From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, 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, a scouting report on Penn State OT Caedan Wallace.
#73 CAEDAN WALLACE/OT PENN STATE – 6-5, 314 POUNDS. (RS SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Caedan Wallace | 6047/314 | 10 3/4″ | 34″ | 82 5/8″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.15 | 1.74 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’8″ | 31″ | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Great initial punch power to keep rushers at bay
– Has the body control when drive blocking and pass protection to position himself well
– Wide base in pass protection to anchor or torque guys with lower body
– Improved core strength this past season to deal well with bull rush and long-arm moves
– Strong upper body to push, contort, and displace defenders in the run game
– Superb grip strength to attach and not let go easily, moving guys with tenacity
– Absolutely explodes out of his stance in the running game and knows how to operate with a phone booth mentality to drive guys backwards
– Walls off defensive linemen well to reach linebackers at the second level
– Can fake guys with outside hand placement to turn them inside
– Uses high-hand carriage wisely in pass protection to not waste movements
– Knows when the twists and stunts are coming from defenders
– Does a great job of finishing his run blocks to the whistle
– Shows the spatial awareness and vision to pass off simple stunts while maintaining levels with the guard
– Was noticeably carrying a more lean, athletic build at the Shrine Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine that can hopefully carry over to the NFL
THE BAD
– Feet move slowly laterally and vertically in pass protection
– Too many times he’s caught bending at the waist
– Appears rigid in his hips in some of his movements
– Labors to get to the second level in run blocking
– Drifts and oversets too often in pass protection
– Struggles when sifting through traffic to engage his man
– Relies on catching his man as a blocker in pass protection
– Speed rushers win around the edge consistently and use arm-over moves well with him
– Getting to his landmarks and set points quickly enough against speed to not lunge
– Difficulty with ankle flexion to trap rushers on the short corner
– Needs to switch up his punching patterns and strike timing
– Plays with high pad level in pass protection too often
BIO
– 2,290 snaps (all but two at RT) in five years
– 40 starts and appeared in 47 games at RT
– Allowed a total of 69 pressures and 9 sacks
– 2024 Shrine Bowl participant
– 2023 All-Big Ten honorable mention
– 2023 Lion’s Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award
– Four-star prospect coming out of The Hun School in New Jersey by 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals.com
– Was a team captain as a junior and senior
– Helped his HS team to three consecutive Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and prep state championships
– Competed in shot put and discus for the track & field team
– Won a state championship in shot put in the 2015 indoor season
TAPE BREAKDOWN
If you’re looking for someone to protect your quarterback and plow the road for your run game in the upcoming NFL draft with lots of experience, Caedan Wallace could be that offensive tackle. He strictly played on the right side for Penn State in his five years there, and there are a number of factors that make Wallace an intriguing prospect. Two measurables that leaped out at the Shrine Bowl and NFL Combine were his hand size and arm length, which he uses well in both the run game and in pass protection. The guy moves people routinely to create nice running lanes and is able to ward off all types of rushers with his length, grip strength, and power.
Wallace utilizes a vertical and 45-degree set in pass protection with the juice and initial explosiveness out of his stance to reach his landmarks quickly against a variety of rushers. Here he is (No. 74 RT in this clip) at the Shrine Bowl getting to his set point quickly and showing patience while awaiting the pass-rush move, not showing his hands too early.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 16, 2024
He is the right tackle for Penn State (No. 73) in the following clips where he shows his skills against a lot of different techniques: bull, arm over, swim, and outside shoulder speed around the corner:
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 16, 2024
He doesn’t get his hands up quickly enough against edge rushers consistently and often relies on his length to reset their body, but he can redirect guys if they beat him inside with arm over and swim moves. He has a really good clasp on defenders at their shoulder pads and creates leverage with his lower body. He also has patience in his body control to redirect up the arc or power step inside to cut off counter moves. Wallace uses a strong anchor in pass protection to generate a lot of force in his lower body when guys try to go through his chest to plant himself and halt momentum. You love to see on film the snatch-and-trap technique that he will often use with his great wingspan against lunging defenders.
In the run game, he is able to uproot defenders with his initial punch power through his upper and lower body. This allows him to generate torque on drive and down blocks as well. He’s explosive out of his initial stance and moves guys consistently to seal off walls for runners.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 16, 2024
Wallace is also able to identify twists and stunts in the defense pre-snap to switch positions with the guard and redirect if he needs to. You just wish he would display his power more consistently for an entire game. He shows a lot of flashes, but his power comes and goes. He does struggle to get to the second level because his foot movement isn’t quick.
Wallace has a lot of the athletic and physical tools you want in a right tackle, but he’s inconsistent in pass protection with his set points, his hand-strike timing is a work in progress, and he tends to be a waist-bender too often. He also has a propensity to over or underset rushers. Wallace is too reliant on two-hand strikes. That causes the rush gate to fly open for edge guys to win quickly both around the corner and inside.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 16, 2024
You can see the weight shift to his outside foot too much on initial kick steps. He also takes inconsistent angles getting to the second level and tends to dip his head and lunge into contact in the run game. You can see at times that he will overly rely on his length to reach and lean rather than playing with a more flat-back posture.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 16, 2024
CONCLUSION
Wallace is a right tackle with a lot of experience, adequate physical size, and good athleticism with the upside to keep improving with better technique in his pass protection. There are still areas that he needs to clean up in his game, but he projects as a solid starter who will probably need time to get used to the speed of the NFL. He can bring run-game improvement right away while he continues to develop better pass-protection skills.
I found Wallace to be similar traits-wise and in playing style to Taylor Moton of the Carolina Panthers. The latter has been a solid, dependable right tackle for years who has improved steadily as a pass blocker and has really good athleticism for his size. Wallace has the same type of potential and Penn State has produced its fair share of quality NFL offensive linemen in the NFL. The Steelers could be interested in him if they decide to wait to address the right tackle position past the first few rounds of the draft. Wallace shouldn’t be asked to start right away, but he has a lot of upside to be a productive right tackle at the next level.
Projection: Late Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 7.6 – Rotational Player (4th Round)
Games Watched: vs. Ohio State (2023), at Northwestern (2023), at Purdue (2022), at Michigan (2022)
