Juice Scruggs NFL Draft Overview
Position: Center
Height: 6′-3″
Weight: 301 pounds
School: Penn State
2023 NFL Draft: Juice Scruggs Scouting Report
After spending the past five seasons at Penn State, interior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs is ready to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. Unofficially winning the award for the best name in the class, Scruggs finished his collegiate career on a high note. Seeing the field for 886 snaps, the interior lineman allowed just one sack, three hits, and 10 hurries throughout the 2022 campaign.
Juice Scruggs originally entered the college football world in 2018, but it took him a while to see the field. The Ohio native didn’t play with any regularity until 2020, and even then he only played as a backup. However, in 2021, he finally earned a starting job and began to make a name for himself. Appearing in 926 snaps, Scruggs allowed two sacks, four hits, and 16 hurries while on the field.
Strengths
- Muscular build that should hold up to NFL strength;
- Pushes defenders around to open holes in the run game;
- 29 reps on the bench press despite 38th-percentile weight – this guy is a tank;
- Engages defenders before they engage him with 75th-percentile arm length;
- Should be able to slide over to guard in an emergency;
- Holds his ground against bull rushes in pass protection.
Weaknesses
- Not quick on his feet – can lose to agile rushers;
- Slow to go from snapping to blocking;
- Concerning that he needed four years to win a starting job;
- Struggles to recover when initially beat;
- Everything he does needs to be done faster.
NFL Comparison: Tyler Biadasz
Teams With Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants
Projection: Round 4-5
Bottom Line on Juice Scruggs
Juice Scruggs might have the best name in the class, but his play isn’t quite as satisfying. While he should bounce around the NFL for a bit, it’s hard to see him ever turning into anything more than a replacement-level starter. On the bright side, adjusting to the strength of opposing NFL players is one of the hardest adjustments for offensive line prospects to make, but that shouldn’t be an issue for Scruggs. The man is an absolute tank, and even though he is smaller than your average center, he easily makes up for it in muscle. Nobody is going to push him around, and that alone will ensure he gets a shot in the NFL. On top of that, if you’re not able to start, you need to be able to move around, and Scruggs’ build suggests he should be able to succeed at both guard and center should the need arise.
Of course, it takes more than muscle to make it in the NFL. Scruggs is not great on his feet, as he struggles to match quickness and can lose right off the snap. This isn’t the biggest deal for a center, as there aren’t too many quick defensive tackles in the league, but it’s still something to note. On top of that, his hands are a bit slow in pass protection, and the fact that he needed four years to even get a starting job is a concern. Good players find a way to get on the field, and the fact that Juice Scruggs couldn’t do that until he was well into his 20’s is a point of concern.
Ultimately, some NFL team will draft Juice Scruggs and give him a chance to compete top be a top backup at both guard and center. Perhaps he can surprise and steal a starting job, but he’ll likely be nothing more than a career backup.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
