2023 NFL Draft: Ricky Stromberg Scouting Report

2023 NFL Draft: Ricky Stromberg Scouting Report

In his freshmen year at Arkansas, Ricky Stromberg made 11 starts and appeared in all 12 of the Razorbacks games during that 2019 season, primarily as a guard. Of note, during the 2019 season Stromberg played 417 snaps without allowing a single sack. In his second season (The 2020 Covid-19 shortened season) in Fayetteville, Stromberg appeared in nine of the Razorbacks 10 games, starting eight of the nine at the center position. In his third season in the Natural State in 2021, Stromberg started all 13 of Arkansas games, once again at center, that season. In his final season in Fayetteville, Stromberg started at center for all 13 of the Razorbacks, in 2022.

Strengths

Has the athleticism to get out and meet the backside rusher;

Gets the second level with precision;

Does not quit playing until the whistle blows;

Maintains head on a swivel to look for defenders to engage;

Diagnoses defenses at the line and communicates that information to his teammates.

Weaknesses

Has the propensity to get too tall; leads to opponents taking control of him;

Biomechanics can get sloppy, leading to defenders taking control of him;

Does not utilize the punch as a means of jarring opponent;

Does not maintain his center of gravity, leading to reaching and instability;

Not built like a prototypical NFL center.

Projection: Rounds 5-6

Bottom Line on Ricky Stromberg

Stromberg is a pick that a lot of teams should be interested in. He is an athletic and dynamic offensive lineman who gets to the second level with precision. He is aggressive and does not stop playing until a whistle blows, as evidenced by his “head on a swivel, looking for anyone to block” approach. He also has a high football IQ to read defenses at the line and effectively communicate that information to his teammates, which is a leadership quality a young team may be enticed by.

Stromberg, like other prospects, has room for improvement, however. He does get too tall and can get lackadaisical with his discipline related to his biomechanics, which allows defenders to take advantage. He will also have to learn how to use his punch at the NFL level, a skill he rarely utilized during his time at Arkansas. Additionally, teams could be apt to deem him not built like the usual NFL center, which for Stromberg is fine, because he has the versatility to move to over to guard. What will truly intrigue teams interested in converting Stromberg was the ability to play both guard positions in his freshmen season without allowing a sack on a total of 417 snaps. Stromberg likely would have been a second or third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft but decided to forego the final year of his NCAA eligibility, which will still make him a likely pick in either round five or six, of the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.