2024 NFL Draft: Tanor Bortolini Scouting Report

Tanor Bortolini is an athletic prospect with versatility to play any of the interior offensive line positions. During his time at Wisconsin, he played at every position on the line except left tackle. As a sophomore, he appeared in nine games, mostly at right tackle with some snaps at each guard spot mixed in. In his 2022 junior campaign, Bortolini was predominantly a left guard, but he played some center and right guard, too. His play as a junior earned him an honorable mention All-Big Ten honor. Finally, in 2023, Bortolini transitioned to the Badgers full-time center, starting 12 games there and not playing anywhere else on the offensive line. He was named third-team All-Big Ten.

Strengths

Positional versatility, with the experience and ability to play center or either guard spot;

Performed well in athletic testing drills;

Plays with strong hands, helping make up for having shorter arms and not having elite strength;

Keeps busy in pass protection, looks for work when he doesn’t have a one-on-one assignment;

Low pad level allows him to stay anchored when overmatched physically.

Weaknesses

Shorter arms could give him trouble against longer matchups;

Strength is a concern, could get overwhelmed by size and physicality of NFL defensive tackles;

Tested well, but the athleticism doesn’t always show up on tape;

Might struggle in one-on-one matchups in a man-blocking scheme;

Has struggled when isolated in pass protection;

Inconsistent snaps that throw off timing.

NFL Comparison: Cameron Jurgens

Projection: Early Day 3

Bottom Line on Tanor Bortolini

What Tanor Bortolini lacks in size and strength, he makes up for with athletic potential and good technique. The athleticism he showcased at the NFL Combine just needs to show up more in games. He packs a strong punch which helps compensate for his lack of length. But due to his size, his margin for error is very small. In college, he was able to get away with relying on technique and intelligence. However, the NFL could be a different story. He will get overwhelmed at times.

Still, Bortolini is a promising prospect. His positional versatility will score him points with NFL front offices. He has a strong athletic and technical base which will serve him well when he adds more size and strength. While he won’t be ready to start right away, Bortolini will be a good depth piece as a rookie. If a team needs him to start, he will be serviceable, but he will have some growing pains. In a situation where Bortolini needs to start right away, he will hold his own as long as his team schemes him some help so he is not overmatched by bigger, stronger opposition. Being drafted by a team that uses a zone run-blocking scheme would help set Bortolini up for success, too.

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