Netane Muti NFL Draft 2020: Scouting Report for Denver Broncos' Pick

OG7 Netane Muti, Fresno State

STRENGTHS

—Big-time play strength that was confirmed at the combine when he put up 44 reps on the bench press. 

—Has an ideal guard build at 6'3" and 315 lbs and a rolling chest.

—Looks like Joe Frazier as a puncher and will blast defenders; he can effectively end rush plans with one strike and will not hesitate to put it on defenders early. 

—Gets off the ball in the run game with an attitude; looks like the kind of player who craves punishing collisions every snap.

—Looks for highlight-reel plays on every snap and lives for finishes; the kind of player who forces defensive linemen to start tapping out.

—Defensive tackle recruit who transitioned to the offensive line and played both tackle and guard for Fresno State; offers intriguing developmental traits as an interior lineman. 

—Patient and doesn't overreact or panic when dealing with pressure; able to naturally anchor and sit into his hips with enough power up top to be effective in a collapsing pocket.

Netane Muti Highlights

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WEAKNESSES

—Did not play in 2016 due to an Achilles injury, suffered season-ending ruptured Achilles in 2018 after two games and played only three games in 2019 because of a Lisfranc injury.

—Underwhelming lateral quickness to mirror speed counters; susceptible to inside moves if he doesn't land flush early.

—Desire to land haymakers and work for finishes borders on out of control and will lead to penalties, as he is in such a hurry to get his hands on defenders and control them. 

—Knee flares hard in pass protection too often, which will create soft edge and biomechanical issues that will lead to losses in protection; puts too much pressure on his hips and doesn't have the recovery athleticism to open up and compensate if he's beat.

OVERALL 

When healthy, Muti would be a top-five interior prospect in this class. However, he played only five games in the last two seasons and has only one season as a wire-to-wire starter. There's a reason that the saying "the best ability is availability" exists. Since teams couldn't have independent medical checks and in-facility meetings with prospects, it's no surprise to see Muti slip. His raw traits are apparent, and there's a chance he ends up as the best interior prospect in this class, but that's only if each season-ending injury was a fluke and won't continue in the NFL. With jobs on the line, that's a hard bet to make.

GRADE: 69

PRO COMPARISON: Mike Iupati/Xavier Su'a-Filo