Texas A&M OT Germain Ifedi's Upside Makes Him Worthy of 1st-Round Investment
The 2016 NFL draft will once again prove there is no exact science for predicting what will happen or the how the results will play out over the next few years. With 253 total players selected, some are bound to provide an instant impact. Others may take 2016 as a developmental season or even need multiple years to hit their strides.
Players with upside such as Texas A&M Aggies offensive tackle Germain Ifedi weren’t able to fully grasp the nuance of their positions in college. The term "upside" has become a buzzword in evaluation, but it doesn’t always apply. Prospects blessed with great athleticism who have not maximized their entire physical skill sets and have played at a high level in spite of technical shortcomings should be the only ones labeled like this.
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Ifedi’s a special case because of his pedigree and the Aggies’ recent history. There has been a Texas A&M offensive tackle drafted in the first round in each of the last three drafts. The latest of the trio, Cedric Ogbuehi, was the Cincinnati Bengals’ first-round pick in 2015 despite having a torn ACL and essentially being a redshirt in his rookie season.
Ogbuehi going in the first was a good indicator that Ifedi should as well, even if they’re different players stylistically.
In the last six draft classes, a total of 39 offensive linemen have been selected in Round 1. The NFL is desperate for quality blocking, and it pushes developmental players up the board for the possible long-term payoff. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as the staff has patience for the individual to improve over time.
Looking at Ifedi, he was a 4-star guard prospect in the class of 2012, per 247Sports. With Johnny Manziel at quarterback and bookend tackles Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews, Ifedi played right guard before kicking out to tackle as a sophomore in 2014. He then spent two years at right tackle instead of moving over to fill in for Ogbuehi at left tackle.
People shouldn't view this as a negative, as the right tackle position is still valuable in the NFL. Right tackle is not just for road-graders like the old-school NFL. Poor pass protectors at the position will face edge-rushers like Von Miller, Cameron Wake and Jerry Hughes, so there’s no hiding them at the next level.
Everything from Ifedi’s 6’6”, 324-pound frame and 36-inch arms draws excitement as an evaluator. But it’s not just his frame that oozes potential; it’s how he moves. Below is an example of how easily he can cut off an edge-rusher’s speed using his own quickness and length.
Football comes easily to Ifedi when just looking at movement ability and how much he stands out in this regard. He kick-slides with ease and also hits the second level of the defense on run plays for someone with a high body density. This is commonly referred to as “planet theory.” There aren’t many humans who are that size with that kind of strength and explosiveness. The NFL commonly gravitates toward these individuals in the draft.
As far as effectiveness, there are certainly times when Ifedi shows why he’s an upside prospect and probably needs to redshirt his first season. He was able to get the job done well enough in his two seasons at tackle, but it was far from pretty. In six games I charted, he allowed 11 quarterback hurries in 275 passing attempts.
How Ifedi loses is directly related to inconsistent hand placement and footwork. His ability to win in a variety of ways is a great trump card, but he doesn’t yet know it nor consistently executes it. Below is Alabama’s Tim Williams using speed to get Ifedi to the edge of the pocket, then spinning inside to take advantage of Ifedi’s poor footwork.
Had Ifedi properly stayed balanced and used his length to engage Williams, he could have controlled the countermove or even shut it down before the attempt. These are nuances that a coaching staff and veteran offensive line can help teach Ifedi. His potential will be unlocked when he can mirror rushers like the play below consistently.
When Ifedi wins early in the snap and squares his lower body with his shoulders, he is hard to beat. Defenses tried to isolate him in space to give their rushers options to get around him, but Ifedi responded well to these opportunities.
According to Pro Football Focus, he had a pass-blocking efficiency of 96.2 percent. This ranked just 76th in the country, which is obviously lower than what his skill set would indicate where he should be. The 21-year-old has incredible peaks to his game, and those moments indicate first-round talent. It’s the valleys that’ll be challenging for him and a team’s coaching staff to overcome.
This dichotomy from where Ifedi is to where he can be as a lockdown pass-blocker will require the right blend of situation and hard work to be successful. His tendency to lean into defenders and mistime punches are death knells at the next level, and soothing out these issues won’t be done in one training camp.
Ifedi’s youth is another positive. He’s spent just two seasons at right tackle, and although there’s considerable work to be done, the possible payoff is huge. There aren’t many right tackles capable of performing with the fluidity of a finesse left tackle.
If he struggles or even fails to show growth at tackle, he has enough experience and good tape at right guard to believe he can make that transition. He doesn’t explode off the line as a run-blocker, but that was in part to the Aggies’ offensive scheme. Their run-pass combination plays limit what happens post-snap for linemen.
Above is the most common responsibility for Ifedi on run plays. Simply create an outside angle to entice the edge player to attack, then wall off the interior angle for the ball-carrier to attack. The promising part of this play is that Ifedi keeps his target engaged until the back is to the second level and does not allow him to chase down the back from behind.
Certain teams will have no interest in taking the time to craft a potential star like Ifedi. He wasn’t as dominant as the hype may have suggested, but he’s a solid player in his own right. With the proper support and coaching, he is well worth a first-round investment.
The Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs appear to be perfect landing spots for Ifedi in the late 20s of the 2016 draft. Seattle needs more immediate help, but it has shown a willingness to endure growing pains with its young linemen. The Chiefs could take Ifedi and start him at guard after losing Jeff Allen this offseason.
All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com.
Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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