Landon Turner, G , UNC: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report
The University of North Carolina is a basketball school. Unique way to start off a scouting report for an NFL prospect right?
While the imagery of the Tar Heels is predominately centered around what takes place on the hardwood, the football program has manufactured a number of players of the years. The legendary Lawrence Taylor comes to mind, along with Julius Peppers, Giovani Bernard, Robert Quinn, Dre Bly, Harris Barton and others. In this upcoming 2016 draft, offensive lineman Landon Turner possesses hopes and dreams of adding his name to that list of Tar Heels alumni to make a name for themselves in the NFL. Here is the scouting report on the Chapel Hill prospect.
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Height: 6’4
Weight: 325 lbs
Strengths: Turner has prototype height and weight for NFL standards; thick build. He has accumulated experience at left and right guard; saw most of his duty on the right side. Turner has the build of guard who excels in the run game and his film solidifies that. He’s shown the ability to drive his defender to create larger holes and will complete the play with “pancake” blocks.
He has also shown ability to engage with defensive lineman and advance to the next level of defense to engage with linebackers and/or safeties. Shown ability in pass protection, however that realm can use some refining. Three plus seasons of starting experience; fifth year senior in 2015.
Weaknesses: Despite having solid size for the guard position, Turner lacks athleticism. His film shows from time to time he’s able to pull in the running game, but zone-blocking schemes will not be his strong suit. He will also have some trouble with quicker defensive lineman that focuses on penetrating a single gap.
As mentioned earlier, pass protection requires some much-needed polish; his average arm length can be an issue with athletic d-tackles with solid pass rushing techniques.
Bottom line: Viewing Turner’s film, you get the sense that something was missing from him. He has the look of a solid offensive guard who will have a pretty decent career. Turner would be a fit for a run-heavy offense. The lack of athleticism can be an issue but it can also be masked with the right offense.
What Turner can provide to a team is leadership and stability. As long as the expectations for a 6’4 325 lb guard are manageable, Turner will be worth grabbing and building an offensive line with.