Connor Colby NFL Draft Profile

 

Connor Colby Scouting Report

 

 

2024 NFL Draft Measurements

6’6″ / 311 lbs.

Connor Colby 40 Time – 5.10 (estimate)

 

Introduction

Connor Colby is a former 4-star recruit from Cedar Rapids, IA. He attended John F Kennedy High School where he had a very successful 4-year career and received 8 Division I offers. He would have received many more offers, however, he committed to Iowa when he was just a sophomore. By the time he graduated high school, 247sports had him ranked as the 2nd best player in the state of Iowa. This was one spot above teammate and consensus 1st round pick Cooper DeJean. Now let’s get into the Connor Colby scouting report.

 

Strengths

 

Athleticism

Connor Colby has good initial quickness out of a 2-point stance when lined up in pass protection. This is due to his good kick speed, wide base, and ability to cover ground quickly off the snap. He also uses his foot speed and hip mobility to adjust to stunts working toward the inside of the line. At the point of attack, he displays good balance by keeping his pad level low and using his lower body strength to hold his ground. When run blocking, he has very good explosiveness out of a 3-point stance to be the first to engage and steer defenders.

 

Use of Hands

As mentioned above, Colby has good explosiveness and is often the first to engage at the point of attack. This is primarily due to his aggressiveness, punch power, and ability to latch onto the defender. Regardless of who is opposite of him, he does a good job of neutralizing the rusher and keeping them centered on his body. He can do this by consistently being able to latch onto the breastplate of the defender and using his strength to prevent them from working around the outside. Another way he can neutralize defenders throughout their rush is by keeping his hands active and being able to adjust his leverage.

 

Zone Blocking

As it is pretty well known, Iowa did not have the best passing offense this year. So, they often had to move the chains by running the ball. They were most effective on inside zone runs toward the right side. After initial contact, Colby shows off his foot speed and agility through traffic to get to the 2nd level and act as a lead blocker. If the ball was run to the left side of the line, he also did a good job of pulling across the line and opening up a gap.

 

Pass Protection

Colby has many of the tools you need to be a successful pass protector in the NFL. His initial quickness off the snap allows him to cover a lot of ground off the snap. It also allows him to be the first to engage in contact at the point of attack. After initial contact, he does a good job of latching onto the defender’s breastplate and keeping them centered on his body. He is also good at keeping his elbows tight to his body and using his upper body strength to neutralize defenders. Against the bull rush, he can keep his pad level low with a good amount of knee bend. This allows him to effectively drop the anchor and buy his QB some time in the pocket.

 

Weaknesses

 

Stalls at Point of Attack

The biggest concern I have regarding Colby’s style of play is his tendency to stop moving his feet after the point of attack. By doing so, he allows the rusher to gain outside leverage on him and apply pressure on the QB. When he lined up at RT last season, he often tended to overextend his upper body without moving his feet. This allowed the opposing rusher to quickly run the arc and effortlessly get to the QB.

 

Effectiveness vs. Speed Rushers

Although I mentioned above that he can cover a lot of ground off the snap, he struggles against top-tier speed rushers. His tendency to overextend off the snap and not move his feet leaves him vulnerable against speed rushers. This is due to their ability to avoid his punch and work toward the outside of his body. At the next level, this is something that he will have to adjust to even if he stays as a guard.

 

Final Thoughts on Connor Colby Scouting Report

Overall, Connor Colby has a lot of the essential tools needed to be a solid NFL right guard. His explosiveness and aggressiveness off the snap allow him to quickly gain leverage on defenders. He delivers a powerful punch on the breastplate of the defender that more often than not slows them down. Colby then uses his upper body strength to keep them centered on his body. However, if he loses leverage directly off the snap, he will likely lose the matchup. He also needs to work on his ability to mirror speed rushers off the line. This will allow him to consistently win matchups and buy his QB some extra time.

 

Connor Colby NFL Comparison

His film reminds me a lot of current Packers RG Jon Runyan Jr.

 

Connor Colby Draft Stock

Unfortunately, Colby has fallen down my draft board throughout the season. Currently, I would not take him any higher than the early 6th round. My projection for him will be the late 6th to early 7th round. This is due to his inconsistency and adequate foot movement at the point of attack. If he can work on this in the offseason and have a good combine, he will rise up several boards.