Brenton Strange 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Penn State TE
Brenton Strange, Penn State
6’4”, 255 pounds; RS JR
A top-500 overall recruit in 2018, Strange increased his production in all four years with the Nittany Lions, finishing 2022 with career-highs across the board (32-362-five). That earned him third-team All-Big Ten honors by the coaches, as well as third-team all-conference by the media for the second straight season.
+ Presents dense, powerful frame and is out for blood as a blocker
+ Uses a wide base and great leg-drive to take care of his in-line duties in the run game
+ When defenses line up a safety on the edge of Strange, he’s highly capable of taking that guy for a ride or even pancake him
+ Effectively takes care of kick-out and sift-block assignments, plus there are snaps of this guy crack-blocking defensive ends off near-motion and drive them past the entire offensive line
+ Spent 94 snaps in the backfield last year, regularly being tasked with iso-blocks on inside linebackers as a fullback or from split sets, where he explodes his hips into contact to set the tone and digs guys out of the lane with continuous leg-drive
+ Highly effective at shielding off DBs in the screen game and Penn State made it a priority to motion or just put him to the right side because of it
+ Excels at sustaining blocks against moving targets, re-placing his hands to take defenders off track, but without grabbing and understanding when he needs to let go (only two career flags for holding) – his dexterity in the upper and lower half to not slip off targets at odd angles is impressive
+ Impressive burst off the line and has those arms pumping with a forward lean
+ Can really sit down in the chair and be crisp in his breaks – Offers a quick turn on stick and hook routes to present a reliable target underneath
+ Understands how to create angles for himself against off-man defenders, widening his stem in order to create more jump when he jumps inside, as well as when to cut his break into two parts and actively nudge guys off
+ You definitely see a feel for route pacing and ability to navigate through traffic as a route-runner
+ Friendly to his quarterback with the way he settles and doesn’t drift towards traffic in shallow areas while instantly clicking if he becomes the hot read on fire-zone; along with recognizes when the initial route is dead and he needs to slide away from ancillary zone defenders
+ Does a great job when he isn’t the intended target, understanding how to create openings for his fellow receivers with the angles he chooses and how he pulls defenders with him
+ The 4.7 in the 40 won’t blow you away and the agility was only in the low 30s in terms of percentile for the position at the combine, but the 1.57 ten-yard split, the 36-inch vert and the 10’4” broad jump were all at the 82nd percentile or better, showing his explosiveness
+ Really worked on the way he actively approaches the ball instead of allowing it to get into his body, only dropping one of 33 catchable targets in 2022
+ Shows no issues dealing with contact to his backside and defenders driving at the catch-point from the side – Hauled in five of his eight contested targets this past season
+ Transitons upfield swiftly and regularly lets the momentum of passes carry him up the field
+ Constantly is looking to push forward and gains yards through contact, with quite a few would-be-tacklers bouncing off him, showcasing great contact-balance
+ Averaged 7.3 yards after the catch and forced seven missed tackles on 32 catches last year, with 64.1% of his production coming once the ball was in his hands
+ Penn State would frequently bring him underneath the formation and hit him on slide routes off play-action for some easy chain-movers
+ Converted 56.3% of his receptions into first downs and had a passer rating of 135.0 when targeted
– As physical and effective as he was a blocker near the point of attack, there is certainly room for improvement in terms of initial footwork and hand-placement, as he deals with more well-schooled edge defenders
– Not somebody who will really scare defenses with his long-speed, to blow by defenders who end up sinking along with him
– Ran a fairly simplistic route-tree with the Nittany Lions and will need to prove that he can set a wider variety of breaks effectively, particularly further down the field
– His 31 and 1/8-inch arms are in the bottom-third percentile and we don’t have much proof of him being able to win above the rim
– Has some pretty bad drops on his 2021 tape, where he seems to have his hand in place, but doesn’t actively extend and pluck the ball
There has been some more buzz around Strange recently and I think he will go higher than consensus boards would currently suggest. While his technique near the attack point can vain a little bit, there is no question about his grit and power as a blocker. I don’t have an official statistic on this, but I feel pretty confident in saying Strange leads this tight-end class in pancake blocks.
His production and usage in the pass game was pretty limited at Penn State, but the natural ability to sink his hips and how much his approach catching the ball has improved last season, make me believe his best days in that regard are in front of him. Without break-away speed and shorter arms, he may never be one of the top players at the position, but at the very worst, he should be a high-quality TE2 with great alignment versatility.
Grade: Late third round
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