Over the next few months, we are going to be taking a look at a handful of draft prospects leading up into the 2020 NFL Draft. With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team precisely.
Today, we are taking a look at TCU offensive tackle Lucas Niang.
Honors and Awards
- 2018 Pro Football Focus First-Team All-Big 12 (2018)
- 2018 Second-Team All-Big 12 (2018)
Strengths
- Certainly looks the part. Big, athletic frame carrying more than 320 pounds with ease. Vine-like arms and large hands.
- Natural mobility for a man of his size. Gets range immediately off the snap. Ideal foot quickness in pass protection.
- Able to mirror and counter stunts, twists or blitzes. Uses quick feet and hips to turn and recover when beaten. Secures combo block with a vengeance.
- Combines upper & lower-body power and arm extension to consistently hold the point of attack. Adept at redirecting his body and striking moving targets.
- Ascending mauler in the run game. Once he gets his hands and grip on defenders, he usually sustains and finishes to create lanes.
- Mean and highly competitive. Toughness is evident. Played through hip injury in 2019 before getting surgery.
Come for the TCU touchdown from Shawn Robinson to Jalen Reagor, stay to watch RT Lucas Niang body slam a Tech defender. pic.twitter.com/yuB4WrvA94
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) October 12, 2018
TCU RT Lucas Niang plays with physicality and is a better mover than most RTs his size. I like this rep vs Nick Bosa. pic.twitter.com/bR1KXSRYAd
— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) August 7, 2019
Hi, this is Lucas Niang (#77, RT) out of @TCUFootball, and he moves people for a living. #GoFrogs #NFLDraft #DraftTwitter pic.twitter.com/5NvuDpZZba
— Josh Engler (@Mr_JEngler) October 28, 2019
Weaknesses
- Footwork can get sloppy and undisciplined, causing base to narrow.
- Relies too heavily on length over feet. Pad level rises at contact, robbing him of optimal leverage.
- Knocked off balance by power pass rushers due to poor balance during deep sets and inconsistent footwork.
- Suffered hip injury during senior campaign that caused him to miss the last half of the season.
Summary
Niang, the 6-foot-6 and 336 pounder is an ascending offensive tackle prospect with the frame, foot quickness, mobility and range that NFL teams don’t pass up for very long. The Connecticut native will need to be much more consistent with his pass set technique, particularly his footwork, rather than just relying on his athleticism and physical tools, as well as making sure he can stay healthy if he is to reach his full potential in the pros.
Chargers Fit
All of Niang’s snaps for the Horned Frogs came at right tackle. The former TCU product would be a plug-and-play for Los Angeles over Sam Tevi in Year 1. Improving his footwork upon getting to the league and consistently staying healthy will be key.