3. Netane Muti, IOL, Fresno State
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 315
40-Yard Dash: N/A
Bench Press: 44 reps
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: It is rare to encounter a “living legend” during the scouting process, but to listen to his teammates tell the tales, Nehane Muti is one such player. According to the Pro Football Focus draft guade his Fresno State teammates viewed him as a “mythical being,” telling Paul Bunyan-esque tales of him lifting a moose by himself or crushing a 10-by-10 from In-N-Out on his own.
Prior to college, Muti was a two-star recruit coming out of Leilehua High School in Hawaii. Muti originally signed to stay home and play defensive tackle for the University of Hawaii, but when he learned that his application was on hold, he was released from his scholarship and signed with Fresno State to avoid losing a year of eligibility.
Muti struggled with injuries over the past few season, but on film he brings some of those mythical tales to life with his play.
Strengths: We can begin there, with his strength. Muti has one of the strongest – if not the strongest – upper body of this group. He was determined to set the bench press record at the Combine and while he fell just shy, his bench press prowess translates to the field. He has great power behind his hands and can generate a big punch on a defender with minimal load or windup. He can work combination blocks well in the running game and is agile enough to get to the second level when needed.
In pass protection, Muti uses his upper body and lower body in concert well, building his house from the insteps of his feet through his hands. He can anchor himself into the turn and use pure strength to wall off a rushing defender. Here is a great example of this showing up on film:
There is a lot to highlight on this one play. Muti begins by expanding his frame after the snap, forcing the defender to choose his approach. Once the defensive lineman tries to cut inside, Muti gets his big hands on him and controls him with his upper body strength. But then he drops the anchor with the lower body, carving his feet into the Coliseum turf. Pay attention to the instep of his feet, as he uses them for leverage against the defender. When someone discusses “building their house” as a pass blocker, this is what it looks like.
Returning to his upper body strength, Muti even wins when he loses the initial fight. He can rely on his brute force to twist defenders with his arms and wrestle them away from the ball-carrier or the quarterback.
Weaknesses: What drops Muti below the other two players is the scheme fit. His upper body strength and film illustrate a perfect gap/power guard, but when he is tasked with pulling or reaching on zone blocking designs, his athletic limitations are on display. He can execute those blocks, but his best fit is in a gap/power scheme.
There is also the injury history. Muti suffered season-ending injuries each of the past few years, with both a torn Achilles and then with a Lisfranc fracture in 2019. He was cleared to participate fully at the Combine, but decided to just throw the weight around and complete his testing at his Pro Day. When that was canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis, he did not get an opportunity to finish his agility and running drills. Teams might have medical concerns that they cannot address before the draft.
Conclusion: Even with those concerns, Muti is a powerhouse of a guard. His brute strength at the point of contact and ability to anchor against defenders in pass protection make him a solid option in the interior. There will be questions about his versatility and scheme fit, and the medical issues are something to keep in mind, but as the draft gets into Day Two there are certainly worse options at the interior spots along the offensive line.
Comparison: Muti’s power at the point of attack is reminiscent of Andrew Norwell, who relied on a blend of power and technique on the inside to be a force as a run-blocker and also in pass protection.