Matthew Bergeron NFL Draft Profile

 

 

Matthew Bergeron Scouting Report: Offensive Tackle, Syracuse Orange, #60

 

 

2023 NFL Draft Measurements

Matthew Bergeron 40-Time: Estimated 5.30-5.35 range

6’5” / 322 lbs.

 

 

Matthew Bergeron Syracuse Orange NFL Draft Profile

Matthew Bergeron played high school ball at Cégep Garneau in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. According to 247sports, Bergeron was a 3-star recruit where he was ranked the 118th offensive tackle in the 2019 class. He was also the 2nd best player out of Quebec City. Although he was a good high school prospect, he only received one Division I offer. This school was Syracuse, the program that he played for the past 4 years.

According to PFF, Bergeron had a rough first two seasons at Syracuse. In his first two seasons, he allowed 7 sacks, 24 hurries, and 32 pressures in 606 pass protection snaps. As a freshman, he primarily played at right tackle and it is safe to say he doesn’t belong there. In 2020 as a sophomore, he played 471 snaps at LT and 195 at RT. Then, as a junior, he made the full transition to left tackle. In 378 pass protection snaps this season, he only allowed 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 9 hurries, and 11 pressures. This would end up being his best season at Syracuse. As a senior, he had 392 pass-blocking snaps. Unfortunately for him, his production went down slightly. He allowed 5 sacks, 4 QB hits, 3 hurries, and 12 pressures.

 

Matthew Bergeron Strengths

 

Athleticism

Matthew Bergeron is one of the most athletic left tackles in the 2023 NFL Draft class. Bergeron is light on his feet which allows him to be an effective run and pass blocker. In pass protection, his amazing kick speed allows him to get to his set point quickly off the snap. It also allows him to get deep very quickly, allowing him to cut off speed rushers. Bergeron also has very good lateral agility which makes him very good against stunts and late blitzes. It also makes him effective when pull blocking because he can quickly get across the line. Bergeron is also explosive out of a 3-point stance when run blocking. This allows him to knock back defenders although he is not very powerful off the snap.

When engaging in contact, Bergeron does a good job of keeping his feet moving. This allows him to stay with defenders throughout their rush and keep them contained to the center of his body. Bergeron is also solid at finishing his blocks and forcing his target to the ground. This is due to his solid upper body strength and balance to manipulate the defender.

 

Mental Processing

Bergeron does a good job of diagnosing the defense allowing him and his line to give the QB some time. After the ball is snapped, he keeps his head on a swivel which allows him to react quickly to stunts. It also helps him to identify late blitzers and pick up the block if he doesn’t have an assignment. When run blocking, Bergeron also has a very good understanding of blocking angles. This has allowed him to be a lead blocker for Sean Tucker and help him be a very effective back.

 

Run Blocking

As I mentioned earlier, Bergeron has very good foot speed when pull-blocking. This allows him to quickly get across the line and get in front of the ball carrier. When reaching his target, he does a good job of using his hands to steer them to open a lane. He is also good at helping to double-team a defender to open a lane for Tucker. His ability to steer defenders and attack their center of gravity allows him and his o-line to consistently win when run blocking. Bergeron is also effective when drive blocking due to his ability to keep his back parallel to the ground. This allows him to attack the hips of the defender and get a good push at the point of attack.

Bergeron is also impressive when zone blocking. He does a good job of using his foot speed to quickly work his way to the 2nd level. Then, he is good at engaging in contact and keeping the defender controlled to the center of his body. As I mentioned earlier, he can also easily steer defenders to create a lane for the ball carrier. When reach blocking, Bergeron does a good job of staying balanced and forcing defenders in the other direction.

 

Matthew Bergeron Weaknesses

 

Power

Matthew Bergeron is not a naturally strong offensive lineman. His below-average wingspan makes him susceptible to the bull rush because he doesn’t have the length to force them vertically. He also doesn’t have a very strong anchor which again makes him adequate against the bull rush. I also noticed that when blocking in the 2nd level, he seems to lose the power that he has at the line. This makes me question if he will be effective in the 2nd level going forward.

 

Pad Level

Although Bergeron has a solid pass-blocking grade according to PFF, I have questions surrounding his technique. The biggest concern that I have is his inability to keep his pad level low. As many offensive linemen know when in the trenches, the low man wins. Unfortunately for Bergeron, this is the source of why he allows a lot of pressures. When lined up in a 2-point stance, Bergeron struggles to keep his hips low and loaded with pressure. This leads to his shoulder pads being higher than the defender which can make him susceptible to many pass-rush moves.

 

Matthew Bergeron Draft Stock

As of today, nflmockdraftdatabase has Bergeron as the 73rd-best player in the draft. Although it is common to see Bergeron ranked this high, I am not sure if I can do that. Bergeron has a solid set of skills that will translate to the NFL, but he still has some developing to do. Personally, I would take Matthew Bergeron on the backend of the 3rd round.

 

Final Thoughts on Matthew Bergeron Scouting Report

Matthew Bergeron is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft. Given his size, he is incredibly light on his feet. This allows him to be effective in the pass and run game. In the passing game, he can quickly get to his set point to cut off speed rushers. He also shows off his lateral agility when adjusting to stunts and late blitzes. Bergeron also does a good job of keeping his head on a swivel which helps him diagnose the defense. His ability to be effective when gap and zone blocking is also very impressive given he didn’t have a high PFF grade. Going forward, I have concerns about how his lack of arm length and power will affect his ability in the NFL. He also needs to work on sinking his hips during the play so he can keep his pad level low.

 

Matthew Bergeron Player Comparison

Matthew Bergeron reminds me a lot of former Ohio State Buckeye Nicholas Petit-Frere. The only major difference is that Bergeron has a significantly faster kick.

 

Matthew Bergeron Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis