Player Summary
Jordan Walsh, a 2011 four-star recruit, started 38 of 46 career games at Iowa. He redshirted in 2011 before making his first career start as a freshman in 2012. That would be his only start at left guard as his final 37 all came at right guard in Iowa’s pro-style offense.
A 2015 first-team All-Big Ten selection, he possesses an adequate combination of height and weight on a low-set frame with solid athletic ability.
FanSided
Measureables
Height: 6’2” 1/4
Weight: 311 lbs
Pro Day Results
40-Yard Dash: 5.31 seconds
10-Yard Split: 1.87 seconds
Bench Press: 22 reps
Vertical Jump: 27 inches
Broad Jump: 8’6”
Three Cone: 7.60 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.89 seconds
Games Watched
2015: Illinois, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Wisconsin
Strengths
Jordan Walsh displays very good awareness in the passing game, as he understands who to block and where his quarterback is at all times. After the snap, he sets up quickly and shows off solid patience as he waits for the defender to make a move. He initiates contact with a good initial punch before using his quick hands to get under the defender’s pads.
Once engaged, Walsh demonstrates solid athletic ability by staying on his toes and maintaining balance and leverage throughout the block. As you can see in the play below, when he puts it all together, Walsh can hold his ground against the top interior pass rushers in the Big Ten. In this case, he stands up Illinois defensive lineman Jihad Ward.
In the run game, Walsh comes off the ball quickly and smoothly. He immediately initiates contact with his hands and maintains solid posture throughout the block. He keeps his head up and quickly gets upfield when asked to block on the second level of the defense.
Weaknesses
As a pass protector, Walsh possesses poor range as he struggles when asked to kick out as a result of marginal lateral quickness. When facing stunts or twists, he becomes tight and isn’t as technically sound as he is when going one-on-one with a defender.
As a run blocker, Walsh does not possess the play strength required to drive defenders off the line of scrimmage. One reason is his only adequate lower body strength, but there’s a technical element as well. In the play below from this past season’s Rose Bowl, Walsh is moving to his right off the snap. He fails to drive the defender back as he’s unable to fuel his block with his lower body.
Rather than bending at the knees, Walsh bends at his waist which hampers his ability to drive block. As a result, he’s forced to grab the defender before taking him to the ground and drawing a flag for holding.
When asked to pull, Walsh lacks the play speed to execute his responsibility as a result of marginal lateral quickness.
NFL decision makers may question his competitive toughness as Walsh lacks the mean streak some teams covet in offensive linemen.
Overall
Overall, Jordan Walsh is a backup guard/center in a zone blocking scheme who wins with awareness and technique. He does not possess the strength to move interior defenders off the line of scrimmage in the run game.
Walsh is a very technically sound lineman, however he lacks the power needed to be a starting guard in the NFL. While some teams will grade Walsh as a guard and others will grade him as a center, he’s at least a year away from contributing on an NFL roster.