Ty Sambrailo 2015 NFL Draft scouting report

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Ty Sambrailo

• Position: Offensive Tackle (OT)
  
• Class: Senior (redshirt)
  
• College: Colorado State
  
• Ht/Wt: 6'6", 311 pounds
  

Scouting Report

Ty Sambrailo has been on my radar for a while, as the left tackle protecting quarterback Garrett Grayson last season. In the NFL, Sambrailo projects in between guard and tackle. He has the height, build and quick feet that make me want to install him as a left tackle, but his 33-inch arms are in the danger zone for the position.

Sambrailo is great moving around the field. He has a fluid kickslide, runs with his feet under him, and has enough speed to pull across the formation or advance to the second level. His technique is actually pretty good; he carries his arms in a compact stance, has a quick punch, rarely lunges, and has good knee bend. Sambrailo is one of those guys who fights to the whistle, and he'll block a guy to the ground and keep holding him down when he gets the chance.

The challenge with Sambrailo's game is that his hand placement could be better. He often attacks a player's shoulder pads rather than their chest with his initial punch, catching one side of their body and turning them slightly. Sometimes that knocks the defender off-balance and wins the play. If the defender can figure out the right timing for a swim or spin move, though, it's a dangerous mistake. Part of the reason for that is his short arms; Sambrailo has to twist and fire out that inside arm to get enough extension to hold an edge rusher at bay, and it's harder to be accurate when you're projecting so much effort into the motion.

I'm also not sure about Sambrailo's core power. Sometimes he moved guys off the ball, and sometimes he just plain struggled to establish an anchor. I want to attribute some of that to a weaker core, and some of that to inconsistent technique. That's the main reason I ultimately see Sambrailo playing as a tackle in the NFL: he's not quite burly enough to be a guard, in my opinion, and his good footwork would be wasted inside.

Grade

Sambrailo's grade would ultimately depend on the scheme he is drafted into. In a finesse blocking scheme with lots of movement, I think he could play left tackle and possibly play an interior position while excelling. In a power scheme, he probably isn't creating huge holes like some of those 330-pound guys are capable of. Still, I think he's farther along than some of the other tackle prospects in this class. With that in mind, I have him as a third round grade, and I like him better than Donovan Smith, who has more technical flaws in his game.