Blake Freeland Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

 

Blake Freeland Draft Measurements

40-Yard Dash Time – 5.00 (estimate)

6’8” / 305 lbs.

 

Blake Freeland Draft Profile

Blake Freeland is a former 3-star recruit from Herriman High School in Herriman, Utah. According to his 247sports profile, he was the 11th-best recruit in the state of Utah. While achieving this status, he received scholarships from three Division I programs. These schools were Vanderbilt, Utah, and BYU. After visiting Utah and BYU, he opted to play for BYU and become a Cougar. Since joining BYU, Freeland has been nothing but impactful. According to Pro Football Focus, Freeland has had 1,418 pass-blocking snaps in his career. In these snaps, he only allowed 41 pressures and 2 sacks. This makes him one of the best pass blockers in the nation. According to PFF, the only draft-eligible tackles he is ranked behind are Peter Skoronski and Patrick Paul.

 

Strengths

 

 

Pass Protection

When watching Freeland on film, he is most gifted when in pass protection schemes. His size and strength allow him to be the one to engage in contact first. He is very good at timing his punches which often leads to defenders being forced to stand up and lose forward momentum. Although Freeland is primarily known for his power, he is also good at getting set quickly off the snap. This is due to his above-average foot speed and balance. Once he is set, he lets his raw power execute and finish blocks often leading to him neutralizing defenders.

When in pass protection, he also has incredible hand placement. When facing speed rushers, he does a good job of placing his left hand on the defender’s outside bicep and his right hand on the defender’s left pectoral. This allows him to neutralize defenders and buy his quarterback some time. Freeland is very good at dropping the anchor to defend against the bull rush. When dropping the anchor, he shows an incredible blend of balance and lower body strength to neutralize the rusher.

 

Run Blocking

Although Freeland is an elite-level pass protector, he is also a very good run blocker. In gap-blocking schemes, Freeland does a good job of pull blocking across the line. This is due to his good quickness and explosiveness off the snap to quickly get set. When he gets to his blocking assignment, he shows good hand placement and power to steer defenders. This often opens up a wide-open lane for the ball carrier. He also does a good job of getting a good push off at the point of attack often forcing the defender onto their heels.

When zone blocking, Freeland is incredible at quickly getting to the 2nd level to act as a lead blocker. While moving to the 2nd level, he shows good quickness to quickly get set and properly execute his blocks. Freeland is also good at reach blocking, using his footwork and strength to seal off the edge.

 

Size

Blake Freeland is an above-average size compared to most offensive tackles standing at 6’8″. His size allows him to often be the first one to engage at the point of attack allowing him to quickly gain leverage. After gaining leverage, Freeland solely relies on his play strength to do the rest. At the point of attack, he does a good job of knocking back the defender forcing them to lose all power and leverage. When in pass protection, he also does a good job of driving defenders upwards onto their heels. Once he gets them off-balance, he does a good job of overpowering the defender and forcing them to the ground.

 

Aggressiveness

When watching Freeland on film, I was impressed with his aggressiveness and high motor. As I have mentioned several times throughout this article Freeland is often the first one to engage in contact. This is due to his size, strength, and aggressiveness to drive forward and knock the defender backward. He is also very aggressive when in the phone booth allowing him to overpower defenders and force them to the ground.

 

Athleticism

For an offensive lineman of Freeland’s size, he has incredible athleticism. He displays incredible initial quickness off the snap to get set in pass protection. When engaged in contact, he has a wide base which allows him to maintain balance against the bull rush. In zone blocking schemes, he does a good job of using his foot speed to quickly get to and execute blocks in the 2nd level. In gap blocking schemes, he also does a good job of using his foot speed to pull across the line and act as a lead blocker.

 

Weaknesses

 

Pad Level

Although Freeland’s size is often seen as a strength, it does hinder his ability to keep his pad level low. In pass protection, Freeland struggles to sink his hips when moving back in his set. This forces him vertically making him rely on his upper body strength to win blocks. When he gets vertical in pass protection, he is susceptible to the bull rush if the defender’s pad level is lower than his. His adequate pad level when moving back in his set can also hinder kick speed. If he is lined up opposite a speed rusher, he will often lose outside leverage. This makes him susceptible to a defender beating him on the outside. If he tries to make up the ground he lost, he could also be susceptible to spin moves back toward the inside.

 

Blake Freeland Draft Stock

Freeland is an incredible pass protector and shows glimpses of being an elite run blocker. But the fact that he gives up lots of pressures to speed rushers makes me believe he will likely go in the 3rd or 4th round. If he can work on getting his pad level lower and improving his kick speed, he is a 2nd round talent.

 

Final Thoughts on Blake Freeland

Blake Freeland is one of the best pass protectors in the nation. He shows incredible hand placement in pass protection allowing him to neutralize defenders. When he gets his hands set, he shows elite-level strength that allows him to finish the block. At the point of attack, he is very aggressive and does a good job of being the first one to engage in contact. He has a strong punch that allows him to knock defenders back onto their heels. As I briefly mentioned earlier, Freeland needs to improve his ability to consistently beat speed rushers. This starts with working on his kick speed in pass protection by dropping his pad level.

 

Player Comparison

Blake Freeland’s size is very similar to another 2023 NFL Draft Prospect Jaxson Kirkland who another Draft Dive Analyst is very high on. Freeland’s blocking ability reminds me of former BYU offensive tackle Brady Christensen.

 

Blake Freeland Scouting Report Analyst – Matthew Lewis