Luke Kandra NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Cincinnati IOL

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 319

HAND: 10"

ARM: 31⅞"

WINGSPAN: 79¾"

40-YARD DASH: 5.17

3-CONE: 8.33

SHUTTLE: 4.78

VERTICAL: 32.5

BROAD: 9'5"

POSITIVES

— Stout, broad build with good play strength.

— Plays long in the run game to establish first meaningful contact with heavy hands to uproot defenders on double-teams and angle-drive blocks.

— Churns feet and strains to cover up and finish defenders who reach into rush lanes.

— Adjusts well against gap exchanges and slants to pinch off penetration and timely release to the second level off combination blocks.

— Establishes a quick latch on tightly aligned rushers and on jump sets with a sturdy anchor to stymie the bull rush.

— Provides thump and power to clear the pocket when uncovered looking for work.

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NEGATIVES

— Stiff, labored redirect ability leaves him stuck and stranded against moves across his face.

— Middling burst and range on the move to intersect quick-trigger 'backers.

— Marginal recovery skills result in razor-thin margin for error with positioning and technique when isolated in pass protection.

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NOTES

— Born Aug. 8, 2001

— 3-star recruit from the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Originally committed to Louisville, where he started two games over as many seasons before transferring to Cincinnati in 2023

— Team captain

— 26 career starts at right guard

— Married with his MBA

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OVERALL

Luke Kandra is a two-year starter at right guard inside Cincinnati's balanced (52-48 run-pass split), zone-based run scheme. He has a stout, broad build with below-average arm length but an above-average wingspan, good play strength and marginal athletic ability.

Kandra is a heavy-handed, sturdy run-blocker who plays long to establish first meaningful contact, delivering jolt at the point of attack with good leg drive to generate displacement. He shows a good feel for navigating combination blocks, knowing when to overtake, stay and release based on the defense's response and play's intent. While Kandra shows good timing and feel, he has middling burst and range on the move to intersect quick-trigger 'backers, leaving him susceptible to whiffing and losing clean across his face when on the move.

In pass protection, Kandra shows good upper-body strength with a stiff punch to excel on jump sets when he can eliminate the runway and close space on rushers. Kandra provides a firm, imposing presence when uncovered and looking for work to clear the pocket with power. He struggles when isolated against wider rush alignments that force him to expand and operate in space due to a stiff lower half and labored redirect skills against countermoves.

Overall, Kandra has a sturdy build, good play strength and heavy hands to create displacement as a run-blocker and clear pockets when uncovered as a pass protector. However, his marginal athletic ability dramatically reduces his effectiveness on the move and when isolated in pass protection, which suggests he'll wind up as a backup guard inside a run-first, play-action heavy system.

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GRADE: 5.9 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 236

POSITION RANK: IOL25

PRO COMPARISON: Justin McCray

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn