The Lions are in need on the interior offensive line thanks to free agency and injuries. Here’s a prospect who projects as an NFL starter at guard but also offers considerable experience playing center.
Steve Avila, IOL, TCU
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 332 pounds (measured at Senior Bowl)
Avila is 23 years old
Avila was a three-year starter for the Horned Frogs, splitting time at right tackle, left guard and center. He played left guard for TCU in the 2022 season, where the team found great success under new head coach Sonny Dykes. Per ESPN stat tracking, Avila allowed no sacks at guard after allowing two while splitting the 2021 season at center.
Avila earned a Senior Bowl berth and performed well in practice sessions while playing in both individual drills and team sessions.
Pros
- Excellent power throughout both his shoulders and lower body
- Anchor strength vs. the bull rush might be best-in-class
- Quick hands and consistent hand placement with his punch
- Good burst to fire out on second-level run blocks
- Positional versatility, with multiple starts at three different OL spots and two different offensive schemes
- Keeps strong pad level when facing shorter blocking targets
- Knows when to let go and reengage in pass protection to avoid holding penalties
- Offers some snarl with his run blocking
Cons
- Shorter arms (32.5″) and small hands (9.25″) for his height and his position
- Does not feel or react quickly to stunts and twists; consistently late to identify and engage off DL gimmicks
- Despite his overall power, didn’t always generate much movement in short-yardage or jumbo formation runs (see Iowa State)
- Lacks great balance and body control when on the move in second-level and outside run blocks
- Leans into reach blocks, which often looks like a function of his lack of length
- Often played with wider splits in college than he will use in the NFL; not necessarily a negative but worth noting
Overall
Avila bounced all over the Horned Frogs line in his four years in Ft. Worth. He found his best success in 2022 as the starting left guard in Sonny Dykes’ spread-style offense. Avila is a power-oriented player with loads of impressive game tape working in run blocking and anchoring vs. strength on the interior.
For the Lions, he’s a good schematic fit for Ben Johnson’s gap-oriented run game. Avila doesn’t have the ideal range, length or functional agility to work in outside zone concepts, though he’s fine in shorter areas and on pulls and traps.
Avila is generally projected (as of Super Bowl Sunday) in the late second round through the mid-fourth round. The later in that range, the better the fit for Avila in Detroit with his starter-caliber game but legit limitations to his ceiling.