Ryan Hayes NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Michigan IOL

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 298

HAND: 10"

ARM: 32 1/2"

WINGSPAN: 79"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.18

3-CONE: 7.39

SHUTTLE: 4.68

VERTICAL: 30"

BROAD: 8'7"

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POSITIVES

— Excels in the first phase of the run block, getting into initial position quickly with proper aiming points and landmarks.

— Stubborn finisher as a run-blocker with consistent foot fire and leg drive that make him difficult to shed cleanly once latched onto a defender.

— Shows solid athletic ability and range on the move to track down and intersect smaller targets.

— Understands positional leverage in relation to the play's intent, showing an ability to contort his body and wall off defenders to create cutback lanes.

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NEGATIVES

— Creates consistent short corners and plays with a soft inside shoulder when isolated in pass protection due to erratic strike timing, use of hands and marginal length.

— Robotic in his pass set and punch, which leaves him scrambling when he has to recover.

— Unreliable, shaky anchor with a big hop back against speed to power. Lacks the leverage and lower-half strength to keep the pocket intact.

— Protected by a run-heavy scheme built off of play-action passes out of heavy formations, limiting true dropback situations while providing extensive alignment help on pass downs.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 starts at left tackle

— Second-team All-Big Ten selection (Coaches)

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NOTES

— Former 4-star tackle recruit out of Traverse City West High School in Michigan, where he played tight end and defensive end while also starring in basketball and baseball

— Converted from tight end to offensive tackle during his redshirt season in 2018 and went on to have 30 career starts, all at left tackle

— Starter on back-to-back Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line units in 2021 and 2022

— Turned 23 on February 28

— Invited to the 2023 Senior Bowl

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OVERALL

Ryan Hayes was a two-year starter inside Michigan's heavy run/personnel, play-action based offense with a 62-38 run-pass split with all 30 career starts at left tackle, including 12 in 2022.

Hayes was a member of back-to-back Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line units. He has a tall, narrow build with solid athletic ability and abnormally short arms for his height.

Hayes wins as a serviceable run-blocker inside an OL-friendly scheme on combination blocks by getting into position quickly using snap timing with consistent landmarks and aiming points to win the first phase of the block. He understands the runner's path and play's intent, knowing when to overtake/release on combo blocks and is a stubborn finisher using outstanding effort through the whistle.

Hayes is a functional move blocker with the speed and proper angles to intersect smaller targets on screens, pulls and climbs. He plays tall and lacks the power to create movement on his own while struggling to establish first meaningful contact on solo angle-drive blocks when defenders can play him straight up.

Hayes is adequate on play-action and dropback passes with formation help. He can use his quickness to set aggressively on rushers, but he struggles on an island on true dropback passes at tackle. He lacks the length, use of hands and anchor to consistently win, which means he'll need to move inside in the NFL.

Overall, Hayes has enough quickness and know-how as a well-versed run-blocker to fight for a backup role in camp on the interior if he can learn to play with better leverage. However, his ineffectiveness as a pass-blocker with marginal strength and power signal an uphill climb to sustain a multiple-contract NFL career.

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GRADE: 5.5 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)

OVERALL RANK: 252

POSITION RANK: IOL29

PRO COMPARISON: Kyle Murphy

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn