6.Matt Hennessy, IOL, Temple
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 307
40-Yard Dash: 5.18 seconds
Bench Press: 23 reps
Vertical Jump: 30 inches
Broad Jump: 9 feet 2 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.45 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.6 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Matt Hennessy was a two-way player for Don Bosco High School in New Jersey, starting on the offensive and defensive lines. As a two-star recruit, Hennessy did not have a ton of offers but did garner attention from schools such as Old Dominion, Air Force and Army. He chose to enroll at Temple and eventually earned a starting spot in 2017 at the center spot. Over his three years as a starter, Hennessy has allowed just a single sack. That encapsulates 1,353 pass blocking opportunities.
Stat to Know: Beyond those pressure numbers, Pro Football Focus charted Hennessy with 240 true pass sets the past two seasons. The Temple center allowed a pressure on just three of those.
Strengths: While those pass protection statistics are impressive, Hennessy’s calling card is as a dominant run blocker on the inside. He has great balance and tremendous sense of timing when working combination blocks. Watching him on film there are numerous examples from each and every game where you can see him taking care of two different defenders on a single play. He knows how long to stay on his initial block to make it count, while knowing just when he needs to come off defender one to make sure he can get a piece of defender two.
Here is a prime example of this:
Sure, this play is just a minimal gain, but the fact that it actually is a positive play is due to Hennessy’s timing and awareness. He starts with the down block on the defensive tackle, but he knows that the safety raced into the box right before the snap and is coming like a freight train for his running back, so the center peels off the combination block and stops that freight train cold, giving his RB a chance to cut off the secondary block and get yardage.
He also moves extremely well, both in the screen game as well as when he is executing a zone blocking design. He gets to the reach blocks quickly when needed and is able to use some secondary moves, such as we saw with Nick Harris, to make sure his responsibility is erased from backside pursuit. In pass protection, Hennessy is solid as the numbers suggest, and is technically sound with a solid base under him and with his hand placement when dealing with counter moves.
Weaknesses: The level of competition is something to consider, as Temple did not exactly play an SEC schedule. This is why the Senior Bowl was a massive opportunity for him, and he did not disappoint. He held his own down in Mobile and was one of the best interior offensive lineman down at Ladd-Peebles Stadium over the week. Hennessy was also protected a bit in pass protection. He was given a lot of help in the Temple passing scheme, and they employed a ton of slide protections that left him with a smattering of one-on-one opportunities. That might be something to watch for as he transitions to the next level.
Conclusion: Offensive line coaches would love to get a young player to have the kind of awareness that Hennessy brings to the locker room as a rookie. His timing for combination blocks, his awareness in pass protection for loopers and stunters, and his ability to handle multiple defenders on a single play on almost every single run-blocking opportunity make him a valuable asset in the interior of an offensive line. Teams that rely on the outsize zone running game and have a need at the center spot – such as the Los Angeles Rams – would be wise to get him into their system.
Comparison: Jason Kelce might be a very lofty comparison, but if Hennessy develops as well as possible he might have a similar career path. Kelce is one of the game’s best centers at playing in space, and that is exactly what Hennessy offers as a prospect.