Charlie Heck NFL Draft 2020: Scouting Report for Houston Texans' Pick

OT Charlie Heck, North Carolina

STRENGTHS

— High-level football family with a brother who was a four-year starter at UNC. His father, Andy, is the current offensive line coach for Kansas City Chiefs.

— Natural length throughout his frame that, when used with good body positioning, immediately improves his overall ability to create and maintain space in pass protection.

— Good overall athleticism given his length and has the ability to track second-level targets in space.

— Eye discipline and mental processing is well-trained and sound. It allows him to identify threats, pass games, and stab interior rushers while setting.

— Technically proficient and will enter the NFL with high-quality background understanding of nuances of the position.

WEAKNESSES

— 6'8" frame and not enough overall girth to offset the obvious leverage concerns from a lanky and thin frame given NFL offensive line demands.

— Slow hands in every aspect that force you to scream at the screen. There's a difference between "patient" and "late." When his strike-timing is on, the overall length in his arms slows his punch down and it takes too long to land.

— Play strength is limited and needs to improve to help offset leverage concerns. He has to be able to engage his chest and lower back into drive-blocks with interior torque, and right now, he isn't strong enough.

— Doesn't handle counters well and inside hand pressure isn't strong enough to stab and stick twists that cross his face. 

OVERALL

Heck is clearly a coach's son. He's fundamentally sound, bright and looks comfortable on a football field. His overall length is both an advantage and a disadvantage. He has the length to naturally set and create space, but leverage issues in gap schemes as a run blocker will be apparent. He fits best as a tackle in an outside scheme that allows him to run in space and won't expect him to dig out defenders at the line of scrimmage too often.

GRADE: 62

PRO COMPARISON: Alejandro Villanueva/Le'Raven Clark