Sadarius Hutcherson NFL Draft Overview
Position: Offensive Guard
Height: 6’3.3”
Weight: 321 lbs
School: South Carolina
Pro Day Results
40-yard Dash: 5.01 seconds
Vertical Jump: 31.5”
Broad Jump: 8’10”
Bench Press: 35 reps
Arm Length: 32 3/8”
Sadarius Hutcherson 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Overview
Sadarius Hutcherson is a hulking offensive line prospect in this year’s NFL Draft. He was a three-star recruit coming out of Huntingdon High School in Huntingdon, TN. What a lot of people don’t realize, though, is that he was originally categorized in recruitment as a 6-3, 240 pound defensive end. He also played tight end in high school and he jumped out on film as an offensive player just as much as he did on defense, solely because of his ability to dominate opponents as a blocker. Due to his nasty streak and dominating blocking skills, South Carolina immediately switched him to offensive line. Hutcherson naturally redshirted his freshman season because he was underweight as an offensive guard, and the coaching staff needed to make sure that he could make the full transition to the offensive line. He caught on extremely quick, winning what was essentially scout team player of the year during his redshirt season and then going on to start 39 games over his next four years with the gamecocks.
Hutcherson lives in the weight room and has always been named one of south carolina’s strongest overall players, and it shows on film. He is an absolute mauler in the run game. There are times when he’ll explode out of his stance, deliver his initial strike, and bench press 300+ pound defensive lineman off the ball. There are multiple plays that the defensive lineman’s feet lift up and come off of the ground at the point of contact. Unfortunately though, what he lacks is the refined technique that an early round offensive line prospect should possess. He has a bad habit of bending at the hips instead of at the knees, which causes him to play with a high pad level. If he plays with a high pad level then it doesn’t matter how strong he is, he’s going to get out-leveraged.
Hutcherson also needs to work on his overall pass blocking footwork and lateral movement. Too many times, he’s unable to stay in front of and mirror the opposing defensive lineman. If a defender can explode off of the line of scrimmage and get to his hip level, he has a hard time recovering. The only thing that he can do at that point is to try and ride the defender out past quarterback level in the pocket. He will need some strong coaching to develop and improve on these issues at the next level.
Strengths
- Elite run blocking;
- Strong hands – impactful punch;
- Fast out of his stance;
- Great overall size;
- Starting experience at left guard, right guard, and left tackle at South Carolina;
- Takes great blocking angles in the run game;
- Plays with a violent streak needed by an offensive lineman;
- Brute strength allows him to anchor very efficiently against the bull rush.
Weaknesses
- Poor overall pass blocking technique;
- Shorter-than-ideal arms;
- Adequate as a puller, but needs to work on his footwork progression;
- Needs to show better effort in getting to second level blocks and “finding work.”
NFL Comparison: Denzelle Good
Projection: 5th – 6th Round
Teams With Need At Position: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears
Bottom Line On Sadarius Hutcherson
Sadarius Hutcherson show a lot of skills and potential as an interior offensive lineman. He appears to be the exact type of player that would thrive in a gap scheme due to his straight-forward run blocking prowess. Even though he leaves a lot to be desired as a traditional pass blocker, he could be a viable player immediately in a play-action based passing attack. Teams such as Minnesota, Baltimore, or even a team looking for interior line depth like Cleveland could be potential fits. This type of passing scheme usually puts less stress on the offensive line because a lot of the time the quarterback is rolling out or booting away from different parts of the pass protection. Overall, Hutcherson is a solid developmental offensive guard that a team can take in the fifth to sixth round.
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