Overview
Position: Center/guard
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 300 pounds
School: Ohio State Buckeyes
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.32 seconds
Bench press: 22 reps
Vertical jump: 23.5 inches
Broad jump: 8 feet, 3 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.94 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.71 seconds
Pat Elflein 2017 NFL Draft Profile
It’s the dream of many a high school football player from the state of Ohio to eventually continue their career in Buckeye Scarlet and Gray. Pat Elflein, a native of Pickerington, OH in the Columbus area, certainly fell into this category. When the scholarship offer from Ohio State came, Elflein’s decision on where he wanted to play collegiately was a pretty easy one.
Elflein dealt with a nagging foot injury as a true freshman and redshirted that year. However, his ability to stay healthy never became a concern during the rest of his time in a Buckeye uniform. Elflein played in every single game over the next four seasons, including 40 straight starts beginning in his sophomore year.
That sophomore season embodied perseverance for an Ohio State offensive line much maligned after an early season loss to Virginia Tech. The unit continued to improve as the season progressed and by its end, the Buckeyes were hoisting the first national title of the College Football Playoff era.
Elflein made the move from guard to center for his senior year. It turned out to be quite a seamless transition as he took home the 2016 Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s best center, at season’s end. He also earned consensus All-American honors with teammate Malik Hooker. The two became the first Buckeye tandem to do so since Orlando Pace and Eddie George in 1995.
Strengths
- versatile player who seamlessly converted from guard to center his senior year.
- stays square to his blocking target in pass protection.
- good initial hand placement gives him leverage as a run blocker.
- efficient moving to the outside in pull blocking situations.
- displayed considerable durability in college, starting every game for three straight seasons.
- consistent contributor within a winning program.
- proven leader in being named captain by his teammates.
Weaknesses
- tends to take less than optimum pursuit angles when blocking in second level.
- pad level gets high at times leading to to him getting overwhelmed on bull rushes.
- might initially have issues diagnosing exotic blitz schemes.
- struggles in adjusting to stunt moves by interior linemen.
- lower body could use some more fluidity.
NFL Comparison: Max Unger
Teams With Need at Position: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Washington Redskins
Projection: Late second to early third round
Bottom Line
In Elflein, teams are getting a vocal leader and type-A personality who will provide a solid locker room presence. His work ethic is unquestioned and that quality will certainly endear him to NFL coaches. He helped maintain a culture of excellence at Ohio State, winning a national title and playing in the College Football Playoff on two occasions.
The comparison to Unger stems from the fact that both began as guards before moving further inside on the offensive line. Elflein made an immediate impact in Columbus, so much so that he ended up winning the award given to the best center in the nation. Though he’ll need to improve his lateral quickness to deal with the increased athleticism he’ll see at the next level, Elflein’s overall skill set suggests the ability to become a starting caliber lineman.
