Every year you see these big athletic tackles go high in the draft. The idea is that you can morph high-end athletes into starting caliber players due to their athleticism.
But wait, let’s backtrack a for a second first.
The First Round Is Too Rich for Greg Little
Athletic Testing
The 2019 NFL combine has concluded, leaving teams and analysts time to catch up on how certain prospects tested. The indication coming in was that Greg Little’s testing was going to be top tier. I mean, after all, everyone hammering for him to be a first-round pick indicated that if nothing else you can hang your hat on how athletic he is.
Height: 6’5 1/4”
Weight: 310
Arm Length: 35 1/4”
40-yard dash: 5.33 seconds
Vertical jump: 25”
Broad jump: 113”
20-yard shuttle: 4.74 seconds
Bench press: Did not bench
This is who you want to draft round 1?
With not so good tape and without being a high end athlete I don’t see any way anyone canpound the table for Greg Little to go round one. I just do not see it. pic.twitter.com/3TQsS1PCWi
— Hunter Neel (@hunterneel_) March 4, 2019
Breaking It Down
Exiting the week it seems that Little is in fact not the high-end athlete everyone thought he was. But out of all the drills completed in Indianapolis, which are important for the position?
First off, size. Little came in with slightly below average height and looked to drop weight to test better. He ranked in the 46th percentile for height and the 38th percentile for weight. Not a good start.
Next off is arm length. This is where you can stand firm at. Coming in at 35 1/4” arms is great and was expected after watching him on film.
Now for the athletic testing. A 40-yard dash time of 5.33 seconds ranks in the 34th percentile for the position. While yes, Little might not be seen running 40 yards downfield often, this is just part of the puzzle. In fact, what is actually more important for offensive linemen is their 20-yard shuttle. This helps measure how well a prospect moves and what their agility is. Little was below average here, again, posting a number in the 51st percentile.
For jumps, Little posted a vertical in the 17th percentile, while his broad jump was in the 93rd percentile for the position.
Overall Little’s Combine performance was below average and he did not show signs of being the great athlete many expected.
Tape Review
Sliding into Monday like Greg Little pic.twitter.com/i6M1mI1Acc
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) February 24, 2019
Little shows some moments that make you think he could be a franchise guy but he also is very inconsistent with those moments. One thing I like about Little is his foot speed. However, he accompanies it with terrible balance. The play above is a perfect example of such. You see Little begin his pass set but once he initiates contact his feet slip out from under him. This is a common occurrence on tape and could lead to future problems as it occurs.
I think the NFL will be high on Greg Little. Flashes some positive traits as a pass protector, but needs to improve on his run blocking, hand placement, and strength at the point of attack. pic.twitter.com/G8MlAKtCNx
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) February 13, 2019
Jordan said it best. Little flashes traits and his highs are some of the best in the class. However, his strength is inconsistent and he often doesn’t fire his hands into defenders numbers. He also tends to strike defenders out of rhythm with the rest of his body, where his feet and hand strikes don’t line up.
Now for the good. Little is very productive in his pass sets. He shows great foot speed and cadence to drop into deeper sets. While the technique is far from there Little was able to use his size and length to his advantage.
Last Word
After being labeled as this athletic linemen with considerable upside, Little projects as a huge boom or bust prospect. He shows flashes of greatness due to his size, length, and natural athleticism at times. However, below average testing for him is a huge blow to his stock as you can no longer hang your hat on that part of his game.
Above anything else, Little needs to improve on his technique in order to become anything at the next level. Too often he fails to frame his blocks correctly and times his lunges late and off center. This allows defenders to get around him, taking advantage of his poor balance and lack of functional strength.
