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 to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on NC State LS Joe Shimko.
#91 Joe Shimko/LS NC State – 5115, 233 pounds (Graduate Student)
Shrine Bowl/NFL Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Joe Shimko | 5115/233 | 9 1/8″ | 29 3/4″ | 76 1/4″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.08 | 1.73 | 4.32″ | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | 31″ | 20 |
*All Pro Day Measurements
The Good
– Highly experienced
– Consistent and extremely accurate, holder/punter rarely has to adjust to the snap and slow down operation time
– Shows enough burst and athleticism to get downfield and help cover
– Willing blocker able to accurately snap and block/seal defender
– Solid velocity that roughly meets NFL benchmarks (average snap-to-catch time of .729 seconds on punts)
– Willing tackler with college production
– Regarded as a hard worker, detailed, and high-character
– Highly decorated and recognized as among the top NCAA snappers
The Bad
– Smaller stature and lacks arm length, tiny compared to many NFL snappers
– Could be prone to getting bull rushed on punts
– Snaps can get a little high when pressured and rushed
– Didn’t record a tackle in 2023
– Will need to adjust to playing on punt unit with tighter splits and more defenders/chaos after using shield punt structure in college
– Failed to receive Senior Bowl invite
Bio
– Wolfpack starting snapper for all 37 games of his career (607 snaps – 307 punts, 300 field goals/extra points)
– 13 career tackles per team website, career highs of five in 2019 and 2022 (zero in 2023)
– Team site logs him for zero bad snaps in his career
– Won 2023 Patrick Mannelly Award given to top long snapper; was a semifinalist in 2022
– Named Second-Team All-American by AFCA in 2022 and 2023
– Two-star recruit from Wall, New Jersey, rated as class’ fourth-best snapper
– Helped raise over $400,000 for charity past two summers, active in community events, including GiGi’s Playhouse, which helps autistic children
– Semifinalist for the 2023 Jason Witten Award, the college football equivalent of Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
– Head coach Dave Doeren calls him the best long-snapper he’s ever had; personally offered Shimko scholarship during one camp
– Played RB and LB in high school until repeated injuries through sophomore year led to switch to long snapper
– Played baseball growing up
– Worked with Chris Rubio and his snapping camp/program
– Participated in US Army All-American bowl at end of HS career
– Father is an electrician
– Used yoga to open his hips and become a more flexible snapper
Tape Breakdown
Heck yes, we’re doing long snapper profiles. Not that the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market for one after signing Christian Kuntz to a multi-year deal, but they could bring someone to camp, or at least they’ll have one or two names in for rookie tryouts. And around here, we like to be thorough.
Shimko was the NCAA’s 2023 winner of the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to college football’s top long snapper. He’s been snapping since mid-way through his high school days and was praised by every aspect of the NC State program, benefitting from a steady and consistent snapper. Accuracy is Shimko’s best trait, and his snaps are almost always dead on, allowing the holder or punter to focus on their job and not corralling an errant snap. Shimko was regarded as perfect throughout his five years as the Wolfpack snapper.
Velocity is a key aspect of being an NFL snapper. At the lower levels, being accurate is a bit more important. From my timing on punts (timing field goals for me is too difficult, unfortunately), I charted Shimko at an average of .729 seconds. That number is probably a *little* delayed, meaning his snaps are actually probably a tiny bit quicker in that .70-.71 range, but even at face value, my timing still falls in-line with the NFL standard of .70 seconds, as confirmed by then-Colts’ STs Coach Bubba Ventrone (now with the Cleveland Browns) last year and as told to me by VMI’s Robert Soderholm at the 2023 Senior Bowl.
He’s also a willing and capable blocker, able to seal and wall off while still snapping accurately.
Criticisms were tough to come by. When pressured, he did have a tendency to snap slightly high, though they didn’t create issues with the actual snap. Two examples here, one being a “fire drill” of snapping on a running clock to end the half. Kudos to him and the unit for pulling it off, but the snap was a bit high. Showing the whole clip of the field goal team rushing out and another from Notre Dame when he faced a bit of pressure in the A gap and his snap was (slightly) high.
The biggest problem with Shimko is his smaller size. While the NFL has more protections for long snappers, making their size less of a focus than it used to be, he’s still small by most metrics. Kuntz, by comparison, is 6010, 232 pounds (potentially a different weight now; that was his 2017 weigh-in when he was still playing LB). But look at most long snappers. They are at least 6-1, 235-plus pounds with longer arms. Shimko falls short of that bar.
Conclusion
Overall, Shimko was an excellent college long snapper whose accuracy is excellent and velocity is acceptable. Some outlets rank him as the top long-snapper. Others have him lower. A lack of size probably causes him to fall out of the draft. He’ll be in a minicamp somewhere, at least as a tryout, but I could see him signing as an undrafted free agent for a small signing bonus. My NFL comp is Houston Texans LS Jon Weeks, who has a similar size profile.
Projection: Undrafted Free Agent-Tryouts
Depot Draft Grade: 5.6 – Priority Free Agent (Undrafted Free Agent)
Games Watched: vs Clemson (2023), vs Notre Dame (2023), vs North Carolina (2023), Other Cut-Ups
