From now until the 2025 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, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Oregon State offensive tackle Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan.
#71 GERAD CHRISTIAN-LICHTENHAN/OT OREGON STATE – 6082, 315 POUNDS. (RS SENIOR)
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan | 6082/315 | 10 | 35 1/4 | 85 3/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.37 | 1.85 | 5.08 | 7.87 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’1″ | 28 | 19 |
THE GOOD
– Looks the part of an NFL OT with a well-proportioned, lean 6-8 frame with very good length
– Explodes out of his pass set to get to depth
– Functional mover with adequate quickness and agility
– Has some pop in his hands to stun and halt rushers when he connects
– Will strain and work to generate torque and steer defenders away on angle-drive blocks
– Patient to catch cross-face attempts and wash them down
– Stays after his block with running feet to sustain
– Quick feet to get to the second level for a guy his size
– Uses hand strength to latch onto pass rushers quickly
– Right-hand chop eliminates stab attempts by the rusher
– Displayed significant growth as a run blocker this past season in getting to the boundary
THE BAD
– Winds up when striking in pass protection, causing him to be tardy with his timing
– Struggles to protect his frame and sit down against speed to power
– Rudimentary run-blocking skill with a habit of leaning into contact
– Relies purely on size to wall off defenders
– Will need to widen out his base for improved finish rate
– Below-average hand quickness and hand placement
– Likely to struggle with NFL speed at the top of the rush
– Wide hands expose his chest too often
– Average core power hinders his mirroring ability
– Only one year of above-average play at offensive tackle
BIO
– Date of birth: 12/3/2001 (age 23)
– Born in Davis, Calif., and played at Davis HS
– 2,211 total snaps (2,156 LT, 51 RT)
– 143 total special teams snaps (142 FG kick)
– Career: 76 pressures allowed (12 hits, 52 hurries), 12 sacks allowed, 9 penalties
– 2024 season: 12 pressures allowed (1 hit, 8 hurries), 3 sacks allowed, 1 penalty, PFF grades of 86.4 pass blocking (76.1 true pass set blocking), 77.5 run blocking (77.4 zone blocking, 70.7 gap blocking)
– 2025 Shrine Bowl participant
– 2024 Pac-12 top offensive lineman
– 2024 transferred to Oregon State and started all 12 games at LT
– 2021-23 played in 33 games, starting 19 for Colorado University
– 2020 redshirt freshman year
– Three-star OT recruit by 247Sports out of high school; also played DT
– Has done extensive community service
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan is a massive left tackle who last season played in Oregon State’s balanced, quick-hitting, RPO/play-action heavy, zone-based scheme with some gap concepts sprinkled in. Tall and well-proportioned, his lean frame jas room for additional mass. He has excellent arm length, adequate athletic ability and power. He uses his superior physical gifts to his advantage both as a blindside protector in making it difficult for edge rushers to get around his wall of a frame and as a run defender to engulf defenders, clearing the way for runners to hit a hole with conviction.
He displayed significant improvement last season at Oregon State where he followed his offensive line coach from Colorado University. He looked much more comfortable in the Beavers’ offense and really showed better run-blocking ability, especially as a zone blocker with his explosive ability to get out of his stance and on the boundary.
As a run blocker, Christian-Lichtenhan has the size and mass to engulf most defenders he faces and create creases for the ball carrier. He has good foot quickness to get out in front of screens, sweeps, and outside-zone runs. For a blocker his size, he is much more a wall-off blocker than a man-to-man mauler. Watch him on this goal-line inside handoff where he gets good penetration and drive to blow open the running hole.
He is the LT (No. 71) for Oregon State in the following clip:
You can really see how effective and imposing he can be when he actually gets low and has the powerful leg drive to push guys back on angle and down blocks. This is where he really looks good and improved as a run blocker at Oregon State. He has the athletic ability on the move to drive guys out of running lanes. He has good angle awareness to know where to go and showed nice effort on combo blocks. I really enjoyed seeing him get out in space on zone-running plays.
On the following play, he does a nice job of latching and attaching, but he basically just stands the guy up. This works most of the time when you’re 6-8, but he also has to be careful of not being over-reliant on this because better edge rushers and linemen will shed him if he’s not able to snag and drive them laterally.
When he was at Colorado playing LT, he was No. 69, as shown in this clip:
There are some obvious warts as a really tall and long guy trying to get low to run block. He struggles to play with good pad level and doesn’t generate a ton of power from his lower half. Christian-Lichtenhan could really benefit from having more mass and strength in his legs to get the most out of his driving and anchoring abilities. He has just average ability to sustain blocks and will often lunge out of his stance and play over his toes, resulting in him falling off blocks through the down. He wins using his size and strain to wall off defenders in the run game on angle-drive blocks. However, he is a heavy leaner who struggles to finish with authority consistently.
As a pass protector, Christian-Lichtenhan has the foot quickness to get depth in his pass sets and outstanding length to create a long distance between the rusher and the quarterback. Here he gets slight chip help from the tight end, but he really doesn’t need it. If he gets you outside on the arc, the rep is basically over because his feet and length can mirror well enough to keep rushers on the perimeter of the quarterback.
I thought he played really well in the East-West Shrine Bowl against some good rushers and linemen. Christian-Lichtenhan has a nice kick slide to get out of his stance and find his landmark. He plays with good knee bend for someone who’s really tall. I liked how low he could get consistently when he was mindful of it on vertical sets. Watch him here take the lineman in a semicircle to nullify counters and in the following clip latch and attach himself with his huge wingspan.
He has reps that make you think he can be a future NFL starter but unfortunately, those reps are few and far between. He is very inconsistent with his hand placement and timing, and misses his punches, very often resulting in him being off-balance and susceptible to power and bull rushes through his midline. You never like seeing a guy his size let rushers dictate the rep by getting their hands into his chest first. I like the patience he shows to not overreact, but he doesn’t have the anchoring ability or recovery skills to make this a habit. He’s got to take the fight to them more consistently from the snap on passing downs.
He has just average balance and struggles to change direction when forced to mirror against inside counters. Christian-Lichtenhan operated in an RPO and play-action-heavy system with extensive screens and quick passes that allowed him to set aggressively most of the time and rely on his size to cover up rushers.
CONCLUSION
Overall, Christian-Lichtenhan has a towering frame and well-proportioned build with very good length. He works hard to stay attached to blocks and can blot out defenders once latched, which makes him worth bringing to camp. He has clear potential with rare physical gifts, but is still years away from ever being a trusted to start in the NFL.
He would very much benefit from getting acclimated to the NFL game and speed. His technical refinement and recovery skills may make it difficult for him to make the next step despite his physical gifts. But he is definitely worth a draft-and-stash dart throw as an offensive tackle who could realistically play on either side.
The Steelers may be an option if they decide to take a developmental tackle prospect later in the draft. There is still plenty of upside to him, and he’s got the globe theory on his side that there are only so many offensive tackles with his length and height to start with as a baseline. He is built and plays a lot like Brandon Parker when he was coming out in the 2018 NFL Draft. Another tall guy who was good on the move but needed more mass and technique work to establish himself as a starter at the next level.
Projection: Mid-Late Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 6.5 – Sixth/Seventh Round (End of Roster/Practice Squad)
Games Watched: vs Idaho State (2024), at Boise State (2024), vs USC (2023), at Oregon (2023)
