Dylan Parham NFL Draft Overview
Position: Guard
Height: 6′-3″
Weight: 285 pounds
School: Memphis
Dylan Parham 2022 NFL Draft Profile
After spending his entire college career at Memphis, offensive guard Dylan Parham is ready for the 2022 NFL Draft. The offensive lineman is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, playing 881 snaps without allowing a single sack and only surrendering two quarterback hits and eight hurries.
Parham has spent the entirety of his collegiate tenure bouncing along the offensive line. The former two-star recruit began his career at left guard, primarily playing that position in 2018 and 2019. He then switched positions in 2020, spending the entire season at right tackle before moving to right guard for his final year at the collegiate level.
Strengths
- Positional versatility – can play both guard spots and has experience at tackle;
- Impressive quickness – fast feet allow him to match speed rushers inside;
- Can recover when initially beat and keep his quarterback clean;
- Smart player that can diagnose stunts;
- Fundamentally sound – very polished prospect;
- Above-average athleticism for the position.
Weaknesses
- Very small for the position – “only” 6′-3″ and 285 pounds;
- Struggles against pure strength rushers;
- Short arms and wingspan allow defenders to engage first;
- Rarely overpowers defenders – typically just holds his ground;
- Faced underwhelming competition – unclear how he’ll fare against the best of the best.
NFL Comparison: Fred Matua
Teams With Need At Position: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: Rounds 3-4
Bottom Line on Dylan Parham
Dylan Parham has a realistic shot at turning into an adequate starter, but it’s hard to see him ever becoming anything more than that. The Memphis product will likely start his career as a backup, and he has the positional versatility to play multiple spots along the offensive line. He played well at both guard spots in college, and can be a “break glass in case of emergency” fill-in option at right tackle.
In terms of his actual on-field play, Parham is one of the quicker interior linemen you’ll see in this class, gifted with the footwork needed to match any defensive linemen in the east-west direction. Additionally, while he isn’t the biggest, he is fundamentally sound and already has a good grasp of the subtle nuances of the position.
Of course, Parham can watch all the film he wants, master his technique, but he’ll always be at a disadvantage with his current build. Parham simply lacks the size and strength to consistently hold up against bigger, stronger defensive linemen, and he’ll need to add a few pounds of muscle before he’s ready to be a regular starter. While he was able to hold his own in the collegiate ranks, he’ll be staring down a huge jump in level of competition.
The leap from college to NFL is hard for any player, but that will be especially true of Parham. Memphis didn’t exactly face the hardest slate of opponents, as Michigan State was the only Power-5 school Parham faced over the past two seasons. If NFL teams believe that he can get stronger, then he’ll probably be a 3rd round pick. If, however, they believe he’ll need a season or two to gain professional weight, then he’ll probably slip to the fourth.
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