Drew Himmelman NFL Draft Overview
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 323 Lbs.
School: Illinois State University
Drew Himmelman 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Entering the NFL Draft waters from Illinois State University, Drew Himmelman is the type of project that could delight. Initially recruited as a tight end, Himmelman considered walking on at Iowa, even taking snaps on the defensive line. Eventually, he landed at Illinois State, where the team converted him to their starting left tackle. At the position, he looked like he found a home. With outrageous height and speed, Himmelman brought ideal physical tools to the tackle spot. In fact, he earned All-FCS First-Team honors for his work at tackle in 2019. However, he never had a chance to build on his impressive 2019 campaign. FCS football shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic, forcing Himmelman to focus on building his body for the NFL Draft.
Perhaps the gap between games could be the best thing that ever happened for Himmelman. Clearly needing to add weight to his lengthy frame to compete at the professional level, the pandemic gap should’ve allowed that development. Further, Himmelman really needed to refine his technique, and working with a line trainer could greatly speed that transition. Given his speed and size, teams would be happy to have him develop in their system. Granted, those technical skills do present red flags, ones that will be exposed if not corrected.
Strengths
- Body and speed inspire images of an NBA power forward;
- Plays with a ton of aggression and physicality;
- Moves pretty well on the line, especially when considering his size;
- Mauls smaller defenders, especially in the run game;
- Gets his hands in the right place and lands his punches;
- A huge frame allows him to absorb multiple defenders;
- Hand strength allows him to maintain blockers for a while in the passing game.
Weaknesses
- Lower level of competition as an FCS athlete;
- Doesn’t always do a great job sealing the edge;
- Footwork seems to be a little sloppy;
- Missed a key year of development in 2020 due to the pandemic;
- Some plays look like they’re without purpose;
- Tends to get a little too high up on defenders;
- Doesn’t always respond well to an edge rusher’s moves.
NFL Comparison: Sam Young
Teams With Need at Position: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Football Team, Pittsburgh Steelers
Projection: Seventh Round
Bottom Line on Drew Himmelman
Certainly an interesting developmental piece, it doesn’t seem likely that Himmelman will have too much early interest. At the end of the day, Drew Himmelman is likely to one of the last picks or go unselected in this year’s draft. Regardless of where he’s selected, his technical skills need improvement and will go a long way towards determining his fate. The right offensive line coach may fall in love with his frame and find a way to get the best out of him in the pros. He might never be called on to start, but his foot speed and size make him an interesting swing tackle. In a league where line depth is increasingly important, Himmelman should be able to find a home.
