2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Nate Potter, Boise State
By Editorial Staff
6-6 293lbs Senior
Pros:
Nate Potter is a player that uses his ability to think quickly to his advantage. His smarts allow him to put himself in the proper position while avoiding mistakes. He has good height and long enough arms to excel at the next level. Potter has excellent footwork in pass protection and does a good job mirroring defenders. In pass protection it is important to have quick feet and Potter has the feet necessary to slide and keep defenders in front of him. When the defense brings pressure he is quickly able to recognize it and pick up the appropriate rusher. In the running attack Potter takes good angles to seal off defenders and open up running lanes. Potter would fit nicely in a zone blocking scheme where he can utilize his high football IQ and good footwork.
Cons:
The biggest concern for NFL teams is going to be Potter’s size and strength. At 293lbs he is going to be undersized anywhere he lines up. Potter has shown time and time again that he doesn’t have elite strength and can get bulled over by powerful pass rushers. In the running game he can have a hard time moving bigger defenders out of gaps which could clog things up for the running backs. Potter isn’t the most athletic linemen out there and this leads to some trouble in pass protection. While he has quick feet he isn’t fast enough to stay with the really fast pass rushers. This season we saw a good example of this as he gave up a few sacks against Virginia Tech’s speed rushers.
Thoughts:
Potter makes up for his lack of ideal skills by putting in hard work and using proper technique. However, I have real concerns about his overall strength and athleticism. He needs to prove that he can handle the speed rush better to be considered high tackle prospect.
Projected Round:
I have Potter sitting in the 3rd round range.