Matt Hennessy NFL Draft 2020: Scouting Report for Atlanta Falcons' Pick

C Matt Hennessy, Temple

STRENGTHS

—Awarded single-digit practice jersey at Temple, an honor given to the toughest players on the team.

—Pass protection is a thing of beauty; smooth out of his stance, efficiently sets his kickstand, has good overall posture throughout hips and lower back and keeps his hands coiled inside his frame.

—Solid overall athleticism with the ability to reach shaded tackles and work laterally in zone schemes.

—Has great mobility in all critical joints in his lower half, which helps him to absorb pressure in pass protection and anchor against it. 

—Well-above-average balance in space and remains square throughout contact.

—Hands and feet work independently when needed; able to move swiftly through traffic. 

—Top-tier spatial awareness and body control allow him to maintain leverage angles to the boundary in the run game.

—Three-year starter with reassuring consistency and above-average competitive toughness on every rep.

—Saw multiple two-for-one specials on film where he is engaged, realizes it's been an effective block, and keeps working to clean up others; stays engaged throughout the entire play and looks to get his hands on anyone in the wrong jersey color.

WEAKNESSES

—Thin overall frame (6'4", 307 lbs); needs to add mass to his lower half and build a more rounded chest. —Will struggle if he walks right into a scheme asking him to base-block two-gapping nose tackles.

—Hangs on vertical combos too long and doesn't come off at the right angle; needs to improve his in-motion processing to track second-level defenders on the fly.

—Does not offer pure power that other interior players do; will struggle when asked to dig out squatty tackles who have length to get inside his frame before he can land his punch.

—Pad level gets away from him at times and he's too willing to play taller than he should because he's winning; NFL defenders will outleverage him with ease if he isn't consistent. 

OVERALL 

Hennessy is a remarkably efficient mover who doesn't take a play off and has the kind of tenacity teams want in a leader of the line. He has a fairly thin overall frame, and facing NFL-caliber beef up front might prove to be a tall task early in his career. However, Hennessy is all effort and has managed to win thus far despite his limited frame. If he's able to build functional strength throughout his core, there's no reason he can't develop into a high-level starter. He's a smooth pass protector and lives for lateral blocks in space. He personified tough and was recognized for it in college, which suggests he has the work ethic to build the body his new team wants.

GRADE: 84

PRO COMPARISON: Jason Kelce/J.C. Tretter