Brandon Scherff- NFL Draft Scouting Report

Guard/Tackle- Brandon Scherff- Iowa

Pros:

• Versatile lineman capable of playing any guard or tackle position.
• NFL Ready, should be a day 1 starter regardless where he ends up.
• Good size and strength
• Athletic lineman capable of fitting in any scheme
• Strong at the point of attack, and very physical in the run game. Can blow open holes for his ball carrier.
• Good pass blocker overall, with a nice anchor to hand bull rushes.
• Smart player who identifies his responsibility and executes, whether it’s picking up a blitz, or getting to the second level.
• High level of toughness came back from knee surgery and played following week.

Cons:

• Has had multiple leg injuries, including broken leg in 2013 and torn meniscus in 2014.
• Question if he can be anything more than a good player, particularly if he stays at OT.
• Can struggle with speed rushers on the edge.
• Footwork is inconsistent in pass blocking.

Overview:

There is a lot to like with Brandon Scherff if you are in need of offensive line help in this draft. He’s versatile and not scheme specific so he is likely to fit for just about every team. Scherff is at his best as a run blocker and should do exceptionally well there regardless of his final position. What has most thinking he kicks inside to guard is some inconsistency as a pass blocker. His footwork isn’t the cleanest, and he can lose to speed rushers. It’s not a major issue, but enough that makes him more attractive at either RT or at guard. Scherff played guard early in Iowa career so the transition might not be that difficult for him.

Scherff is a guy with a good, but not great ceiling, but also a pretty high floor. While the final position may be up in the air, Scherff is a pretty safe bet to return value as a good, capable starter. The question is can he ever rise above that. He is frequently compared to Zack Martin from last year’s draft and overall it is pretty fair comparison. Similar to Martin, Scherff could be an above-average left tackle, good right tackle, but has the chance to be special at guard. While guard isn’t as highly valued of a position as tackle (particularly left tackle), having a very good-to-great guard is not something NFL teams should pass up. The fact that Scherff has the added bonus of being very NFL ready also is a strong selling point in his favor. Some of the other first round caliber offensive linemen figure to need at least a year before they are effective starters, Scherff should be at that level day one.