FWIW here's the NFP scouting reports on both Washington and Reynolds. Nothing here tells me either one of these guys could replace Webb at LT. Teams are extraordinarily lucky if they can get a starting LT after the 2nd round. Neither of these guys has the goods for it although Washington ranks as a decent OG with a 2nd round or 3rd round grade. At least this is how the scouts for NFP rate these guys.
BRANDON WASHINGTON OG, Miami - 2011 GRADE: 6.9 D HT: 6-4 WT: 320
- Overview
What I like…
- A thick, naturally strong kid with a muscular set of legs and good girth through the base.
- Possesses good length for his size and has the length to consistently gain leverage into contact.
- Has experience at both guard and tackle and offers some versatility to an NFL offensive line.
- Possesses the ability to bend, sink his hips and keep his base/feet under him.
- Showcases natural athleticism for a big man with the range to reach speed off the edge in pass protection and push explosive defenders past the pocket.
- Exhibits natural fluidity in the hips when asked to mirror inside. Displays good balance/coordination with his footwork through contact and can easily push defenders past the play.
- Demonstrates "plus" recovery ability for his size and can quickly make up for a false step, slide laterally and cover the necessary ground.
- Extends his arms well into contact in the pass game and once he gains leverage can sink his hips and anchor with consistency inside.
- Showcases a natural feel picking up blitzing linebackers from the second level and stonewalling them on contact.
- Is a naturally powerful kid who can create a push in-line in the run game through contact once he drops his pad level and starts churning his legs. Has the power to overwhelm.
- Showcases good initial quickness off the snap, is quick footed getting around defenders and sealing on the outside.
- Exhibits a snap through the hips when reaching blocks off his frame and can collapse the pocket down from the backside.
- Is a "plus" athlete on the move, takes good angles into contact, showcases good range and breaks down well in space.
- Can drop his pad level quickly and cut down defenders on contact both at the line of scrimmage and down the field.
- Has a bit of a mean streak, will finish blocks and plays hard through the whistle.
- Has a ton of upside Has never really had a chance to just focus on one position and the skill set is there for him to develop his technique at one spot quickly.
What I don't like…
- Has never become real natural as a technician at either guard or tackle. Has moved back and forth between the two spots, which stunted his growth a bit.
- In pass protection on the edge, he doesn't do a great job sitting into his base initially on contact, tends to double over at the waist and will lose his balance and give up leverage because of it. - Has a tendency to get inconsistent with his footwork laterally. Is more athlete than technician and you will see his footwork get inconsistent, as he gets really overextended at times and too often goes into recovery mode quickly because of it.
- Isn't a great puncher into contact either, is heavy handed and can stick through contact, but needs to do a better job keeping himself clean at the point with a compact jolt.
- Doesn't do a great job working in tandem with his center/guard combo at this stage, will blow some assignments and give up penetration because of it.
- Tends to pop upright in the run game after his initial step and then buckle at the waist into contact as an in-line guy.
- Gets most of his push in-line through contact and not initially off the snap, needs to do a better job keeping his pad level down through contact.
Impression: The talent is there for this guy to mature into a guard you can win with consistently inside at the next level. He needs to improve his pad level in the in-line game and tighten up his footwork in all areas. However, with a year of seasoning he certainly should mature into an above-average guard in the NFL with the talent to start at right tackle as well.
(Dags, look at his scouting report. He has no chance of being a first day starter at LT so the idea that he could come in and beat Webb out is misguided. From reading this I'd say he doesn't have the footwork or the technique to even be a LT period. At his best he's an OG or RT in the NFL and even there they don't feel he's gonna be an immediate starter.)
MATT REYNOLDS OT, BYU - 2011 GRADE: 5.7 T HT: 6-4 WT: 305
- Overview
A thickly built offensive line prospect with a sloppy mid-section, Reynolds needs to cut down some of the unnecessary stomach girth and doesn't look real long armed on tape. He possesses good coordination in pass protection when asked to mirror in space or through contact. He also showcases natural fluidity in his hips and can re-direct when need be as long as he has his feet under him. He has improved a bit with his mechanics this season, doing a better job trying to tighten up his footwork and keep his base down, but that's still a work in progress. Reynolds allows himself to get too upright at times; he gets overextended with his feet and can be slow to re-direct and mirror, especially off the snap. Also, he needs to improve his overall hand location into blocks, he's more of a catcher off the edge, doesn't showcase a real jarring punch and too often gets his hands outside the frame of defenders, exposing his chest. He possesses the natural strength at the college level to get away with it, but he still has some work to do in that area. He lacks ideal range when asked to reach speed off the edge, and he's routinely forced to open up his hips and lunge into defenders, attempting to push them past the pocket.
He does understand angles, but lacks the athleticism to hold up on the left side at the next level.
He's at his best in the run game when asked to step and seal on the edge, doing a great job quickly getting into defenders, locking on with his strong hands and finishing blocks on the perimeter. He also possesses the coordination to stick to defenders through the play and likes to finish blocks, showcasing a bit of a mean streak through the play. Reynolds has some initial pop in the run game as well, displaying the flexibility to sit into his stance, keep his pad level down and create a jolt on contact when asked to play in a phone booth. However, the more space he's asked to block in, the less effective he is. He has a tendency to allow his pad level to rise when forced to reach defenders off his frame, and he really struggles to stay engaged through slide down blocks, as his feet really seem to get heavy as he lacks ideal athleticism. He showcases good body control when asked to break down in space and seal at the second level, but again he displays only average range on the move.
Impression: An overhyped college left tackle who looks better suited to play right tackle in the NFL. He is a bit older than most prospects as well and looks more like a reserve at best to me. (Reynolds ranks significantly lower than Washington. His grade indicates he may be a long shot to even make an NFL roster as anything but a reserve. He's not very athletic, has a bad body and short arms all things that would hurt him as a LT at the next level. He's a lower round pick or an UDFA at best and I'd say he has no shot at beating Webb out either)
