Tag: Matt Peart

Chargers 2020 NFL Draft Target: UConn OT Matt Peart

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez puts UConn offensive tackle Matt Peart, a potential draft target, under the microscope.

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 UConn offensive tackle Matt Peart.

Honors and Awards

  • First-team All-American Athletic Conference (2019)

Highlights

Strengths

  • NFL frame with outstanding arm length to initiate contact.

  • Quick initial set-up to cut off speed. Resets quickly to recover-and-counter after a rusher’s first punch/move.

  • Displays bounce in his feet to stay coordinated mid-shuffle – his hoops background is evident, rarely giving up the corner.

  • Good lateral quickness and able to race ahead of the pack on pull blocks and screens.
  • Good reactive athleticism to recover when beaten around the edge

  • Keeps his balance through contact and stays off the ground.

  • Rolls hips and drives his legs to uproot defenders as a run blocker.

  • Four years as starter at both left and right tackle.

Weaknesses

  • Play strength needs continued development. Not a powerful tackle and won’t generate much push as in-line blocker.

  • Technique is a work-in-progress.

  • Not a natural knee-bender, leading to pads and hips tending to rise off the snap.

  • Inconsistent hands, creating awkward positioning and allowing rushers to get inside his frame and bully him backwards. Shoots hands too soon.

  • Needs to do a better job locking out and sitting in his stance to maintain spacing.

  • Allows defenders to rip through his edge.

Summary

Peart, a four-year starter at UConn, is a good athlete that boasts terrific length. The 6-foot-5 and 310 pound tackle doesn’t have overwhelming power to dominate his opponents, but he quickly finds his landmarks and uses his natural movement skills, base and length to keep rushers busy. He is a plus run blocker, especially on stretch plays. The bottom line is that Peart isn’t an overpowering blocker, but he gets in the way and finds ways to keep defenders occupied, projecting as an eventual starter once his hand technique and functional strength improve.

Chargers Fit

Peart needs to add strength and work on his technique if he wishes to reach his play potential. But once he gets stronger and develops more of a mean streak, which shouldn’t take long, he has the physical traits to slide in at right tackle and start. That could come as soon as Week 1, Week 9 in his first year as a pro or Year 2.

Projection: Early-Mid 3rd

7 Senior Bowl players who would look good with the Cardinals

It is still early in the draft evaluation period, but these players already look like a fit for the Cardinals.

The NFL draft is still months away but because of the Senior Bowl, many draft prospects are fresh on the mind of NFL fans everywhere. Several players who participated in the Senior Bowl look like they would fit nicely with the Arizona Cardinals.

There is still much evaluation to do, but just what we know from how they played last season and what they did the week of the Senior Bowl, here are some players would would look great in Cardinal red.

South Carolina Javon Kinlaw

(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Kinlaw was the talk of the Senior Bowl during the week. He created some buzz with his practice and some with what he said. He didn’t end up playing in the game but is expected to be a top-16 pick. He could land on the Cardinals’ radar and they desperately need more talent on the defensive line.

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2020 Senior Bowl: 7 players Giants should keep an eye on

The 2020 Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday, and here are seven players the New York Giants should keep an eye on.

If we learned anything from the 2019 Senior Bowl, it’s that New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman certainly puts stock into it.

Big Blue’s first-round pick, Daniel Jones, was the Most Valuable Player in the game last season and his performance might have put Gettleman over the top to take the Duke product at No. 6.

The Giants have several needs to address in what is a rebuilding project at this point. Jones could use help along the offensive line for both now and in the future, and a weapon at wide receiver wouldn’t hurt, also.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants were a mess in the secondary, and creating pressure with a consistent pass-rush was once again an issue for Big Blue.

If the Giants are going to successfully rebuild this team, Gettleman has got to make the most of his seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, and there’s a good chance some of those picks will be made based on what he sees in this year’s Senior Bowl.

Here are some players to watch on Saturday.

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama

Getting pressure was once again an issue for the Giants in 2019, as their 36 sacks ranked No. 22 in the NFL. On the bright side, Big Blue improved upon its 30 sacks from the 2018 campaign.

Adding to the Giants’ overall sack woes, the team’s sack leader, Markus Golden, is a free agent this offseason and there’s no guarantee he returns.

With New York in the market for an EDGE once again, Terrell Lewis out of Alabama is a Senior to watch. In 10 games last season, the 6-foot-5, 252-pound linebacker totaled 31 tackles (11.5 for loss) and six sacks.

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4 potential Chargers who stood out during Day 3 of Senior Bowl practices

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the four potential Los Angeles Chargers who stood out during Day 3 of Senior Bowl practices.

The third and final day of Senior Bowl practices concluded on Thursday.

Here are four potential Chargers who stood out on Day 3:

Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon

Herbert finished practices with a very productive day for the South Team on Thursday. During the red zone drills, he was dropping dimes in the corner of end zone. In the two-minute drill, Herbert looked composed, he was accurate with nearly all of his throws and each one had pop, displaying his arm talent that he is coveted for. Even when facing pressure, he was quick to diagnose  it, never panicked, rolled out and found his targets each time. He didn’t really take any shots downfield, but his decision-making was precise and he showed great vision to efficiently work through his reads, which is something that he needs to do a better job at. For his phenomenal week, Herbert was named Practice Player of the Week.

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