There are certain areas where investments are safer, and well-spent. For the Redskins, the offensive line constitutes such a place.
The offensive line serves as the foundation of any offense. No matter how advanced offensive schemes become, and no matter how many innovations come to pass in the modern age of football, one thing will always remain true: A good offensive line is one of the keys to a successful offense.
The Washington Redskins have seen this adage in action, as well as its converse. At its best, in recent years, the Redskins line has been one of the best in the NFL, capable of both maintaining a pocket in pass protection while mauling defenders downfield in run defense. At its worst, however, it’s served as a warning for what neglecting the unit, and its depth, can do to a team.
By both keeping Shawn Lauvao as a starter in 2018, and by brushing off the need for depth, the Redskins neglected their offensive line last offseason, and that can’t happen again in 2019. As we’ve witnessed with teams like the Colts and the Patriots, a good offensive line can be built in a number of ways; with first-round picks or without. But it is the essential groundwork for any offense, regardless.
So, what if the Redskins want to improve their offensive line in Round 1, and fill a pressing need at left guard? There are a few options to consider, one of which being North Carolina State offensive lineman Garrett Bradbury. What does he bring to the table?
Scouting Garrett Bradbury
A converted tight end, North Carolina State’s Garrett Bradbury boasts an outstanding athletic profile for an offensive lineman. He received a RAS score, via Kent Lee Platte, of 9.95 after his performance at the 2019 NFL Combine, setting himself apart from the pack with measurements such as a 4.92 40-yard dash, a 2.85 20-yard split, a 1.74 10-yard split, a 31-inch vertical, and a 7.41 three-cone time.
Overall, five of Bradbury’s combine testing measurements tested above the ninetieth percentile, putting him in good company with some of the more athletic linemen to enter the NFL. Per Kent Lee Platte, Bradbury’s testing compares favorably to Frank Ragnow, who’s currently a starting interior lineman for the Detroit Lions, after being selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Like Ragnow, Bradbury played at center in his college days, but he has the physical profile to switch to guard without much of a learning curve. Bradbury offers versatility for most NFL teams, but for the Redskins specifically, he’d offer a solid starting left guard with upside.
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Bradbury has great get-off at the line. His ankles generate solid explosion and momentum at the snap, and he has the agility and body control to rotate his blocking angle on the move, sealing off defensive linemen from evading ball carriers. His feet are quick and nimble, and he has good balance as a lateral mover.
Bradbury combines his athletic traits with a high blocking I.Q. to culminate as a real threat for any defensive lineman. His hand punches are quick and methodical, and he knows the ins and outs of leverage, as well as when he’s attained optimal leverage on run blocking snaps; he uses that leverage to finish his opponent into the ground.
Bradbury always finishes through every play, especially on run blocking snaps, seeking out contact until the final whistle. His mentality is exactly what you want in an offensive lineman; he’s always looking for his next assignment. He knows how to use the maximum extension of his length to keep defenders separated in pass protection, and he uses his physical tools to maintain an advantage.
Of course, there are some slight areas for improvement in Bradbury’s game. While he logged 34 bench reps at the NFL Combine, he shows room for improvement, in terms of converting his strength to power on the football field. It’s not a consistent issue, as Bradbury often wins with athleticism, anchor, and intelligence alone. But Bradbury can occasionally be out-muscled by stronger defensive linemen.
Bradbury appears to be aware of his inconsistencies with power on tape. He isn’t timid in the slightest, but he can occasionally drift backwards on passing snaps, as if bracing for the impact. As a result, he doesn’t always get his hands low enough to solidify his anchor. On the snaps he was beat, this is generally what happened. But keep in mind, it wasn’t often, in the limited sample size observed.
It appears as if driving linemen back isn’t Bradbury’s game; Bradbury caters to a style that doesn’t necessarily create space, but instead maintains it, but he shows flashes of raw power, and he showed at the combine that he has the requisite strength to compete his game. If he can convert his strength to power more often on the field in the NFL, and continue his development from his position switch in 2015, then he can be one of the most complete, consistently effective interior linemen in the NFL.
Disclaimer: Finding tape was more challenging for this article. If you want more information from draft experts, the Draft Network has lots of useful information in Garrett Bradbury’s 2019 Player Profile.
Tape Watched
Garrett Bradbury vs. Boston College (2018)
How Garrett Bradbury fits the Redskins
Bradbury would fit well in the Redskins zone scheme. He offers the mobility the Redskins generally seek from their linemen, and he has the well-rounded skill set to flourish in any kind of situation.
There is a lack of clarity, somewhat, in terms of whether Bradbury fits the Redskins mold at guard. The Redskins generally prefer guards with bigger size; in recent years, they’ve almost exclusively followed a blueprint that entails interior linemen 6-foot-4 or taller. There have been some exceptions, but the Redskins generally like length at guard.
While Bradbury has length, as evidenced by his ability to maintain separation on tape, he’s just under 6-foot-3 in terms of height. It wouldn’t be reasonable for the Redskins to take him out of consideration simply because of his height, but some teams have standards, and the Redskins, with the No. 15 pick on the line, could defer to those standards.
The Redskins also signed 6-foot-6 lineman Ereck Flowers recently, and reports suggest that they intend on trying him out at guard in 2019. Flowers doesn’t offer as much immediate utility or as much upside as Bradbury, but as a former top ten pick, he could be the apple of Bill Callahan’s eye. Depending on the team’s view of Flowers, they could bypass all interior linemen early in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Should the Redskins pick Garrett Bradbury?
This is a question with a fairly subjective answer. It all depends on how one values an offensive line’s purpose for a team, and how one values the depth of the 2019 interior offensive lineman class.
The offensive line is one of the most important units on a team, and that is proven time and time again by the league’s playoff contenders. It’s also proven that lines can be built in different ways. The Colts have three former first-round picks starting on their offensive line, and last year, they had arguably one of the best, most consistent blocking units in the NFL. The Patriots, meanwhile, flourished last season with a fifth-rounder, a third-rounder, a fourth-rounder, a seventh-rounder, and a former undrafted free agent.
It helps to have a good offensive line coach, but the moral of the story is this. There are multiple “right ways” to build an offensive line. Some ways may be quicker, and less risky. And this is the problem the Redskins need to solve, in regards to their consideration of offensive linemen. Do they want to bank on the depth of the 2019 class, and pair Callahan with a project to groom? Or do they want to stop putting the issue at left guard on the back burner, and draft a first-round guard who can start and grow from day one?
There are many questions yet to answer, and depending on who the Redskins pick on draft day, those questions may never be addressed. But one thing, in the midst of all the speculation, is certain: Garrett Bradbury is worth the pick.