Luke Wypler NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Ohio State IOL

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 303

HAND: 9⅝"

ARM: 31⅝"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 5.14

3-CONE: 7.64

SHUTTLE: 4.53

VERTICAL: 30½"

BROAD: 8'10"

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POSITIVES

— Above-average burst and lateral quickness to create space off the snap in pass protection, redirect to mirror sub-package rushers and get to spots in front of defenders in the zone run game.

— Has an effective bait-and-switch technique using his off hand against head-up nose tackles to disrupt their timing before sinking his hands inside, latching and mirroring.

— Plays with solid pad level and leverage to be the low man on most engagements with a tight punch to get inside the frame of defenders.

— Efficiently works combination blocks to overtake the front-side defensive tackle and ricochet up to intersect backers when uncovered.

— Runs feet with the leg churn and effort to stay engaged through the whistle.

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NEGATIVES

— Noticeably small frame with middling arm length and square power.

— Vulnerable to getting picked and knocked off his level against spiking/slanting adjacent rushers.

— Needs a few yards to find his anchor against bigger, longer power rushers who can shrink the depth of the pocket in a hurry.

— Long-limbed backers are able to stack, create space and shed on second-level engagements.

— Will have trouble shielding and ripping through the nose tackle against odd fronts in time to intersect fast-flowing backers in the NFL.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 starts at center

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NOTES

— 2020 4-star recruit and second-ranked center in the nation, per 247 Sports' composite list, out of St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey

— 26 career starts at center

— Turns 22 years old May 3

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OVERALL

Luke Wypler was a two-year starter and had 26 starts at center inside Ohio State's zone-based run scheme. He is undersized with minimal girth, mediocre arm length and plus athletic ability.

The 21-year-old wins as a run-blocker with above-average athletic ability and quickness to reach shades and 2i-techniques. He also overtakes defensive linemen as far out as the 3-technique on combo blocks with the burst and balance to climb, connect and seal off linebackers when uncovered.

Wypler plays with solid pad level, leverage and a tight punch with enough upper-body strength and leg drive to finish defenders reaching into rush lanes. He will struggle to generate jolt and vertical displacement on base blocks due to below-average square power, which, coupled with mediocre length, leads to getting stacked, pressed off and shed when squared up by stout interior run defenders and long-limbed backers.

Wypler will have trouble shielding and ripping through the nose tackle against odd fronts in time to intersect fast-flowing backers.

In pass protection, he does a nice job of utilizing independent hands and a bait technique to disrupt the timing of head-up or shaded nose tackles before shooting tight, firm strikes to gain quick access to their frame.

His best asset is lateral quickness with good patience to mirror sub-package rushers and cut off blitzers across his face. Wypler's lack of girth and length lead to a shaky, late anchor when isolated against the bull rush that will require guard help to mitigate as a pro.

Overall, he is a center-only prospect who would have benefited from staying in school another season to gain additional experience and play strength, but he has plus athletic ability with a good understanding of leverage that should allow him to compete for a starting job at the pivot inside a zone-heavy scheme within his first or second season.

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GRADE: 6.6 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 126

POSITION RANK: IOL12

PRO COMPARISON: Garrett Bradbury

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn