From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will 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, we’ll be profiling LSU OG Anthony Bradford.
#75 ANTHONY BRADFORD/OG LSU – 6040, 332 (R-JUNIOR)
NFL Combine
MEASURABLES
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Anthony Bradford | 6040/332 | 9 1/2″ | 33 1/2″ | 80 3/8″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.08 | 1.66 | 4.80 | 7.84 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 8’10″ | 30″ | 34 |
THE GOOD
— Thick throughout his whole frame, pro-ready body
— Solid first step out of his stance
— Great punch placement, uses his hands independently of each other
— Natural knee bend, creates leverage with good pad level
— Creates good displacement and push in the run game
— Good competitive toughness, finishes play to the whistle when engaged in a block
THE BAD
— Feet and hands are out of sync which results in him leaning into his blocks too far
— Doesn’t keep his feet well, ends up on the ground too often
— Gives up his hips too easily which limits his functional strength
— Marginal change of direction, not twitchy enough of an athlete to mirror speed rushers
BIO
— Four-star prospect out of Muskegon, Michigan
— Won the “Big Man Bench” competition held by Rivals 100 in high school, putting up 31 reps of 225lbs
— Three-sport athlete who also lettered in basketball and in track as a thrower
— Redshirted his freshman season after appearing in three games
— Didn’t start any games until his R-Sophomore season
— Suffered an undisclosed injury that derailed his sophomore season, causing him to miss the final five games and spring practice during the offseason
— Appeared in 29 games, starting 17 (12 OG, 5 OT)
— 2 penalties and 4 sacks allowed in 2022
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Bradford put up 34 reps on the bench press and every bit of that upper body strength is put to use in his game. He frequently knocks people off balance with his punch and looks for work at the end of plays. He has the nasty demeanor you look for in a guard and you can tell he isn’t satisfied until the guy across from him is pancaked. The first play of this clip is a goal-line play which is a great litmus test for any lineman on either side of the ball. He executes the down block perfectly to widen the hole before peeling off to the linebacker.
The next two plays end with the defender on the ground, one with Bradford moving forward as a pulling guard, the other with him moving backwards in his pass set. They showcase his play strength in different ways, but the end result is the same — the other player rag-dolled to the ground.
He is able to unlock a lot of that innate strength he has with good pad level and good punch placement. He is able to consistently land at least one punch to the chest plate of his opponent and the power behind that punch is often very disruptive to whatever the defender is trying to accomplish. The last play of this clip, you can see that his two-handed strike can really displace a defender.
The main issue in his game is his change of direction. He really has to take the correct angle at all times because he isn’t able to adjust course once he gets moving. It shows up when he is trying to reach block, mirror a pass rusher, or pick up a twist or late stunt. His straight-line burst is surprisingly good for his size, but the catch is he can’t change direction very well.
It is always good to get a look at how a player fares against elite competition. As far as college football goes, Alabama’s Will Anderson is a pretty good litmus test for any offensive lineman. Here are a few plays of the two facing off head to head. The first play of the clip was particularly interesting as Bradford lands a punch with his outside arm to the center of Anderson’s chest and grabs his wrist with his off hand. This neutralized any rush or counter that could occur. Grabbing the wrist or hand of another player in full-speed play is a difficult maneuver, but an extremely effective one. It showed up two other times in the games I watched.
CONCLUSION
Bradford’s main knock is an “obvious lack of athleticism,” at least according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. While there is some truth to that statement, overall he is a great athlete for a 332 pounder. He has an 9.80 RAS score which is among the elite of the position. He can move quickly in a straight line and has impressive burst out of his stance. Again, the catch is that he cannot change direction well. He has to take the correct angle a lot, which won’t always be the case, and there is little chance of recovery once he whiffs. He is ideally going to be in a power offensive scheme that can maximize his play strength and get him moving in one direction. He can pull well and he can combo-up to the second level. He played enough tackle in college to have some good working experience there, though his fit is more as a guard. In the games I watched he fared pretty well as a tackle, but the change of direction could be a big issue out on the edge.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have invested heavily in the guard position the last two offseasons in free agency, so it is unclear how Bradford would fit into the lineup in its current form. He does fit the profile of a large-bodied lineman on which the team seems to be putting a premium as of late.
Projection: Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 7.7 – Potential Starter/Good Backup (3rd Round)
Games Watched: at Kentucky (2021), at UCLA (2021), vs Alabama (2022)
