Michigan’s offense had room to operate all season long. Ben Braden is one of the men who made that possible.
Ben Braden is no stranger to contact sports. He grew up wanting to be a goalie in the NHL for his hometown team, the Detroit Red Wings. By the time he left high school, he had the body of a football player.
He decided that football was the sport he wanted to pursue. He decided to stay in his home state and play for the Michigan Wolverines. After he earned himself the right tackle job as a sophomore, his career took off.
Measurables
Height: 6’6″
Arm Length: 34″
Weight: 329 lbs
Hands: 9 7/8″
Combine Results
40-yard dash: 5.04 sec
Bench (225 lbs) : 25 reps
Strengths
Braden’s upper body strength is superb. Every single play, he looks to bowl over the defender trying to penetrate into the backfield. He also adds some extra power and widens his base against bull-rushers.
He knows where to land his punch. Braden knows to slam his hands into the ribs of incoming defenders. The tough and gritty Wolverine will fight hard in the NFL trenches.
The Michigan product also possesses the ever-important asset of versatility. He played tackle and guard on both sides of the offensive line during his time as a Wolverine.
Weaknesses
As strong as his upper body is, he doesn’t keep his knees bent beneath him. As a result, he struggles to get his pads low enough to add to his initial punch. While his punch is strong, it could be stronger if he could drop his pads lower.
His punch is also a bit slower than it should be. Braden isn’t the most flexible offensive guard in this class so he often leans into blocks without the force of his legs. He has issues keeping up with speedy rushers since his initial punch can be dodged with speed.
Braden cannot hold blocks as long as he needs to. His punch is strong but his hands slide and the agile defenders in the NFL will be able to avoid his strong upper body. He has to hold blocks longer to make himself valuable.
Final Thoughts
Strength alone may have cut it for Braden in the college ranks. He could hold off defenders that couldn’t get around his powerful punches.
However, in the NFL, strength and agility are required to be successful in the trenches. Since he lacks the agility that other offensive linemen in this draft class possess, he’ll likely fall into the fifth or sixth round.