HEIGHT: 6'7?"

WEIGHT: 313

POSITIVES

—Prototypical frame for an NFL left tackle

—Good initial quickness out of his stance with smooth athletic movements to play on an island

—Quick processor with the recognition skills to consistently pass off and pick up basic stunts

—Flashes a strong punch to latch into the frame of rushers with independent hand strikes as a change-up

—Solid aiming points on Deuce blocks to locate and knock over the hip of defensive tackles

—Effectively locates and fits on smaller targets off of double teams and as a lead blocker on the edge

—Valuable experience in a pro style, multiple run scheme

NEGATIVES

—Plays with an exposed chest and is oftentimes late or wide with his initial strike, allowing skilled defenders to win half-man leverage and disengage too easily

—Vulnerable to drift, open his hips and overset against shifty pass rushers, creating a soft inside shoulder

—Needs to play with more urgency and aggressiveness to finish and prevent defenders from gaining control early in the rep (saw some improvement here in his lone 2019 start against Northwestern)

2020 STATISTICS

—Opted out of the season

NOTES

—15 career starts all at left tackle

—Has played one game of football over the last two years; had a season-ending knee injury the first game of his 2019 season and then opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the draft

—In 2017, Little became the first true freshman to start at left tackle for Stanford since 2000

—Was a 5-star recruit and played basketball, lacrosse and competed in track and field at Episcopal High School in Houston

—Comes from a sports family with NFL bloodlines; both his grandfather and uncle played in the NFL for the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts, while his father played baseball at Texas Tech

—Training with Duke Manyweather to prepare for the NFL draft

OVERALL

Little hasn’t played a football game since August 31, 2019, because of a serious knee injury and an opt-out of the 2020 season, entering the NFL with just 15 career starts. He was a consensus top-10 recruit in the nation coming out of high school with the size and athletic ability of a future starting left tackle. Little has noteworthy flashes of syncing his hands and feet on an island in pass protection to strike and fluidly mirror rushers up the arc with the movement skills, foot quickness and experience to fit into a multiple run scheme.

He needs to improve his play strength, strike timing and assertiveness to more quickly initiate contact, gain control and finish defenders, plus tighten up his pass set so he can find his landmark and transition to his anchor more efficiently. While he likely needs time to improve key areas of his game, his size, movement skills and makeup are an intriguing foundation for development into an eventual above-average starter.

GRADE: 7.7/10 (Round 2)

OVERALL RANK: 65/300

POSITION RANK: OT11

PRO COMPARISON: Jared Veldheer

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn