2024 NFL Scouting combine: Offensive line wrap-up

Are any of these big men future Giants?

The 2024 NFL Scouting combine is now in our rearview mirror as we continue on the process leading up to the 2024 NFL draft.

The New York Giants might not draft an offensive lineman with their first round pick, but they could use both starters and depth along the offensive line

Today was all about the field drills, as the measurable events have limited use for the offensive linemen. Things like 10-yard splits, or vertical and broad jumps, have some utility. The 3-cone drill can point to lineman who have the agility to be plus blockers in close quarters.

But it’s the field drills that can tell us which prospects are going to be guards at the next level, and which can hang at tackle or center in the NFL. These drills show us who has fluid hips, flexible ankles, and the ability to change direction smoothly.

Who showed out on the field?

40-yard injuries

The day started out with some disappointing news as it was announced that Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu had suffered a quad injury during his 40-yard dash and would be sitting out the on-field workout. There’s hope that he’ll be ready for Penn State’s Pro Day in a couple weeks.

Georgia RT Amarius Mims pulled up with a hamstring on his second attempt and had to be helped off the ground after sitting for a bit. Prince Pines of Tulane went down with an injury in his own 40 shortly after Mims went down, and Andrew Raym went down shortly after that.

While it’s certainly entertaining to watch massive humans sprint, there’s an argument for not asking them to run the 40. Frankly, it doesn’t have much bearing on OL evaluations, and something has likely gone very wrong if your offensive linemen are sprinting 40 yards,

First group

Tyler Guyton (OT, Oklahoma)

If there was one tackle in the first group who was particularly impressive, I’d have to go with Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton. Joe Alt (Notre Dame), Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State), and Troy Fautanu (Washington) all performed well in the field drills. But they were expected to do so.

Guyton has been in the second tier of tackles and generally considered to be below the players mentioned above. But today he showed that he has the athleticism and movement skills that could warrant a first round selection — or make him a great value at the top of the second if he’s pushed down by the depth of the draft.

Trevor Keegan (OG, Michigan)
The Wolverines’ left guard was impressive today. He has quick feet, fluid hips, and heavy hands on the bag. Keegan was an easy mover in the wave drill and looked very natural in the pulling drills. Speaking for myself, I’ll be going back to the tape to watch Keegan some more.

Zach Frazier (C, West Virginia)
It wasn’t that Frazier looked good in the drills. He did, but that’s to be expected based on his tape. Frazier has a wrestling background and is a good athlete, so we shouldn’t be surprised that he can move laterally and deliver some hard hits to the bags.

We should be surprised that he was even out there. Frazier’s season was ended by a broken fibula on Thanksgiving, and yet here he is, out on the field acing the Combine.

Second group

Jackson Powers-Johnson (C/G Oregon)
I had hoped that JPJ could be an option for the Giants early in the second round, but that’s looking increasingly unlikely. The DT-turned-guard-turned-center came in at 6-foot-3, 330 pounds but moved like a more like a 6-foot-1, 303 pound center. His feet are quick and smooth and his hips looked fluid when opening to pull.

Beaux Limmer (C, Arkansas)
JPJ wasn’t the only center prospect to look good in the second group. Limmer’s draft process got off to a bad start as he was steamrolled by T’Vondre Sweat at the Senior Bowl. However, he had some solid tape for a down Arkansas team and looked very good on his own in Indy. Limmer was quick, agile, and fluid in drills, and showed some heavy hands as well. He isn’t going to get the same buzz as Frazier or Powers-Johnson, but Limmer could be a good center if he lands in the right situation.

Mason McCormick (G, South Dakota State)
One of the best parts of the combine is the opportunity for small-school prospects to show that they can hang with the prospects who went to powerhouse football factories.

In this case, McCormick looked every bit as good as all but the very best offensive line prospects. Teams are always a bit wary of players coming from a lower level of competition, but it’s reassuring to see them dominate that level of competition — and McCormick dominated. He’s had 1,256 pass blocking snaps over the last three years at left guard. He’s given up a total of 2 sacks (both in 2022), 2 hits (both in 2021), and 16 hurries (3 in 2023).

McCormick is absolutely a player to keep an eye on in April, and he could go much sooner than expected.