2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Iowa OT Brandon Scherff

By Brad Berreman @bradberreman24 on January 19, 2015

With the East-West Shrine game in the books and the Senior Bowl becoming the focus this week, the process leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft is getting going. Hundreds of prospects with dreams of a pro career will now be evaluated in all aspects by NFL scouts, and the hindsight provided by time will tell us who the best players in this year’s class were.

For my first player scouting report of this year, I am featuring Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff. Let’s look at his measurements first, then his strengths and weaknesses.

Height: 6’5″ 
Weight: 320 lbs.
Class: Senior

Strengths

- Has good functional strength; is able to control defenders

- Diagnoses and recognizes well; is able to disengage and re-engage based on defensive line maneuvering

- Changes direction effectively; is lighter on his feet than expected

- Plays with good leverage in the run game; finishes well at the second level

- Shows excellent effort; keeps feet moving

Weaknesses

- Needs to improve footwork and play with a wider base in pass protection; can be stressed by speed and counter moves

- Needs to improve overall technique in pass protection; struggles with consistent hand usage/placement

- Occasionally struggles with balance and leverage at the point of contact in pass protection

Overview

Scherff started his college career as a guard before moving to tackle as a junior, and I don’t see him being a left tackle in the NFL immediately. He may go off the board early in the first round, perhaps as high as No. 5 to the Washington Redskins, which is very high for a guy who may settle in as a guard at the next level. But Scherff should be able to fix his weaknesses as a pass blocker when he gets a higher level of coaching, and any team that takes him in the top half of the first round would be betting on that improvement.

If the past underachievement of Iowa offensive lineman in the NFL leads to Scherff falling in the first round, a team may get a relative steal.

Brad Berreman is a Columnist/Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Connect with him on Twitter or Google +.