Brady Christensen 2021 NFL Draft Profile

Position: Offensive Tackle

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 300 pounds

School: BYU Cougars

BYU quarterback Zach Wilson flashed high potential this past season thanks to help from his offensive line, led by tackle Brady Christensen. Christensen showed great talent to play the tackle position and handle defensive linemen while in college. Unfortunately for him, some have said it’s due to the level of competition he faced in college. This is a common misinterpretation for an offensive lineman who has to endure a greater climb than some of his draftmates due to where he comes from.

That’s not the case for Christensen. Before coming to BYU, he was a two-star recruit. Additionally, he also embarked on a mission to New Zealand. How does that help his case? For starters, after becoming a Cougar, he played like one. In his sophomore reason, he started all 13 games. This past season, this former two-star recruit allowed Wilson to play like a top-five selection in a high-powered offense. That alone, coupled with the fact that he protected the blindside as the left tackle, should entice teams. The Associated Press also voted him to a first-team All-American status. Christen recorded a broad jump of 10 feet four inches at his Pro-Day, the most of any offensive lineman in history.

• Excellent in pass blocking;
• Can jump off the line of scrimmage quickly;
• Reliable in run blocking;
• Not afraid to get physical;
• Fluid in movement;
• Keeps defenders in front of him.

• Suspect competition;
• Needs to get stronger;
• Limited when in space against edge defenders;
• Projects more of an inside player;
• Lacks some athleticism.

Brady Christensen is just another prospect being overlooked due to his competition. If teams haven’t learned to ignore where they come from and just evaluate the tape, then whoever takes Christensen is getting a steal. He could be a potential day one starter provided he lands in the right system. Though BYU’s offense mostly featured the pass, if you watch the tape, you can see that the run blocking that Christensen demonstrated was extremely effective. Furthermore, he started 38 consecutive games since coming back from New Zealand. In this day and age, the best ability is availability.

Christensen isn’t a perfect prospect, and no one is. He has some flaws that can be straightened out. But through his resume, there’s nothing on it that causes such a big red flag that teams should just stay away. He may start as a guard or a right tackle just to get his footing, but he can develop into a left tackle in the NFL if used correctly.  Additionally, his quick hands and aggression may get him at times with how holding calls are refereed. Still, it will disrupt defenders enough to allow a quarterback to set his feet and make the right progressions before throwing the football.