The 2019 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. The Game Haus will be doing scouting reports on some of the top prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. NC State Center Garrett Bradbury has had quite a journey during his time in college and is now set for the draft.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV9LxrATOtE
Background
Position: Center/Offensive Guard
Class: Redshirt Senior
2018 stats: First Team All-American (AP), First Team All-ACC
Size: 6-foot-3, 306 pounds
Bradbury excelled at the college level and has set himself up to be one of the first centers selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. His athleticism has pushed his draft stock up since the end of the college football season, warranting consideration to be drafted in the first few rounds.
Although he is now a good interior offensive lineman, Bradbury arrived at NC State as a tight end. After redshirting a season, he made the switch to be a lineman. He first entered the starting lineup as a redshirt sophomore and became a mainstay after that. Bradbury was First Team All-ACC both his junior and senior seasons and was an All-American as a senior. NC State had a 23-14 record and won two bowl games in the three seasons Bradbury was a starter on the offensive line.
After making a position change and progressing to become one of the best centers in college football, Bradbury is set for the 2019 NFL Draft. Interior offensive linemen don’t often get drafted early, but a team could select him at the earliest in the late stages of the first round.
Strengths
With his athleticism, Bradbury also has good footwork. He can slide effortlessly to help stop a pass rush. Bradbury can also get his momentum going quickly after snapping the ball. His athleticism and footwork are good enough that NFL teams will want to teach him more, as other parts of his game can develop better with the solid base he has.
Bradbury has very active hands. After he snaps the ball, his hands immediately come up to engage the defender closest to him. When he strikes with his hands, he does so quickly and powerfully. His timing is also great.
Weaknesses
At NC State, Bradbury played in a zone blocking scheme. He played extremely well, but if he is not drafted by a zone blocking team in the NFL, it will take an adjustment for him. This will be a bigger adjustment than most centers would have to deal with since he is still new to the position.
Outside of zone blocking, Bradbury won’t be one of the more advanced centers when it comes to calling out pass protections. He’ll need to learn how to analyze what a defense will do and be able to call out protections to make sure the play will work.
His play strength will also need to be improved if he is to reach his full potential. Aggressive defensive tackles can push him back at the start of the play. He can be knocked off his spot in pass coverage and players with strength can beat him. In the run game, he has to be able to block for longer periods of time.
Projected Draft Range: First round-Third round
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