Alex Forsyth NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Oregon IOL

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 303

HAND: 10¼"

ARM: 32¾"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: TBD

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 20.5"

BROAD: 7'11"

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POSITIVES

— Skilled hand-fighter with very good hand placement, strike timing and dexterity to establish quick control, reset and re-leverage to sustain blocks.

— Keeps elbows and hands tight with an upward strike on defenders to create lift.

— Solid initial quickness out of his stance to create space off the line of scrimmage while staying square in his pass sets.

— Good processing ability to sort out games, stunts and blitzes while being alert and active when uncovered to deliver body blows on adjacent rushers.

— Adept on back blocks to cover up shades and 3-techniques.

— Shows good timing and feel on combo blocks to stay thick or light, depending on opponent playing style, with timely releases up to the second level.

— Scrappy, aggressive playing style with consistent effort to finish throughout games.

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NEGATIVES

— Not powerful at the point of attack with mediocre sand, girth and brute strength.

— Will give up one to two yards of ground against powerful, stout interior defensive linemen before gradually finding his anchor.

— Vulnerable to getting picked and losing levels against spiking interior rushers.

— Not a very effective blocker at the second level or on screens; lets fast-flow targets slip and evade his grasp too easily.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 starts at center

— Second-team AP All-Pac-12 selection

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NOTES

— 2017 3-star offensive tackle recruit out of West Linn High School in Oregon, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

— 28 career starts, all at center, with appearances at both guard spots and right tackle during his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons.

— One of three 2022 finalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which recognizes exemplary leadership both on and off the field.

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OVERALL

Alex Forsyth is a three-year starter inside Oregon's multiple run game. He made 28 starts at center and spent time as a reserve at both guard spots and right tackle. He's a renowned teammate and leader inside the locker room with excellent football character. Physically, he has a lean, narrow build with solid movement skills and middling raw power.

Forsyth wins with efficiency in his footwork and use of hands as a run- and pass-blocker. In the run game, he gets into his fits with sound hat and hand placement on combination and back blocks to create quick leverage on defenders.

He will give up initial ground against bigger, stout run defenders but is adept at dropping his hips and creating lift with his hands and force through the insteps of his feet to strain, create adequate displacement and stay attached.

Forsyth understands how to adapt his positioning on combo blocks depending on the scheme and opponent to cover up the first level with clear eyes to track and release on time to the second level. Once on the move, he struggles to secure fast-flowing, smaller targets and is best operating in more condensed areas as a puller kicking out or logging the end man on the line of scrimmage.

The Oregon product pops out of his stance on time with solid quickness to create space off the line of scrimmage, and he shows impressive discipline with keeping his hips square in his pass sets prior to engagement. He is a highly skilled hand-fighter with tight, quick strikes that are more like grabs to gain control.

Forsyth stays light on his hands with good posture to keep his head out of blocks, allowing him to reset and re-leverage to maintain control and mirror. He quickly sorts out blitzes, line games and stunts while providing thump when uncovered and looking for work on adjacent rushers. He also provides a good presence by using his back-side drag hand on slides and keeping active eyes on possible secondary threats.

Overall, Forsyth has mediocre physical traits that cap his ceiling, but he makes up for it with efficient movements, refined hand-fighting skills and snap decision-making that allow him to gain leverage and positioning on bigger, more powerful opponents.

He also brings outstanding leadership qualities and competitive toughness that give him a shot at earning a swing interior backup role with a chance to start games at the pivot within his first contract.

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GRADE: 6.4 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 148

POSITION RANK: IOL14

PRO COMPARISON: Shawn Lauvao

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn