Each week this offseason, we’ll be focusing on one position and how the Panthers may choose to address their needs; whether they’re in the market for an upgrade at starter or just a reliable backup, every player on the 53-man roster is going to be important in 2018.
This is Offensive Line Week.
Should the Panthers fail to bring Andrew Norwell back for the 2018 season, then guard will immediately jump to the top of their to-do list. While there is chatter that last year’s second-round pick Taylor Moton may be the heir apparent at guard, the Panthers still may look to the draft to find their next solution at left guard to keep Moton as valuable depth across the line. While it is unlikely that the Panthers will be able to find a plug-and-play All-Pro in either the draft or free agency, there is a clear best-case scenario when it comes to replacing Norwell, should it come to that: Isaiah Wynn.
Athletic Traits
Having played left tackle at Georgia, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Wynn’s lateral agility is excellent for a guard. He probably would be pushed to cover NFL speed rushers, hence the move to guard, but he should be more than capable in this area for an NFL guard.
For reference in all clips below, Wynn is #77.
On both of the above plays, Wynn is more than capable of following the rushers around the edge and plays like this make it seem as if he would be one of the better guards in the NFL in this regard. In addition to lateral agility, Wynn also possesses a decent amount of power; while Georgia’s offense rarely asked him to get a hat on a hat and push, on most downhill running plays he ends up well past the line of scrimmage, such as on the play below:
He isn’t a pure mauler in the run game in the way that Trai Turner has been at times, but he certainly has the power to move people in the run game. While he doesn’t pop off the screen in terms of pure athleticism, he is still a plus athlete as a starting guard; where he really stands out as a prospect is in his technical prowess.
Technical Mastery
There are a huge variety of technical skills that go into good guard play, but the two most important skills are pad level and hand usage. What Wynn shows on tape is some of the best hand usage from a guard prospect in recent years; like many of the better guards, once he gets his hands inside the frame of the defender his arm strength makes him a hard block to shed, as can be seen on the following plays:
This is especially valuable in pass protection where he can effectively negate defenders by getting his hands inside and just not letting the opposing player get away from him. What he also showed was an ability to use his hands well to keep a defender off of him in order to give him time to place his hands inside. In the NFL, defensive linemen are skilled at preventing offensive linemen from getting inside their frame easily, so it is often more complicated then just grabbing somebody by the chest. Fortunately, Wynn showed the ability time and again to use his hands to keep the defender at bay.
While he isn’t perfect, he shows both hand speed and accuracy to an extremely high level and when combined with the strength he showed on the previous two clips he looks to be very polished in this regard.
Pad level is also very important for interior offensive linemen, with players who play too high making themselves susceptible to power moves if defenders can get underneath them and those who get too low being vulnerable to being caught leaning. While Wynn does occasionally fall into the latter category at times, he generally shows very good pad level and almost never finds himself being beaten by power moves in the run or passing games. As can be seen on the following play, he sets a good wide base and keeps his frame down in order to push through the defender.
If he can eliminate the lean he sometimes develops when overextending on blocks, this will only get better, as he does occasionally allow defenders back into plays with a comeback rip move once he has gone beyond his feet.
Technically, Wynn is probably the most polished guard prospect since the 2014 class the featured Zack Martin, Gabe Jackson, Norwell and Turner; his high-quality technique also shows up when he is asked to block in space, as on all of the following plays. Check each play below as Wynn is able to locate the defender in space and get his hands inside the frame of the defender in order to secure the block.
While the 2018 Panthers’ offense is somewhat of an unknown with Norv Turner taking over the reins; with Newton, McCaffrey, Samuel and others on the roster, it would be surprising if the “new look offense” didn’t also use offensive linemen extensively in space, and this ability to get out in space and make blocks would be extremely valuable.
Wynn almost certainly won’t be as good as Andrew Norwell, but it is unrealistic to expect any prospect to be that good as a rookie. However, if the Panthers do decide to move on, Wynn is undoubtedly the best prospect on the market and could well develop into an excellent offensive guard at the NFL level.
Best Case NFL Comparison: Gabe Jackson
Worst Case NFL Comparison: Chance Warmack
One Sentence to Tell Your Friends At Your Draft Party: “A highly polished guard with good athleticism and the ability to contribute at a high level from day one.”
Grade: A
