Overview
Position: Interior Offensive Line
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 305 Lbs.
School: University of Illinois
Pro Day Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.89
Vertical jump: 35.5”
Broad jump: 9’11”
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 32
Kendrick Green 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Joining the NFL Draft pool this season, Kendrick Green is amongst a deep class of interior offensive lineman. However, he does have the aggression and power needed to differentiate himself amongst his peers. Recruited as a defensive tackle out of high school, Green quickly switched to the interior at Illinois. Granted, Green did play both sides of the game during his time at Peoria High School. Given his background in wrestling and baseball, he already showcased his versatility before ever making the college leap. Further, he’s a proven leader and has a clear voice in the locker room. He led Illinois student-athletes in a Black Lives Matter march last fall and receives high praise from just about everyone in the program.
Green spent three seasons as a starting guard for the Fighting Illini before heading for the pros this spring. During his time there, he proved to be a really strong fixture on his team’s offensive line. Further, he showed significant improvement between each of his three seasons. In 2018, he finished with a 59.0 grade from Pro Football Focus. In his second season, he made the leap to a 78.9 figure. Then, he graded out as the sixth-best guard in all of college football, posting an 88.0 grade. Further, his 88.6 run-blocking grade ranked fourth in college football. While Green might have some areas to improve in the pass blocking game, a more efficient quarterback should be beneficial. At Illinois, Brandon Peters often held onto the ball for far too long, dragging down the offensive line.
Strengths
- Easy power, blows defenders away with his strength
- Feisty and always finds someone to block, even as a play winds down
- Moves really well on the line; trustworthy in pulling schemes
- Jumps off the page as a run blocker
- Punishes linebackers who can’t match his power
- Fires off the ball on every snap
- Background as a leader will benefit him at the professional level
- Maintains a good base on just about every play
Weaknesses
- Overextends and lunges, causing him to end up on the ground
- Might be undersized for the professional game
- Shorter arms make it harder for him to control defenders
- Still struggles to identify stunts from opposing lines
- Over-aggression will cost him more penalty yards if he can’t cool his mean streak
- Can be overwhelmed by bigger/stronger defensive linemen
- Doesn’t look that impressive in the pass blocking game
NFL Comparison: Xavier Su’a-Filo
Teams With Need at Position: Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals
Projection: Fourth Round
Bottom Line on Kendrick Green
As an accomplished leader and impressive run-blocker, there should be a pretty sizable market for Green. However, his game really needs development, and adding strength will be his best friend. In many classes, his raw skillset would likely have him higher on the boards of many teams. Despite his skillset, the deep offensive line class in the 2021 NFL Draft will have him sliding down into Day 3, in all likelihood. Unless a team loves what he brings in the running game, he’s more likely to be viewed as a stash and develop candidate. However, with that comes the opportunity for Green to become his best self. Kendrick Green has really good agility numbers, showing his ability to fire off the ball, which is a key for his case.
In the right situation, Green could become a really high-end guard at the professional level. After all, he became the first offensive player from the Illinois program to be named an All-American since 2011. In addition, in a league where availability is a player’s best ability, Green’s knack of staying on the field shines bright. He finished with a string of 33 consecutive starts to finish his career with the Fighting Illini. If he gets better at facing bull-rushes from bigger defenders, he could carve out a solid career.
Main Photo:
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