Pass Protection: Strange’s first punch in pass protection is very impressive, as is his grip strength. He was able to lock onto to defensive lineman and then completely lock them out. He’s got enough quickness to match quicker players and the functional strength to eat up power rushers. He’s far from an all-world athlete, and he could get better at refitting his hands when swiped away.
Balance: Strange displays good balance in close quarters while maintaining an aggressive nature. He doesn’t get too top-heavy or lunge into his blocks very often. Out in open space, he does tend to lunge a good bit and ends up on the ground a little too much.
Hand Placement: His initial hand placement is pretty good in both pass protection and in the running game. He’s got a compact and repeatable first punch that is is typically well located. Once in a while, he’ll let his hands get a tad too high, and as I mentioned earlier, he’ll need to improve his ability to refit his hands.
Power: Strange possesses good power and functional strength. He was consistently creating movement in the running game and turning defenders out of their gaps. He’s able to generate good leg drive to create vertical movement too.
Football IQ: Strange played mostly at LG but proved he could play center down in Mobile. Not to mention, he’s made 44 starts, and he handled stunts and twists very well throughout his film. He has also held a consistent 4.0 GPA throughout college. That’s not football, but he’s clearly a smart kid on and off the field.
Anchor: Strange’s anchor is quite good despite being just 300ish pounds. He really ate up power rushes against Kentucky, stonewalling a number of players who will get NFL consideration. He’s clearly got NFL-level core strength and the technique to boot.
Flexibility: I have no qualms with Strange here. He’s clearly flexible to both sink and flip his hips. He doesn’t look stiff when moving out in space, and he’s not hindered when dealing with bendier rushers on the interior.
Run Blocking: Strange is a versatile and smart run blocker with an aggressive demeanor. He’s great at working across the face of defensive tackles to seal off rushing lanes, capable of creating vertical push with power, and will finish his blocks into the ground.
Movement Skills: Strange profiles as an overall average mover. While I don’t think he’s got any limitations to his game, I don’t think he’s going to win any athletic competitions either. He can pull out in front of runs just fine and get out into space on screen passes with little trouble.
Footwork/ foot speed: Again, I think Strange checks the box here. He could use to keep his feet a little bit more engaged in pass protection, but his overall speed and ability to reach setpoints are not an issue.
Summary: Strange is one of the small school standouts from the 2022 Senior Bowl, and his tape backs up his strong performance at the event. He projects best as a potential starter at both guard and center in a zone-heavy scheme. He’s got 44 career starts under his belt, and it shows in the way he handles himself on the football field. He’s got a physical and nasty demeanor in the running game and held his own against his best competition this season in Kentucky.
While there is plenty to like about Strange, he really just checks the box in a lot of areas and isn’t going to blow anyone away with his athletic ability. He’s also a little old and will turn 24 before the start of his rookie season.
Filed By: Dante Collinelli, Director of Scouting
Twitter: @DanteCollinelli