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Blake Freeland, OT
School: BYU | Conference: Independents
College Experience: Senior | Age: 23
Height / Weight: 6’8” / 302 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 3rd-5th Round
Player Comparison: Kolton Miller
Player Overview
It shouldn’t be surprising that Blake Freeland broke the record for highest vertical jump at the combine. He was a standout athlete in basketball, shot put, javelin, and football. Recruited by a number of schools, he chose to play at BYU where his parents were athletes. His freshman year, he started seven games for the Cougars at right tackle. He increased that to eight games the next year with the line allowing the eight least sacks in the country. He flipped to the left side for his junior and senior seasons, earning third-team AP All-American honors in his last season.
Strengths
- Massive frame that is hard for defenders to get around or through
- Above average athleticism he uses to mirror, pull, and reach block
- Long arms and grip strength keep him attached to pass rushers
- Good awareness, especially when handling stunts and twists
Weaknesses
- Tendency to play too high in his stance and allow defenders to get under his pads
- Punch don’t have stopping power
- Lacks agility to turn and torque defenders effectively
- Can overset in pass protection and let rushers beat him inside
Let’s see his work
Emerging one week after Mardi Gras to plug my football brain back in. I did catch an SD card full of BYU all-22 somebody threw off a Bacchus float , so enjoy these Blake Freeland backside reach blocks. pic.twitter.com/GFp3vLJxUj
— Brendan Heffernan (@heffthereporter) March 2, 2023
Blake Freeland is a OT prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.82 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 23 out of 1227 OT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/oLbFEGY4px #RAS pic.twitter.com/dT2zHJjQH0
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 6, 2023
How he fits on the Commanders
Blake Freeland’s athletic profile compares favorably to a lot of talented tackles in the league. On tape, you see a massive man who moves well and, even when he’s out of position, can compensate with his length. Does Freeland make sense for he Commanders? If the team will use more zone schemes and gap schemes in the run game, Freeland would be a good candidate if the team wants an offensive tackle later in the draft. He’d be closer to being a starter if that was the case. Even if they are committed to more power runs, Freeland can hold his own but needs to get stronger to consistently move defenders. He’d be an option to serve as a swing tackle with the potential to start at right tackle.
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