Joseph Noteboom, OT, TCU: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Joseph Noteboom is part of one of the more mysterious tackle groups in recent memory. He’s talented, but is he worthy of going high in this draft?

Position:  OT

School:  TCU

Year:  Senior

Height:  6’5″

Weight:  319 lbs

STRENGTHS:

• Has a big body and a good power base. Defenders tend to go the opposite direction when he gets a head of steam coming at them.
• Seems to have adequate footwork. Isn’t caught flat-footed very often and does a good job of anchoring against bull rushes.
• Shows solid awareness to pick up pass rushers late either after double-team blocks or on stunts and blitzes, managing to run them out of their lanes to the QB.

Noteboom here showcases the ability to get back into his pass set quickly, giving up no edge space to the rusher. He’s initially jarred by the first punch but manages to maintain his balance and not get knocked off his feet. The QB has enough time to unload the football. It happens so quickly but this was a good block that could’ve gone very wrong.

• Has enough mobility to pull or get to the second level on screens and run blocks. He’s not an elite athlete but he’s not hampered in any category.
• Pass protection really stands out when his hands are right. If he gets the inside grip, the rep is over. He stonewalls guys with regularity.
• For being a big guy who spends the majority of his time with his hand out of the dirt, he does a pretty solid job of maintaining good pad level to maintain leverage.

WEAKNESSES:

• This problem also shows up in his lack of punch. He does try to give the defenders enough of a jarring block to throw off their timing.
• Hand and arm technique need work. Too often lets defenders get into his body, which will open him up to easy spin and counter moves.

This is a perfect illustration of a savvy pass rusher using better hand technique and long arms to force Noteboom into almost completely whiffing on the block. This forces Noteboom to blatantly hold the guy to stop him from crushing the quarterback. That will be called for a penalty quite often in the NFL.

• Doesn’t always play to the whistle. Has a tendency to cease his blocking when it seems like the play is over, allowing his assignment to get in on the play.
• Seems to show a somewhat passive style. Not much aggressiveness or any sort of mean streak. He never really tries to impose his will when blocking.
• Can tend to get a bit frustrated at times and that impacts his play. Has to learn to get over his mistakes quickly and move to the next play.

Pro Comparison:  Chris Williams

The former 1st round pick had a lot of potential when he came out of Vanderbilt but there were some holes in his game that raised a red flag or two. Most notable was his inconsistent hand usage and his general lack of nastiness in his blocking. Injuries eventually slowed him and he was moved to guard where he became a decent player. Noteboom has a similar style and body type. He should be able to stay at tackle though if he avoids injury.

Projection:  3rd Round

Not enough things stand out about Noteboom to make him a top 64 pick. He’s got upside for sure but he’ll likely require a year of work before he’s ready to man an edge for an NFL team. How high he goes will depend on how much work he puts into and how bad he wants it when he finally arrives up here.