2015 NFL Draft: Iowa's Brandon Scherff pancakes Pittsburgh
NFL teams looking for help along the offensive line would do well to review Iowa's 24-20 win over Pittsburgh.
Iowa's star left tackle, Brandon Scherff, proved worthy of his projected top 10 status, driving Panthers off the line of scrimmage in the running game and providing stellar pass protection. Local restaurants might want to start a breakfast promotion -- the "Scherff Special." Saturday's was pancakes.
Because the 6-foot-5, 320 pound Scherff ranks second on NFLDraftScout.com's list of senior offensive tackles (behind Texas A&M's Cedric Ogbuehi), it would be easy for fans unfamiliar with his powerful game to overlook him as one of the elite talents in the country.
Scherff, in fact, is more polished than Ogbuehi, comparing favorably to last year's No. 2 offensive tackle, Jake Matthews, who was selected No. 6 overall by the Atlanta Falcons.
Ogbuehi, like former Auburn standout Greg Robinson a year ago, is a phenomenal talent with the light feet, balance and long arms to project as a star left tackle in the NFL. A veteran of just a handful of starts at left tackle (after starring previously at left guard and right tackle), Ogbuehi boasts the athletic upside that teams find so enticing on draft day.
Scherff may lack Ogbuehi's traits, but the power, consistency and toughness he has demonstrated throughout his career project very well to the NFL. Starting his 24th game at left tackle for Iowa on Saturday, Scherff's comfort on the edge was obvious as he easily slid laterally to meet Pitt's rushers and rendered them useless once he latched on. Scherff possesses a lethal combination of balance, patience and upper body strength. He waits for defenders to get close and has explosive power in his hands to control and often knock them completely off their feet. This aggressive, competitive temperament is another reason why Scherff projects so well to the next level, whereas scouts would like to see a little more nastiness in Ogbuehi's game.
Whenever the Hawkeyes needed a tough yard, they ran toward Scherff's side. As a result, Iowa came back from a 17-7 halftime deficit by converting three fourth downs.
Scherff's dominant performance is all the more impressive considering he reportedly underwent a knee scope just two weeks ago.
The stellar offensive line play wasn't limited to the latest of coach Kirk Ferentz's star pupils, however.
Throughout much of Saturday's game, Pitt's offensive line was dictating the action, providing clear lanes for star sophomore running back James Conner to run through. Senior right guard Matt Rotheram was, quite literally, a big reason behind Conner's 155 yards and a touchdown.
Matching up for much of the game against potential All-Big Ten defensive tackle Carl Davis, Rotheram showed off his own veteran savvy, demonstrating the combination of size (6-foot-5, 340 pounds), strength and quickness to possibly earn late-round consideration.
Rotheram frustrated Davis, allowing him to occasionally slip inside only to seal him from the action. One of the few opponents actually bigger than the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Davis, Rotheram also did a nice job of simply bulldozing the Iowa defensive tackle off the line of scrimmage. Rotheram showed good agility and balance in pass protection against Davis, as well.
Unfortunately for Rotheram and the Panthers, one of the few times he was beat in this contest came at nearly the worst possible time. With the Panthers facing a 4th-and-10 late, Rotheram was beaten inside by a quick pass rush from Iowa's nickel unit. The pressure forced an early throw from Pitt quarterback Chad Voytik that fell incomplete and gave Iowa the ball back in position to bleed the clock.
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