Braeden Daniels NFL Draft Overview
Position: Guard
Height: 6′-4″
Weight: 294 pounds
School: Utah
2023 NFL Draft: Braeden Daniels Scouting Report
In his first season in Salt Lake City, in 2018, Braeden Daniels appeared in two games for the Utes. During the 2019 season, Daniels saw a significant increase in his playing time, starting all 14 games at left guard. During the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season, Utah had only five games, of which Daniels played in all five but only made one start. Daniels reclaimed a spot in the lineup in 2021, starting at left guard three times, and at right tackle for a total of 11 games. In his final season in 2022, Daniels started all 14 games at left tackle for the Utes.
Strengths
- Explosive athlete who has dynamic movability;
- A consistent puncher from the snap to the whistle;
- Does not give up on the play even when beat; purses his man to prevent them from getting to the quarterback/ball carrier;
- High Football IQ and instincts especially in pass protection;
- Consistently cleans out his down-blocking assignment.
Weaknesses
- Biomechanics, especially footwork getting into his block, will need to improve;
- He is of below-average weight for an NFL offensive lineman (Only 294 pounds);
- Smaller hands hinder his ability to keep them on his opponents’ numbers;
- Needs to work on persistence in fighting the defender, upfront, on a more consistent basis, after the snap;
- Often reaches during run blocking, instead of maintaining a balanced base of support.
NFL Comparison: Aaron Brewer
Teams With Need At Position: Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders
Projection: Rounds 6-7
Bottom Line on Braeden Daniels
One of the glaring things that stands out about Daniels is his size. He is not anywhere near the 300-pound-plus, NFL average for offensive linemen, which will make teams leery about his potential for success at the NFL level. Additionally, teams will be cognizant of Daniels’ smaller hands and question his determination and persistence to continue to fight his defender.
In addition to an NFL strength and conditioning team adding more lean mass to Daniels’ frame, they will also need to work on strengthening his lower body and core musculature, which will also help to improve his balance. Assuming a team is confident their respective strength and conditioning team can improve Daniels’ size, lower and core body strength, and balance, then he will likely be either a sixth or seventh-round pick.
What teams will like about Daniels is his versatility as he could play four and potentially five, positions on the offensive line. What will also appeal to teams is Daniels explosive step from his stance to get to his blocking assignment, and his ability to clear out his opponent on the down block. Teams will see a player who, should he get beaten by his opponent, will continue to pursue that opponent and work to push his opponent past the quarterback in the pocket, or the ball carrier in the backfield. Of course, the opportunities to have to perform the aforementioned scenario should also be low, as the strongest component of Daniels’ game is his high football IQ, especially as it pertains to his instinctual ability as an effective pass-blocker.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
