Royce Newman NFL Draft Overview
Position: Interior Offensive Line
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 310 Lbs.
School: Ole Miss
Pro Day Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.15
Vertical jump: 28”
Broad jump: 8’8”
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 23
Royce Newman 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Coming from a pass-heavy offense in college, Royce Newman is the kind of plug-and-play lineman that will entice. Playing at Ole Miss in the Lane Kiffin offense, Newman got a hefty taste of next-level passing schemes. Still, he played out of position with the Rebels, sticking at right tackle throughout his senior year. A three-star prospect out of Nashville, IL, Newman turned down offers from Nebraska and Penn State to head south. With Ole Miss, Newman moved throughout the line and played pretty strong football at each stop.
While he’s very likely to kick into the guard position at the next level, Newman posted good tape at multiple positions. During his 2019 season at left guard, he allowed just one sack on 416 pass blocks. Then, he allowed just two sacks on 430 passing snaps during his 2020 season at right tackle. Still, there are areas where Newman needs to clean some things up in order to thrive at the professional level. He finished with an overall 68.9 grade in 2020, ranking 148th in college football according to Pro Football Focus. However, his speed was proven as he finished with a 71.1 run-blocking grade. Perhaps focusing on the guard position will be a huge benefit for Newman, who shows more skills for that position. While the flexibility could provide a pro team with upside, his highest ceiling is certainly on the interior.
Strengths
- Embarrasses hand-to-hand combat against defenders;
- Good speed to get to second level blocking assignments;
- Showcases pretty good pass protection footwork;
- Does a nice job sealing off defenders;
- Recovers well when he’s knocked off his base;
- Gets off the ball pretty quickly;
- Does a nice job getting his hands in the right spots.
Weaknesses
- Gets up too high off the snap and throughout his blocks;
- Over-reaches and winds up on the ground;
- Doesn’t always account for blitzes in pass sets;
- Looks a little overmatched against top-tier competition;
- Needs to stop lunging in the running game;
- Had some struggles with consistency at tackle in the passing game.
NFL Comparison: Andrew Wylie
Teams With Need at Position: Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Football Team, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers
Projection: Fifth Round
Bottom Line on Royce Newman
Likely to go in the mid-to-late portion of the draft, there’s a chance Royce Newman could become a starting guard. His experience in a pro-style offense last season slims his learning curve, which NFL teams will appreciate. Further, there’s a lot to like with his athletic skill set. He posted an 8.73 relative athletic score and shows pretty good movement skills on the line. While he needs to add strength to battle big-bodied defenders in the trenches, that’s something a pro training staff can fix. Still, Newman needs to refine some of his technical skills. A year at the tackle spot curbed his ability to really focus on becoming a high-tier guard.
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