Thayer Munford NFL Draft Overview
Position: Guard
Height: 6′ 6″
Weight: 328 pounds
School: Ohio State
Thayer Munford 2020 NFL Draft Profile
For 3,141 snaps, Thayer Munford protected the last three Ohio State quarterbacks. From 2018 through the 2020 season, Munford played both tackle positions for the Buckeyes. In 2021, Ohio State kicked him inside to play guard, giving way to Nicholas Petit-Frere at left tackle. The recipient of the second-ever “Block O”, representative of leadership for Ohio State, Munford was a leader from the moment he stepped on the field in 2018.
In addition to his second-team All-B1g in 2019, Munford was first-team All-B1G in 2020 and 2021. The American Football Coaches Association named Munford an All-American at guard as well. Munford has only ever played at a high level for Ohio State. His massive size alone will be intriguing for NFL teams, let alone his athletic abilities. Even though he’s listed as a guard, it’s very possible that he is asked to play tackle at the NFL level. The last time he played tackle full time in 2021, he allowed a grand total of three pressures. At guard in 2021, he allowed a trio of sacks and 16 pressures. It’s safe to say that tackle is more of his natural position.
Strengths
- 3,141 snaps in college, four-year starter
- Able to respond to stunts, twists
- Culture-setter
- Solid power at the point of attack
- Adept at recovery when initially beaten
- Good coordination between feet and hands
- Can redirect edge rushers
- Length, length, length
- Positional versatility
Weaknesses
- Balance issues due to lumbering feet, super-wide base
- Leans at the point of attack, could be top-heavy
- Tendency to have high pad levels
- Struggles to develop momentum to drive blocks
- Footwork on pass sets led to ugly losses
- Occasional erratic first punches don’t land, causing defenders to get leverage
NFL Comparison: Chris Hubbard
Teams With Need At Position: Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears
Projection: 4th-5th round
Bottom Line on Thayer Munford
An NFL team is unlikely to ask Munford to start Day One. Munford has legitimate size, hands, refinement, and a laundry list of college accomplishments. As a guard, his worst game might have been against Michigan, his final as a guard. Despite that, saying it was his worst is not saying much as he did play very well. There were a few moments where Munford was beaten by Michigan’s athletic defenders, but he was often able to recover and finish the play. Sure, there were plays where he was steamrolled by Aiden Hutchinson. But, then again, who was not in that game?
Munford is adept at getting his hands on the rusher and dictating what will happen. His versatility will be a massive plus considering how often starters go down with injuries yearly. While he was a very solid left tackle, an NFL team with an established player at the position could slide Munford to the right tackle and he could develop into a promising starter. As a guard, Munford showed an ability, despite heavy feet and high pad level, to engage, overpower, and get to the next level in Ohio State’s zone scheme.
Within the right system, Munford looks to be a promising depth piece that could develop into a starter at the NFL level. His decent athleticism could translate to the next level and an NFL team would get a steal on day three. If Munford had declared following the 2020 season, his stock at tackle would have been a bit higher. He struggled at guard after flipping between the right and left the previous three years. After Petit-Frere opt-ed out of the Rose Bowl, Munford got to play left tackle for one final time.
If recency bias holds any water, Munford’s performance against Utah’s top-ten defense in terms of sacks will cause NFL teams to move him up their boards. For a unit that forced 42 sacks in 2021, Utah was not able to manage a single sack or pressure against Munford. He has the size to be a decent NFL player. If he can get some of his bad habits ironed out, Munford will be a serviceable, cheap option.
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