Draft Profiles: OT prospects the Commanders could trade up for
Breaking down a few offensive tackle prospects that could entice the Commanders to trade back up into the first round to fill the need at left tackle
Last week I broke down Washington Huskies left tackle prospect Troy Fautanu as a potential target for the Washington Commanders should they look to trade back up into the first round to fill their need at left tackle. Today, I thought I’d take a look at two more potential trade up candidates that the Commanders could target in Alabama tackle JC Latham and Penn State tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu. Like Fautanu, both of these players could be drafted before the Commanders have a realistic chance to trade up for them but they both also have some questions that, in a strong offensive line class, could help them fall into the right range for Washington.
JC Latham
Let’s start with the Alabama prospect JC Latham. The first thing that stands out with Latham is his frame. He’s a monstrous human being, standing at 6-foot-6, 341 pounds with 35-inch arms. Plenty of offensive lineman with that type of frame don’t actually make the most of it. You expect that type of frame to lead to an absolute mauler in the run game, but often those big bodies tend to assume their frame will do the work for them and fail to back it up with technique or mentality. For Latham, he has no such issues. He makes full use of his frame and is a bulldozer in the run game.
On this play against Georgia, Latham works from the right tackle spot on a duo scheme inside. The idea here is for Latham to work in combination with the right guard to drive the defensive tackle backwards, where one of Latham or the right guard can then peel off and pick up the linebacker depending on how that linebacker fits the run. Off the snap, we see Latham use a little hop step to gather some momentum and work up to the defensive tackle. Once there, Latham unleashes his full force on the defender, knocking him over emphatically. Latham then instantly climbs up to the second level where he picks up the linebacker and starts to drive him backwards, clearing a lane for the running back to work behind him.
Latham’s film is littered with these types of plays in the run game. He’s a true mauler that can be a huge factor in the run game from day one. Any team that leans more into gap scheme runs, as we expect the Commanders to do under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, would see their run game instantly upgraded from drafting Latham and running right behind him.
This play is another great example of Latham’s ability in the run game. This time, Alabama runs a counter scheme from the shotgun with the left guard pulling to the right side of the line to kick out the edge while the tight end follows behind him to wrap for a linebacker. Latham’s job as the right tackle is to block down and collapse the right side of the line so the pullers get a clear read when they work across the line. He does a great job blocking down on the defensive tackle, pinning him inside and giving the right guard great leverage to secure that block. Latham then peels off to pick up the linebacker scraping to the edge. He does a nice job of adjusting his position and pivoting from pinning the defensive tackle inside to kicking the linebacker outside. Those two blocks are key in clearing the lane, allowing the tight end to wrap around for the other linebacker and giving the running back a clear path to the end zone.
With the Commanders likely looking to run the ball more this season to set up play-action, something they didn’t do under Eric Bieniemy last year, adding a piece like Latham that could become a dominant run blocker at the next level would be a huge addition. But Latham isn’t just a great run blocker. We know the NFL is a passing league now and pass protection is essential. Latham uses his frame and his strength to his advantage in pass protection too. When he gets his hands on rushers, it’s almost always game over.
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