Hunter Nourzad NFL Draft Overview
Position: Center
School: Penn State
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 317 pounds
Arm: 32 1/8″
Hand: 10 3/4″
2024 NFL Draft Profile: Hunter Nourzad
Hunter Nourzad enters the 2024 NFL Draft with loads of experience at multiple positions during his collegiate career. His first two years of college were spent at Cornell, where he was the starting right tackle each season. Nourzad earned himself a second-team All-Ivy League selection as a freshman and a first-team nod as a sophomore. Prior to his junior season, Nourzad transferred to Penn State. There, he made the transition to left guard, where he earned an honorable mention All-Big Ten honor. Finally, as a senior, Nourzad moved to center where he started all 13 games for the Nittany Lions and was named second-team All-Big Ten.
Though he played all over the offensive line in college, Hunter Nourzad projects as a center in the NFL. His experience and athleticism will allow him to play guard in a pinch, too. Entering the NFL as a four-year college starter will serve Nourzad well if he is expected to start as a rookie. He is battle-tested from his time playing against some very good defensive line talent during is time at Penn State.
Strengths
- Good athlete who is very effective when pulling;
- Excels getting to the second level after handling his first assignment;
- Long arms will be beneficial when overmatched physically;
- Has good balance to maintain blocks;
- Changes direction well when sustaining one-on-one pass blocks;
- Battle-tested against quality opposition.
Weaknesses
- Lean frame could prove problematic when isolated with bigger, stronger defensive tackles;
- Choppy footwork sometimes prevents a true anchor;
- Struggled recognizing stunts against Ohio State, the best defensive line he played against;
- Will get ahead of himself reaching for blocks and get caught leaning forward;
- Dealing with an injury that prevented him from doing any pre-draft athletic testing.
NFL Comparison: Juice Scruggs
Teams With Need At Position: Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers
Projection: Round 4
Bottom Line on Hunter Nourzad
Nourzad enters the NFL with plenty of experience which has turned him into a smart player. He was asked to do a lot on Penn State’s offensive line and he handled the responsibility well. In the run game, he is very effective in an outside zone style of offense where he can get into space as a puller. Allowing Nourzad to set his initial block before getting downfield to the second level will set him up for success.
In the pass game, Nourzad isn’t quite as strong but he has still shown promise. He has the lateral quickness to keep up with smaller, faster NFL defensive tackles. Handling bull rushes from bigger and stronger nose tackles will likely be what gives Nourzad the most trouble early in his career. His long arms and quick sets will help mitigate some of that. But if doesn’t get anchored quickly, he will not have the strength to make up for it. Overall, Nourzad is experienced and talented enough to potentially be a day-one starter, even if he’ll have some growing pains along the way.
Main Image: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
