McClendon Curtis NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Chattanooga IOL

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 324

HAND: 10 1/4"

ARM: 35"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 5.24

3-CONE: 7.7

SHUTTLE: 4.97

VERTICAL: 26.5"

BROAD: 8'9"

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POSITIVES

— Massive frame, excellent length and well-rounded dispersion of weight throughout his build.

— Violent, physical demeanor.

— Uses his girth, length and leg drive to turn out and wall off defenders on base/drive blocks.

— Uncorks with thump and force on defenders when looking for work.

— Naturally is a difficult obstacle to work around in pass protection due to his size.

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NEGATIVES

— Upright, rigid playing style with marginal mobility in his ankles, knees and hips.

— Plays with poor leverage due to high pad level and inconsistent hand placement.

— Struggles to stay attached to the defender on shed attempts.

— Middling movement skills lead to stepping under himself to redirect with minimal change-of-direction ability.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 11 starts with seven at LT and four at RG

— Team captain

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NOTES

— 2-star tackle recruit out of Central High School in Harrison, Tennessee, who also lettered in basketball

— 38 career starts: 30 at RG, seven at LT and one at LG

— Honor student throughout his time at Chattanooga

— Turns 24 years old on September 16

— Invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl

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OVERALL

McClendon Curtis is a four-year starter inside Chattanooga's zone-heavy run scheme with approximately a 55-45 run-pass split. Curtis has a massive frame with excellent arm length and an impressive, well-rounded build. He shows marginal movement skills with an upright, rigid playing style and a stiff lower half.

Curtis wins as a run-blocker using his big body to turn, wall off and pin defensive tackles on base/drive blocks. He plays with a violent, physical demeanor that leads to knockback power when he connects, and he provides thump on adjacent rushers when uncovered in pass protection.

Curtis struggled to sustain blocks against top competition on film (Kentucky in 2021 and Illinois in 2022) due to his high pad level, inconsistent hand placement and an overreliance on trying to outmuscle opponents despite being out-leveraged. Curtis is hit-or-miss with his aiming points on double-teams, routinely allowing penetration and leakage, and his feet get stuck when attempting to redirect and change directions laterally, sapping his recovery ability.

Overall, Curtis is a guard-only prospect for a downhill run scheme, with a large frame, plus length, a violent, physical demeanor and some pop in his hands when he connects on target. His upright playing style and lower-half stiffness are hinderances that will make it difficult to stick in the NFL, but his smarts, size and demeanor make him a worthwhile dart throw at the tail end of the draft or as a priority free agent with backup potential.

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GRADE: 5.5 (Backup/draftable)

OVERALL RANK: 254

POSITION RANK: IOL30

PRO COMPARISON: Marcus McKethan

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn