carrying lead. Stops chopping his feet in pass protection and will really try to drop anchor as opposed to using his feet to help him. (C+)
- Pass Protection- Has some inconsistent tape as a pass blocker, has some strange instances where he just randomly lunges at guys for no reason at all. Can get worked because of poor pad levels, but for the most part he holds his own pretty well. I just struggle to understand why he can be so inconsistent. (B-)
- Run Blocking- Sends a powerful jolt through his arms into a defender at the first point of contact. Will have some really devastatingly powerful blocks on tape. Sometimes lets a guy get around him too easily and doesn’t always get the drive blocks down the field that you want, but he will help your running game. (B+)
- Upper Body Strength- Ranked in the 89th percentile among guards in the bench press at his pro day. His powerful arms are on display pretty consistently on tape. (A-)
- Lower Body Power- If he kept chopping his feet he would be fully utilizing a powerful lower body that has the potential to really help his game overall. That being said it’s still quite clear that he’s a strong guy and can win many physical matchups. (B+)
- Violence- Not afraid to block someone and get physical with a guy he or someone else already planted. Will really drive the point home that he doesn’t like you when you’re playing against him. (A)
- First Step Quickness- Gets off the line pretty quickly and can fire out into a lineman or linebacker across from him, usually giving him an edge in a 1 on 1 situation. When he does lose this battle he really struggles to make up the ground he lost. (B+)
- Movement/Athleticism- He actually tested pretty well at his pro day when it comes to general athleticism. However, depending on where he ends up, he might want to cut some weight, that should make it a little easier for him to move around and get to the hole as a lead blocker. (B-)
- Awareness/Blitz Pickup- Notably struggled in picking up delayed or late developing blitzes that landed his quarterback in some hot water. Felt like he might have been a step slow on stunts, but was in a decent enough position. (C+)
- Overall-
- Pros:
- Has some really strong tape at times
- Fast and powerful hands
- Never got the best chance to develop due to clotting issues, could improve a lot
- Good amount of starting experience over three seasons
- Ceiling: Kraig Urbik
- Cons:
- Medical is a huge concern, blood clots can always flare up
- Inconsistent play overall
- Probably not versatile along the interior
- Heavy feet, can cause him to lose reps he should win
- Floor: N/A
- Projection: R3-R4
- Final Thoughts: Smith is a tough evaluation, because just watching the tape, it shows that he’s a solid, all-around player without any major holes in his game. However, he’s just missing the consistency that you want out of a high pedigree linemen. He’s got it all, but not all the time, so at the very least he’s an attractive option because of his upside if he can put it all together. Unfortunately his medical history of blood clots are a huge cause for concern, because they could flare up at any point and could end his career (it already almost did). If a team is willing to risk the medical side, they should be getting a good guard for the foreseeable future, but his inconsistent tape doesn't guarantee anything yet. (B)
- Sources
- @South Carolina
- @Georgia
- Texas A&M
- Bio
- HS: 2015 Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year, Max Preps All-American
- FR: Redshirted
- SO: Part of OL that won Joe Moore Award, 13 games, 12 starts
- JR: 12 games, 10 starts
- SR: Second-Team All-American, 7 games and starts (missed the rest of the season due to a knee injury)
- Graduate SR: Third-Team All-American, First-Team All-ACC, 11 games, 10 starts
- Career: 43 games, 39 starts
- Footwork- Had problems with staying upright and I felt that a lot of it could be traced back to his balance, which stems from footwork. He does stand a bit tall at times, but his feet can get a little frantic and won’t follow his upper body, leading to him falling to the ground a little too often. (C-)
- Pass Protection- Struggled at times to maintain leverage against someone bigger defensive tackles. Can get walked back into the quarterback with a strong bull rush. Does a good enough job of setting his anchor and taking on linebackers. Gives up the inside too much for my liking. Will lean into guys when he starts to lose the rep. (C-)
- Run Blocking- Does a good job overall when it comes to moving guys in the running game, does a great job of working with combination blocks and getting to the second level. Does a good job of walling off defenders at the second level and gets a good push. He leans into blocks too often and can either whiff or will be cast aside quickly because of it. (B)
- Strength- There aren’t a ton of instances on tape where you can find him just bullying guys and pushing them all over the field, unless if he’s engaged in a double team. But he’s definitely not a weaker player, lower body tends to lag behind his upper body. (B)
- Violence- A four year starter and leader at Notre Dame, you better believe he brought the physicality and tough mindset to the field on game days. (A)
- First Step Quickness- Kraemer does a good job of firing out of his stance into the defensive tackle, working to get his hands on his guy as quickly as possible. While he can get grabby at times, he did a good job of placing his hands right off the bat. Will occasionally allow the defender to get a big jolt into him when setting up for pass protection that sets him back. (B)
- Movement/Athleticism- More of a lumbering, build up to speed kind of guy. But I have to give him credit, he will get out there for screens and hustles down the field on longer developing plays, was used to pull as well, but it doesn’t look like that will translate to the NFL. Tends to struggle mightily with athletic players in pass protection. (C-)
- Awareness/Blitz Pickup- Is generally aware of what is going on around him, can pick up the basic twists that a defensive line will throw at him. But more athletic players gave him fits and with his footwork lagging behind his upper body, he can get off balance rather easily, which leads to some ugly plays. (C+)
- Overall-
- Pros:
- Long time starter at a strong CFP program
- Has the physicality, strength and grit to catch on somewhere
- Good overall run blocker, can improve a bit more
- Great size for an interior guy, can probably move to center
- Ceiling: Chris Scott
- Cons:
- Footwork was a mess
- Not a good athlete
- Might struggle in pass protection regularly
- Had difficulties picking up athletic blitzers
- Floor: Mike Golic Jr.
- Projection: R7-Priority UDFA
- Final Thoughts: Kraemer is another example of an accomplished offensive lineman in college, that is going to have trouble transitioning to the NFL. While he does have some solid size and strength for a center or guard, he is really lacking in athletic traits. That alone isn’t enough to doom Kraemer and other players that aren’t athletic, but it does mean that he has to be very good in a technical aspect of his game and he just isn’t at this point. Poor footwork and tape against good pass rushers is going to push him down draft boards, to the point that he may not be drafted. However, he should still be worth a look as a priority Undrafted Free Agent. I think he has a place on a practice squad and maybe as a backup in time along the interior of the offensive line. (C)
- Sources
- Florida State
- @Boston College
- Alabama (CFP)
Bio- HS: Former Max Preps All-American, 2016 U.S. Army All-American
- FR: Redshirted
- R-FR: 15 games, 5 starts
- R-SO: 8 games, 4 starts
- R-JR: 13 games, 7 starts
- R-SR: Third-Team All-American, First-Team All-SEC, 9 games and starts
- Career: 45 games, 25 starts
- Footwork- The more he moves on a given play, the worse his footwork is. DO NOT pull this guy or expect him to be used as a consistent lead blocker. His pass sets are solid, but he also has some trouble with keeping his feet driving, particularly on running plays and I think that factors into why he never seemed as dominant as he could have been. (C+)
- Pass Protection- Size and strength alone give him a nice starting point as a pass protector. While his footwork can be messy at times and he can stand too tall. Cleveland generally uses his natural advantages in size and strength pretty well. You won’t see him getting beaten physically often, if ever. It would really take a technically sound player to do so. Facing faster players is a bit of a different story, however Cleveland has long enough arms to make up for the fact that he isn’t super athletic out there. At the worst, an average pass blocker with the potential to get even better. (B-)
- Run Blocking- His tape as a run blocker was a little underwhelming, which was disappointing considering his size and strength. He does a good job of getting off the line quickly and getting into guys. But he struggled to stick to his assignment. Working in double teams was a pretty successful venture for him. Never finished blocks the way I was hoping and expecting he would. (B-)
- Strength- This guy has to be one of the strongest linemen I have looked at in recent memory. He tested in the 83rd percentile for bench press, but if there was an actual combine that he had time to prepare for, there was a legitimate question as to whether or not he could challenge for the combine record of 49. His strength doesn’t come through on every play, but when it does, he looks quite impressive. He has it, he just needs to unlock its potential a little more. (A-)
- Violence- Brings the violent, physical nature to his game that you want an offensive lineman to bring. However he doesn’t finish plays consistently the way that other guys I have looked at. Leaves you wanting a little bit more. (B)
- First Step Quickness- Solid considering his size, really helps when he’s working in combination with the center or right tackle. Not quite as apparent in pass protection as it is on running plays. (B)
- Movement/Athleticism- While he is an adequate athlete for his size, that’s just the issue. He is HUGE for a guard and moves more like a tackle. Combining that with his actual ability as a blocker on the move, you’ve got a problem, he just oversets way too much and keeps his base too wide or narrow, making it easy to knock him over. Never going to be great in this area, but he’s got to become more efficient in his movement if he wants to last. (C-)
- Awareness/Blitz Pickup- A step late in twist and stunt recognition. Needs to be more aware of what’s going on around him on a more consistent basis because he has his limited athleticism working against him. (C+)
- Overall-
- Pros:
- Massive at any spot on the line, but more so for guard, won’t be overwhelmed
- Very strong, might be the strongest lineman in the room on day one depending on where he goes
- Great physical mentality
- Pretty fast out of his stance considering his size
- Ceiling: D.J. Fluker
- Cons:
- Not a great athlete overall, can’t block on the move
- Footwork is a mess
- Wasn’t consistent on tape
- Only a one year starter
- Floor: N/A
- Projection: R4
- Final Thoughts: Cleveland overcame some academic issues and inconsistent play early in his career and became a really good starter for the Bulldogs in his final season at Georgia. Standing at 6’6” and weighing in at just under 350 pounds, Cleveland looks and plays like a massive, hulking human being on the line of scrimmage. He’s got the power and strength to back up his enormous frame and displayed it pretty well on tape last season. Unfortunately at that size he’s going to deal with athletic limitations throughout the rest of his career and even though he is strong, there were times I felt that I wasn’t getting the best version of him on tape. He also offers no position versatility what so ever and will be limited to play as a guard. He needs work on the technical aspect of his game, or he won’t last. Right now, with his athletic limitations and inconsistent tape, he’s looking like a late day two, potentially early day three pick and I think that could fit the Steelers well, if they are looking for another depth piece along the interior that isn’t expected to contribute right away. (B-)
- Sources
- Auburn
- Mississippi State
- @Missouri
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