From now until the 2019 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#78 Garrett Brumfield/OG LSU – 6’2/5 289
The Good
– Good frame with thick lower half, looks bigger than he’s listed and plus arm length (33 inches) for his height
– Shows strength and power on his drive blocks with ability to control the line of scrimmage
– Creates movement at the first level on his down blocks
– Plays with old school demeanor and desire to finish his blocks, like his toughness and mentality
– Knee bender in pass protection who doesn’t lean or double-over into his blocks
– Effective cut blocker at the 2nd level
– Experience using skip and square pulls and playing in space, even if it isn’t his calling card
– Will learn from mistakes and not get fooled by blitzes/stunts once he’s seen them
The Bad
– Average athlete who struggles to change direction
– Too often falls off blocks when asked to redirect and change directions
– Opens up chest in pass protection, vulnerable to bull rushes
– Has to consistently square his shoulders in pass protection, will get his outside shoulder turned giving rusher easy lane
– Base can get too wide in pass pro, making it tougher for him to change directions and play with correct technique
– Needs to look for work in pass protection when he’s the uncovered linemen, mentality he plays in the run game must carry over into pass pro (pass pro isn’t passive!)
– Average starting experience largely at one spot (left guard), struggled to get on the field despite being a high-prized recruit
Bio
– 22 career starts for the Tigers, knee injury limited him to just nine games as a senior
– 24.5 knockdowns the last two seasons
– Named 2nd Team All-SEC by coaches as a junior
– Nickname is “Bruiser” for his attitude
– Four star recruit out of HS, chose LSU over Alabama, Florida, and Miami (FL)
Tape Breakdown
It’s no surprise to see Brumfield ultimately land with the Steelers. He was one of the two undrafted players brought in for a pre-draft visit. That’s probably not by accident either. Teams will purposely bring in likely UDFAs to “wow” them when it comes time to sign somewhere after the draft.
Though his Tigers’ career probably didn’t live up to the hype, a four-star recruit who decided to stay local, there is some good tape out there. At his core, Brumfield is a physical, old-school player with the desire to finish and strength to do so. Like his size, too. Big lower half and long arms for his frame. He’s bigger than his sub-300 pound listing. Left guard in all these clips.
Despite not being a tremendous athlete, who knows how to cut block on reaches and when moving to the 2nd level. Don’t see a lot of that in Pittsburgh but it’s in his arsenal. Also has done both types of pulls, skip and square pulls (the Steelers square pull most of the time), so he’s well-coached with experience in multiple schemes and assignments.
His big issue is redirecting in the run game. When the ball goes somewhere unexpected, he’s prone to falling off as the defender sheds.
And too often fails to keep his shoulders square in pass protection, allowing free lanes to the QB.
Should note he battled injuries as a senior and when he returned, probably wasn’t fully healthy. One game I watched was Alabama last year, the first one he played in after suffering a knee injury. He definitely looked rusty, probably not 100%, and wound up bouncing in and out of the lineup in the 2nd half. Should be healthy now and get a clearer representation of his skillset. His tape probably “lies” a bit because of that knee issue, just as it did Jerald Hawkins when the Steelers selected him.
Path to the 53 will be tough with so many options they have but for a potential 9th spot, you’d think they are looking for an interior player, not another tackle. His best bet is for someone like Patrick Morris or RJ Prince to get one of those spots on the 53, leaving an opening on the practice squad.
Chances To Make The Team: 20%
