Aaron Morris, a 2011 four-star recruit, started 40 of 49 career games for Ole Miss. He was granted a medical redshirt in 2013 after tearing the ACL in his left knee in the season opener.
He partially tore same ACL in 2014, causing him to miss the team’s bowl game. He allowed 10 hurries and one sack while committing six penalties in 2015.
He possesses very good height and weight with a strong frame and solid athletic ability.
Measureables
Height: 6’5″ 3/8
Weight: 311 lbs
Arm Length: 33.5 inches
Hand Size: 9.75 inches
Games Watched
2015: Auburn, Memphis, Oklahoma State
2014: Alabama, Mississippi State
Strengths
Aaron Morris displays solid athletic ability off the snap, setting up quickly as a pass protector while maintaining a balanced base. Shows a good understanding of where the QB is at all times as a result of solid instincts. Remains patient while utilizing his play strength to deliver a solid initial punch to the defender.
As a run blocker, he comes off the ball quickly and smoothly with a natural hip roll as a result of good athletic ability. This is on full display when Morris is asked to pull from his left guard position.
In the clip below, Morris is asked to pull on an outside sweep play. He shows off impressive quickness and lateral agility as he works his way down the line of scrimmage. Once he locates his target, Morris turns upfield and launches himself at the safety, knocking the defender off his feet.
He initiates contact with strong, quick hands while maintaining solid posture and leverage throughout the block. As seen in the clip above, Morris finishes his blocks with intensity and aggressiveness.
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Despite his injury history, there is little reason to doubt his competitive toughness. Morris tore the ACL in his left knee prior to the 2014 Egg Bowl versus rival Mississippi State, but played through the injury. Ole Miss would go on to upset the fourth-ranked Bulldogs while amassing 532 total yards of offense.
Weaknesses
In pass protection, Morris struggles to initiate contact as a result of marginal hand speed. It’s clear in the play below how his hand speed affects his ability to be a reliable pass blocker. From his right defensive tackle position, Alabama’s Dalvin Tomlinson is able to initiate contact and get his hands under the shoulder pads of Morris.
From there, he simply shoves Morris aside and heads toward the QB. The ball is thrown before Tomlinson can get to the passer, but this play shows how easily Morris is beaten off the snap.
Also in the play above, you can see how Morris plays flat-footed, rather than on his toes. This hinders his ability to slow down quicker, more agile defenders, especially on stunts and blitzes. Morris allowed either a hurry, QB hit or sack on 5.3% (16 out of 304) of the passing plays in which he was on the field. That ranked last among the nine Ole Miss offensive linemen who played at least 120 snaps in 2015.
In the run game, he lacks the lower body strength to fuel blocks with his legs and generate the power needed to drive defenders off the line of scrimmage. Demonstrates marginal mental processing skills once on the second level of the defense, as he does not possess the awareness to locate defenders quickly.
Overall
Overall, Aaron Morris is a backup guard in a zone blocking scheme who wins with athletic ability and toughness. He’s not someone who should be relied upon as a pass blocker at this point in his career.
As a four-star recruit who started six games as a freshman, Morris appeared well on his way to becoming one of the top guard prospects in his draft class. However, injuries and inconsistent play hampered his growth and he’s now considered a late-round pick at best.
Regardless of his NFL destination, Morris will need to hone his pass-blocking skills on a practice squad before being ready to contribute at the NFL level.