Christopher Hinton NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Michigan DL

HEIGHT: 6'3 5/8"

WEIGHT: 305

HAND: 10 1/2"

ARM: 32 3/8"

WINGSPAN: 6'6 1/8"

40-YARD DASH: 5.28

3-CONE: DNP

SHUTTLE: DNP

VERTICAL: 31.5"

BROAD: 8'10"

POSITIVES

— Plays with good leverage despite being on the tall side.

— Quick, strong hands as a run defender. Gets his hands inside first.

— Above-average upper-body strength. Can rip and control blocks after being engaged.

— Quick to shed and help make tackles. Has enough range when coming off blocks to make an impact.

— Above-average balance. Finds ways to stay on his feet even if he gets moved a little.

NEGATIVES

— Poor explosiveness. Lags off the snap.

— Prone to stopping his feet and lunging at blockers.

— Poor job seeing in and anchoring versus combos and double-teams. Constantly knocked out of his gap.

— Below-average leg drive, both as a pass-rusher and run defender.

— Poor pass-rushing value. Lacks explosiveness as well as reliable pass-rushing moves.

2021 STATISTICS

32 TOT, 1 TFL, 1 SK, 2 FR

NOTES

— 5-star recruit in 2019.

— Two-year starter.

— 2021 All-Big Ten honorable mention.

OVERALL

Christopher Hinton is a fundamentally-sound defensive tackle who may not have the athletic traits to become an impact player in the pros.

At 6'4" and 310 pounds, Hinton was primarily a B-gap player, but he moonlighted a bit at both 1-technique and 5-technique in certain formations. His NFL usage should be about the same, perhaps with a few more reps as a 1-technique.

Hinton wins with good fundamentals and technique. Despite a taller frame, Hinton comes off the ball with good leverage and does a great job maintaining that leverage throughout the play. He also plays with a strong, consistent strike in the run game. Hinton regularly gets the first punch and maintains control of blocks effectively from there thanks to his impressive strength. Likewise, Hinton can shed blockers off of him when he needs to and help make tackles in the hole.

That being said, Hinton is an uninspiring athlete. He is sluggish off the ball more often than not and struggles to make blockers uncomfortable with his movement skills. Hinton's anchor also runs hot and cold, in part because he tends to be late seeing in double teams and does not have overwhelming strength in his lower body to absorb contact. Slow feet can be a problem for Hinton, too, leading to him lunging forward with his base lagging behind him. As a pass-rusher, Hinton shows some of the necessary hand-fighting to free himself, but he does not have a clear athletic trait to rely on to finish the job.

Hinton will fit in as a good backup or rotational run defender at both 1-technique and 3-technique. His strength, hand usage and quality leverage can make him a viable run defender right out of the gate, even if his pass-rushing and ability to break into the backfield are limited because of his athleticism.

GRADE: 6.1 (High-level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 212

POSITION RANK: DL21

PRO COMPARISON: Davon Godchaux

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen