Upon arriving as the Falcons' new offensive coordinator in February, Kyle Shanahan admitted that his offensive linemen will likely run more in 2015 than any previous season as part of his zone-blocking scheme. The style of play requires physicality, versatility and a power from the guys up front, demonstrated from the snap of the ball to yards down the field.
NFL Media's Lance Zierlein believes Stanford's Andrus Peat has the skills needed for Shanahan's offensive scheme.
"The Falcons could go with an outside linebacker or a cornerback with their eighth-overall pick, but Peat would give them their bookend offensive tackles, which is invaluable in Kyle Shanahan's offense," Zierlein said.
The 6-foot-7, 313-pound offensive tackle, Peat played in 13 games as a freshman at Stanford in 2012 and was named the team's Most Outstanding Sophomore (Deswarte-Ellar Award) in 2013. His final season on campus in 2014, Peat continued to improve, earning second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press.
Friday marked the first day of on-field workouts at the 2015 Scouting Combine. Take a look at these photos from the third day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
San Diego State offensive lineman Terry Poole
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston
Tennessee State offensive lineman Robert Myers
Mississippi State running back Josh Robinson
Florida offensive lineman Trent Brown
San Diego State offensive lineman Terry Poole
Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Bryan Bennett
Penn State offensive lineman Donovan Smith
Tight ends come together at the end of their drills
A general view of the bench press
Florida State offensive lineman Josue Matias
Miami tight end Clive Walford
Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams
A general view of the bench press
South Alabama tight end Wes Saxton
Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams
LSU offensive lineman La'El Collins
Missouri offensive lineman Mitch Morse
Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson
Pittsburgh offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings
Southern Illinois tight end Mycole Pruitt
Penn State offensive lineman Donovan Smith
Notre Dame tight end Ben Koyack
Prairie View A&M quarterback Jerry Lovelocke
Ball State running back Jahwan Edwards
Harding wide receiver Tello Luckett participates in the bench press
Peat went on to demonstrate athleticism and power at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, including a 31-inch vertical jump and 105-inch broad jump. His pro-day workout also included a good showing, reflecting a glimpse of what Peat says he'll bring to an NFL team.
"(The team who drafts me) is going to get somebody who is hard-working, tough and dependable," Peat said. "(In) pass blocking, I'm real athletic and smooth (and) in run blocking, I'm physical at the point of attack."
Zierlein listed further assessments below of Peat's skills and potential:
Strengths
"(Peat is) tall with a thick lower body and well-proportioned frame," Zierlein said. "(He) has good knee bend and movement for a power player (and) shows some bounce in his feet. (He) gains plenty of ground on kick slide but keeps his weight under him (and) is able to transition from pass set to power step inside to close down inside moves. (He) plays with a strong, wide base (and has an) above-average understanding of protections."
Areas to Improve
"(Peat's) technique breaks down when facing wide rushers with juice off the snap," Zierlein said. "(He) opens up prematurely and turns into a lunger. (He) will lead with head and hands, hoping to land a strike and engulf the edge speed. (He) needs to improve angle of pass sets against speed."
NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock has Peat listed as the fourth-best offensive tackle in this year's draft.
Offensive tackles
- La'el Collins, LSU
- Ereck Flowers, Miami (Fla.)
- D.J. Humphries, Florida
T-5. T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh
T-5. Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
