Bradie Ewing: 5 Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses of 2012 NFL Draft Prospect

Fullback is a dying breed in the NFL, as it's largely been replaced by the H-back which serves as a hybrid fullback-tight end in the backfield. Because of this, the value of the fullback position has decreased significantly and prospects are falling in the draft. 

However, despite the majority of teams going to one-back sets, there are still some that utilize two fullbacks, which gives prospects like Bradie Ewing a chance in the NFL. 

Ewing was the lead blocker at Wisconsin for running back Montee Ball this past season, and he was very effective at his job. He created significant alleys that propelled Ball into the second and third levels of the defense, and he will look to do the same in the NFL. 

Strength: Scheme

Because of the philosophical direction of the spread offense which college football offenses have gone to, traditional schemes are hard to come by and it's even harder to come by a fullback in a traditional scheme. However, that was the case with Ewing when he was at Wisconsin.

Ewing comes out of a scheme that utilizes several types of blocking concepts, ranging from gap to man and pulling, which comes as an advantage for Ewing in transitioning to the next level. 

Weakness: Straight-Line Athlete

One of the deficiencies in Ewing's game is his lack of great agility. He's a straight-line athlete that does not open his hips up and runs well, which can be visible when he's running routes in space. 

Because of this issue, he's an old-school type of fullback that is primarily going to be a lead blocker at the next level. He's also likely to be most effective when asked to execute kick-out blocks, which requires him to turn the end man on the line of scrimmage toward the sideline and away from the play.

This type of blocking is commonly seen from fullbacks in the zone-blocking scheme that's prevalent today. An example is Vonta Leach of the Baltimore Ravens.

Strength: Flexibility

Although he's stiff in the hips, which doesn't allow him to open his hips cleanly, Ewing is an effective lead blocker because of the flexibility that he possesses.

Flexibility can be explained as the ability to preferably bend in the knees rather than the hips, and it's why Ewing was a good lead blocker at Wisconsin. He does a good job of bending at his knees, which makes him lower to the ground by dropping his pad level. 

When this is done, it gives Ewing a leverage advantage over his opposition, thus he's able to control the defender and drive him where he wishes.

Weakness: One Dimensional

Although Ewing caught over 20 passes last season at Wisconsin, he's still relatively a one-dimensional athlete that's going to be limited to blocking. 

In Wisconsin's scheme, Ewing often served as an outlet receiver for quarterback Russell Wilson and managed to catch some passes, but he does not offer a whole lot as a pass catcher because of his athletic limitations, such as lack of speed and athleticism. 

Strength: Power

The final characteristic of Ewing's game I want to touch on is his power. 

Ewing's power is visible when engaging with defenders as he displays strong hands and good "pop," as coaches like to say, which is very important for a blocker.

The reason this is important is because blockers have to be able to move the line of scrimmage when administering a block in effort to create space and running lanes for the ball carrier. 

Ewing is able to move players when he engages with them and sink his hips to drive them further back. It's a big reason why he's arguably the best fullback in the draft.