Ted Karras NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Patriots Rookie

POSITIVES

A four-year starter at Illinois, Ted Karras comes from a famous football family; his uncle, Alex, was a Pro Bowl guard in the pros. A tough, seasoned right guard, Karras has the stuff to make it in the NFL.

Karras is country strong and has the thick, tough frame and wide base of a guard. He has enough power in his hands to hammer home a punch in pass protection but also shows a nimble, easy short-slide to hop into a gap and stop rushers. His body control on the move is better than you expect given his overall athleticism.

The best aspect of Karras’ game is his strength. He’s able to control defenders at the point of attack with his hands, and once locked onto a player, he can take him for a walk. Like a bouncer throwing someone out of a club, once Karras has his hands on you it’s game over.

NEGATIVES

Limited athleticism is the biggest negative for Karras. His explosive movements are limited, and he doesn’t show fire coming out of his stance. He’s stiff overall and will struggle to reach linebackers at the second level.

Karras has the frame of a short, squatty blocker, but he plays with unusually poor pad height. He’s rarely the low man and doesn’t sink with fluid hips into his blocks. Because of that, Karras can get walked back by a good bull rush and struggle when asked to carry a block laterally.

A torn MCL and ACL in 2014 will need to be checked before draft day. Karras doesn’t offer much athletically, but he is technically savvy and will give a team great effort on every down.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 307 lbs.

40 Time: 5.35s

Arm Length: 32 ⅛"

3-Cone: 8.30s

Short Shuttle: 4.83s

PRO COMPARISON: Ronald Leary, Dallas Cowboys
FINAL GRADE: 5.60/9.00 (Round 5—Backup Caliber)