There are few universities that have as much history producing quality offensive tackle prospects in the last decade as Iowa, with recent standout prospects such as Bryan Bulaga, Riley Reiff and Robert Gallery. Each of those players had their fair share of struggles in their respective careers, but Bulaga and Reiff have become above average starters in the NFL.
Once again, the Hawkeyes have found themselves another highly touted offensive tackle, Brandon Scherff. Scherff went largely unnoticed until the middle of 2013, when NFL draft enthusiasts saw him play against Ohio State, Michigan State and LSU. Since those games, he’s seen his stock soar to high first-round projections by draft experts like Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller.
But is Scherff really an elite prospect at offensive tackle, or will he be yet another “safe” offensive lineman pick that goes wrong? With recent top-10 picks like Russell Okung, Matt Kalil, Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel not living up to their lofty draft status to this point, there should be major questions whether tackle prospects should be drafted as highly as they have been without fear of “busting”.
By: Ian Wharton
We’re going to dissect Scherff’s game in the form of a scouting report to give a clearer idea of why his strengths and weaknesses indicate that he isn’t the next elite tackle prospect.
Where He Wins
At 6’5”, 325-pounds, Scherff has the physical profile that makes you drool. He has an NFL-ready frame that won’t require time to add bulk to, as he’s already a powerful blocker. When working out, Scherff will make scouts drool as well. FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman ranked Scherff as his No. 2 “freak” in college football, saying this about the Hawkeye:
“He can Jerk 400 pounds over his head, vertical jump 31 or 32 inches and run his first 10 yards in 1.58 to 1.60 seconds, according to the coach. (For comparison’s sake on the 10-yard split, Auburn star Greg Robinson clocked a 1.68 at the NFL Combine while Michigan’s Taylor Lewan –an old Freaks list guy — timed his in 1.64, and he ran the fastest 40 among O-linemen in Indy officially at 4.87.)”
Quite simply, those numbers are staggering if they are correct. Robinson was dominant for Auburn last season, leading to the Rams selecting him with their 2nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. Much of Scherff’s physical profile stacks up to Robinson’s in street clothes, which leads to an increased perception of potential.
On the field, there are few, if any, run blockers more vicious than Scherff. He is an absolute road grader, looking to destroy the closest opponent in open space. He advances to the second level well and can find the linebacker, engage, and keep them away from the ball carrier whenever he’s asked to.
This speaks to his football intelligence and awareness, which are both very good. He understands how to utilize angles in space and seal off the edges when asked to lead block. Unlike most traditional left tackles, he is an excellent run blocker for that reason. The offense is able to consider the left side as a strong side on run plays due to his effectiveness.
Scherff re-directs blitzers well and sets to take on the delayed or edge rusher with good effectiveness. His body is well coordinated to make multiple actions in short order, which demonstrates his mental processing ability. This is a valuable skill for a young NFL player that will pay off quickly.
Scherff’s leg drive and shear power are NFL-ready right now, as he will bulldoze opponents and pancake them with ease. When charting his performances from 2013 and 2014, he very rarely loses on run blocks because of his nastiness. That’s a trait that all teams will cherish.
As a pass blocker, Scherff flashes the ability to be stout, neutralizing power moves with a great anchor and base, possessing lead in his back end. He does not allow power rushers such as Shilique Calhoun to put him on skates, which is very important. He keeps his feet centered and shoulders squared with the rusher, then keeping his legs active while he keeps his hands inside of the defender.
Scherff also shows the ability to mirror most pass rushers with decent kick slide agility. Again, he uses space and the defender’s momentum against them to help overcome his own limitations. By pushing the defender where their momentum is headed, he can keep the blind side clean for his quarterback.
He also has 33” arms, which is short compared to some top tackles, but they are longer than Jake Long’s and Joe Thomas’ arms, and if he can improve his punch technique, some of his biggest issues could be mitigated.
Where He Struggles
Despite the gaudy numbers in shorts, Scherff doesn’t see his physical gifts translate as well on the field. His biggest challenge comes when he’s facing defenders that possesses above average quickness to the outside shoulder, which he will face routinely in the NFL. His lateral agility is average at best on film, as he struggles to get into proper depth before the pass rusher.
Too often, Scherff lunges to meet the defender at the point where the rusher will bend the edge. This lunging motion is to overcome his lack of agility, causing him to lose balance. As an edge defender, this is exactly where Scherff loses, and should be attacked constantly. Scherff has 33” arms, but he does not have the strong punch that Thomas possesses, so he doesn’t keep rushers away from his body enough.
Once Scherff sacrifices his balance, all protection integrity is lost. He is very vulnerable to countermoves, especially inside speed moves. His lunging causes all of this, and cost him against Indiana’s Bobby Richardson earlier this season.
His inability to engage the defender in the chest before the pass rush move is made is worrisome, as Richardson has much quicker hands than Scherff. For an elite tackle prospect, that cannot be the case. Richardson is a rising prospect this season, but he isn’t close to the caliber that Scherff supposedly is on. Yet Richardson beat Scherff consistently throughout their matchup.
Against 5-techniques, these issues have arisen multiple times. Scherff can play better when lined up against a 4-3 defensive end, where he doesn’t have to defend a gap instead of a single defender. Along with his other struggles, this is caused by general lack of lateral quickness and punch strength.
Overall
The torn meniscus he suffered in early September against Ball State could have caused some of his recent issues. The knee injury was not considered to be serious, as he finished the Ball State game, and played the next week. He was originally scheduled to be out for multiple weeks. A torn meniscus injury’s impact depends on the severity of the tear, and it seems Scherff wasn’t too badly nicked up for him to continue playing.
What could be more worrisome is that if Scherff is playing 100 percent, he certainly isn’t exhibiting the pass blocking talent needed to be more than an average NFL pass protector. His inability to handle counter moves and general speed is a major concern, as Joey Bosa (OSU), Bobby Richardson (Indiana) and Danielle Hunter (LSU) have exploited at times.
Some of the off-field athleticism and freakiness that Scherff exhibits must be shown on the field, and his opportunity is coming to prove his doubters wrong. His matchup against Nebraska’s Randy Gregory on November 28th will be a true test of how he can handle an athletic freak in pass protection.
Right now, Scherff should be viewed as a great run blocking tackle or guard, with upside to be an above average pass protector in the NFL with technique improvements. That gives him late first-round to mid second-round value, as he should at least be a quality starting guard for a team in a worst-case scenario. Best case, he cleans all of his technique issues up with coaching and becomes an above average pass protector, justifying a mid to late first-round pick.
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