O’Cyrus Torrence Scouting Report and NFL Draft Player Profile
2023 NFL Draft Measurements
O’Cyrus Torrence 40-Yard Dash Time – 5.40
6’5” / 347 lbs
O’Cyrus Torrence Draft Profile
O’Cyrus Torrence is a former 3-star recruit out of St. Helena College and Career Academy in Greensburg, Louisiana. According to 247sports, Torrence was the 61st-best player in the state of Louisiana in the 2019 recruiting class. He was also the 123rd-best offensive tackle in the nation. While achieving this status, he received scholarships from 7 Division I programs. Some of these programs include South Alabama, Louisiana Tech, Georgia, and Louisiana. After playing 3 seasons at Louisiana, Torrence decided to follow his head coach Billy Napier to Florida and finish his career as a Gator.
Torrence’s college career was very impressive. According to PFF, in 1,501 pass-blocking snaps, he has not given up a single sack. In his 2022 season at Florida, Torrence only allowed 8 hurries, and 8 pressures while not allowing a single sack or QB hit. These stats have led to him being a top-five offensive lineman on most big boards.
Strengths
Run Blocking
The first thing that stands out when watching Torrence’s film, is his dominance when run blocking. Torrence shows incredible play strength to win at the point of attack forcing the defender off-balance. After knocking them off-balance, he uses his hand placement and power to steer defenders. He also shows incredible upper-body strength to overpower defenders and finish his block by forcing them to the ground.
When in gap-blocking schemes, Torrence shows incredible explosiveness and power to get a push off at the point of attack. Torrence also shows a great knowledge of angles to double-team a defender. This gives the ball carrier a wide-open lane to run through. He also does a good job of attacking the defender’s hips in double teams. This forces the defender off-balance, giving his teammate more leverage. Then, he works his way up to the 2nd level and uses his size to overpower smaller defenders.
In zone-blocking schemes, Torrence does a good job of working his way up into open space. When in open space, if he can get his hands on a defender, he will win 99% of the time. This is because he is significantly bigger and stronger than every defender in the 2nd level.
Instincts
O’Cyrus Torrence is one of the smartest and most instinctual offensive linemen that I have seen at the collegiate level. When the ball is snapped, his head is constantly on a swivel if he doesn’t have a blocking assignment. This vision and awareness allows him to recognize stunts and twists allowing him to pick up the block and buy the QB some time. When adjusting to these stunts, he uses his punch strength to knock defenders back. This buys him and his fellow linemen to adjust their leverage and execute their blocks. His awareness doesn’t only help him execute blocks, it also helps his teammates. Torrence does a good job of recognizing when his teammate is losing a block. He then makes his way over and helps his teammate causing the defender to lose all leverage.
Hand Placement
In both pass and run-blocking schemes, Torrence is very good at putting his hands in the perfect position to gain leverage. When facing a defender head-on, he keeps his hands high and on the inside but below the shoulder pads. This allows him to drive defenders upward and onto their heels. When steering the defender, he places his outside hand on the bicep of the defender. He then uses his raw power to move the defender to create an open lane for the ball carrier. He also does a good job of placing his hand on the bicep of the defender when they gain outside leverage. This allows Torrence to force the defender back toward the middle of his body allowing him to lock them out.
Anchor
O’Cyrus Torrence is one of the best lineman at dropping the anchor out of the 2023 NFL Draft class. He has an incredibly strong lower body that allows him to stand his ground against top bull rushers in the nation. When playing Georgia this season, there were countless snaps where Torrence neutralized Jalen Carter when he bull-rushed. Torrence also shows good hand placement when dropping the anchor, keeping his hands high and inside. This often forces the defender onto their heels, losing all of their power.
Weaknesses
Agility
The biggest concern that I have about Torrence’s game is his overall athleticism. In order for Torrence to be a top guard in the NFL, he needs to work on his lateral agility. This leaves him susceptible to speed rushers who can beat him on the outside. He also needs to work on his foot speed when he is pull-blocking. I often noticed that by the time Torrence got to his blocking assignment, they were already in the backfield. If he can work on making up ground quickly off the snap, he will be a top run blocker in the NFL in a few years.
Pad Level
When in pass protection, I noticed that Torrence has a tendency to get too vertical. This eliminates a lot of his lower body strength and forces him to rely on his upper body strength to win blocks. Although he has the upper body strength to still win blocks, I question if he will be able to consistently do so in the NFL.
O’Cyrus Torrence Draft Stock
When looking at other big boards, I see that Torrence is seen as an early to mid 2nd-round pick. Personally, I would take him in the back end of the first round. This is because his natural ability to consistently win in run-blocking schemes is too good to pass up on.
Final Thoughts on O’Cyrus Torrence
O’Cyrus Torrence is my favorite interior offensive lineman in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is a very smart and instinctual player which allows him to consistently win blocks regardless of what the defense brings. He is also very powerful at the point of attack to knock back and steer defenders away from the ball carrier. In both pass and run blocking schemes, Torrence shows very good hand placement by placing his hands high and on the inside of the breastplate. This allows him to drive defenders upward and back on their heels. As I mentioned earlier, if Torrence can work on improving his lateral agility against speed rushers he will be a top lineman in the NFL in a few years.
O’Cyrus Torrence Player Comparison
O’Cyrus Torrence reminds me of former Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green. Although Green was drafted in the top 15 last season, I believe that Torrence is more gifted.
O’Cyrus Torrence Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis
