From now until the 2023 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today I’ll be profiling UCLA guard Jon Gaines II.
#57 JON GAINES II, GUARD, UCLA (R SR.) 6040, 303 LBS.
Combine/NFLPA Bowl invite
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Jon Gaines II | 6‘3,303 | 10 1/8 | 33 5/8 | N/A |
| 40 Yard Dash | 10 Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.01 | 1.73 | 4.45 | 7.31 | N/A |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’6” | 32.5 | N/A |
THE GOOD
— Uses powerful initial hands and punch
— Great athleticism overall
— Impressive 4.45 short shuttle time exposes his great burst and explosion
— Climbs next level well as he is very well seasoned at getting hands on linebackers
— Cerebral player who possesses a good knowledge of where guys are at and where they are coming from when it comes to schematics
— Offers good double teams given he leans in all the way next to his help, not allowing space for guys to rip through
— Well-seasoned as he played in 45 games in college
— Great position versatility as he played guard, center, and tackle
— Continuously moving eyes scanning the field in pass pro
— Very strong player with great core strength torquing guys all over the field
— Tested really well at the combine with an athleticism score of 98 which ranked 1st among guards
THE BAD
— Doesn’t use great finish after about 4-5 yards down the field
— Frequently misses high with his hands in pass pro using poor aim with punch
— Often loses inside leverage on his block, while being much better about blocking to protect the sideline
— Sometimes gets too skinny when driving defenders, allowing guys to shake him off his narrow base
Bio
— Played in 45 career games over his college career
— Redshirt SR season stats 77.8 overall grade (PFF), 13 games played, 932 snaps, two sacks allowed, two quarterback hits allowed, 14 quarterback hurries allowed
— Three-star recruit from Wauwatosa, WI (247Sports) no. 128 offensive tackle in the nation, no. 10 recruit in WI
— Apart of an offensive line that was named semifinalist for Joe Moore Award in 2022
— Honorable mention All-Pac 12 by league coaches
— Named to the Athletics Directors Honor Roll during six different semesters
— Earned a spot on the 2021-22 Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll
— Thought he rarely gets to see him play, Gaines II father, Jon Gaines, once endured four hours of dialysis before at— ending the Rose Bowl to watch his son play
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Initial thoughts on Jon Gaines, is he’s an Uber athletic dude who leaves holes in the ground as he pumps his feet, though he seems very light on his feet as he floats across the field effortlessly. Great torque in his game as his power allows him to take guys from point A to point B without much resistance. After testing really well at the combine it really exposed his overall athletic ability which will definitely make him some more money come late April. In pass pro he exercises his ability to scan the field and never let his feet die on the play. He doesn’t finish at an elite level or put guys on the ground like you’d want to see, but by gaining some more strength and experience, I do believe we will see that shift in his game. I expect his physical ability to carry over and work similarly in the NFL.
Here on this run against USC it’s a simple perimeter run, and he pulls to the outside, and while he wasn’t the fastest getting there, this is a good kick out block and good on him for taking the guy away from the play. Example because first contact is so important, because if he misses there, that guy probably makes the play.
Later again in that game he shows us his ability to always find work even when he isn’t covered up. Good job by him here to notice he’s open and to turn and help someone in need, whether that be the center or tackle. It’s about passing guys off and taking those rib shots when you can.
I’ve bragged over and over on his ability to climb next level and get hands on guys, and here that’s exactly what he does. Great job by him to leak through with good speed and work his hips to the defenders inside to wall him off of the runner. You see him as his hands are engaged, he works his hips over step by step to cut off the inside so in order for that guy to make the play he has to take the long and unrealistic route.
This is something you see in a lot of offensive lineman but learning to combat getting walked down in pass pro is very difficult. He has to learn to drop anchor and make that guy run him over. As he’s getting walked down into the pocket, at that very last moment he gets stiff legged, which forces him to narrow his base which leads to the nose snatching him out of the play.
CONCLUSION
As I stated above, his athleticism is superior, and he played a lot of football at UCLA. There’s a lot of value in a young veteran, with a lot of physical upside and a lot of experience. Once again, he has great feet, he works with good pace, and he scans the field really well in pass pro. He also has a power packed punch, and he climbs to the next level well and gets hands on next level guys, but on the negative side of things, he has a knack of going a little high with his hands which causes him to miss and he doesn’t finish at the clip you wanna see, but that opportunity is definitely there for him.
He really gives me a Connor Williams sort of feel. Though Williams is a little taller, I see two guys aren’t known for out of this world strength, but two guys who both have underrated athleticism and move really well. Pittsburgh really likes Dan Moore Jr. so my gut really tells me this team is looking more for interior guys.
With a good combine and good numbers, I think Gaines’ stock has definitely risen offer the last week or so. How high does he go? We’ll know come April, but I think we should be careful about how high we want to seat him due to the variance in mocks and views from the standpoint of what his initial stock was, and how he could possibly be viewed now that he’s had himself a good combine. I see this as a possibility for sure but where does he rank at his position on their board for Pittsburgh?
Projection: Late Day Two Early Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 7.4 – Rotational Player (4th Round)
Games Watched: Vs. USC (2022) Vs. Arizona State (2022) Vs. LSU (2021) Vs. Oregon (2022)
