Mike Pouncey NFL Draft Scouting Report

Agility: Pouncey is a good athlete and can gain leverage quickly with great balance. He has quick feet and very good agility that allows him to keep his feet under him and maintain his balance while sliding side to side. His agility helps him to get out of his stance very quickly.

Movement: He is a coordinated athlete and stays on his feet. He is an outstanding pull blocker and usually eliminates his man from the play. He has the foot quickness to slide side to side. His athleticism allows him to get out of his stance quickly while maintaining his balance. Moves body well to adjust to quick pass rushers attacking the inside.

Pass blocking: Pouncey sets up quickly with balance and leverage. He gets hands up fairly quick. Uses a good hand punch to keep defender at bay most of the time, but is an area that needs improvement. Has good leverage and base to withstand initial push from the defender who is bull rushing. He is very good at setting up quickly and uses his quick feet to get out of stance and slide side to side to neutralize defender.

Quickness: He has very good foot quickness. He has good flexibility that allow him to bend knees to give him good explosion coming out of his stance. Pouncey is a very smart football player and can handle complex defensive schemes and diagnoses the play quickly. He is very instinctive and reacts to defender movement on the line of scrimmage.

Run blocking: He does a decent job on positional and angle blocks. He needs to work on pushing defensive lineman straight back and finishing the block thru the whistle. He gets out of his stance quickly and jolts the defender with his hands. Has the foot quickness and agility to pull and lead block well out in space.

Strength: Pouncey has good playing strength but lacks power to move the defensive lineman straight ahead on running plays. He does however has the body type to handle the massive nose tackles at the pro level. He needs to work at exploding into the defender more in the running game. Has the strength to handle bull rushers when he keeps his feet under him and uses leverage.

Technique: His overall production is great in key situations and is outstanding when he uses proper techniques. Very consistent in pass protection using good hand placement. Needs to show more aggression in the run game and drive defenders into the ground. Maintains very good concentration especially on key downs and situations.

Final Word: Pouncey is a good athlete overall and with his foot quickness, balance, and good understanding of the guard/center position will make an immediate contribution to whomever drafts him. His versatility to play either position is a plus and will raise his stock come draft day. He has good awareness and can handle complex defensive line schemes. He plays with good leverage and has outstanding balance when out in front in the running game. He needs to be more aggressive in finishing blocks through the whistle. Pouncey will be an outstanding professional with better technique use and gaining playing experience. He is likely going to be the first interior lineman drafted probably in the 1st round in the 2011 NFL draft.