Finding Broncos: Alijah Vera-Tucker | OL

Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, a very talented player whom the Denver Broncos could use.

Measurables

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 300 pounds

Pros

Has starting experience at both guard and tackle, a plus for his overall value
Has the requisite traits to play either position, though he may be best suited inside at guard
Enough traits to work in any scheme
Plenty of athleticism
Wins early in the rep because of the athleticism, paired with solid technique and power
While lacking great power, he has enough driving force to really work the point of attack with enough sand in his pants to drop and anchor
Appears to have high football IQ to recognize pass rush quickly
Decisively goes to combat the rush, especially with delayed blitzes and twists/stunts
Strikes with force and with a purpose and will stun defenders

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Cons

Hand technique will need refinement
Hands tend to slide outside of the opponent's frame, opening him up to holding calls
Needs to get stronger at the point of attack, though his current strength isn't crippling
If tapped to play tackle, there will need to be work done on his footwork and getting proper depth in his pass sets
Needs to learn to keep his hands up and ready as he tends to drop them, opening himself up to counters.

Overview

There is a reason why Vera-Tucker is one of my favorite prospects in this draft class. He has the ability to play any of the five spots on the offensive line, though I wouldn’t put him at center just because of what he can do elsewhere.

Fit with Broncos

Having the versatility to slide out to tackle would do wonders for the burgeoning Broncos' O-line. All the traits that Vera-Tucker has points to a successful NFL career as a great-level offensive lineman for 10-15 years.

Vera-Tucker isn’t a perfect prospect, but the athleticism he has can cover up a lot of issues he has while he works on them and develops those areas of his game.

Grade: Round 1

Where he Goes: Round 1

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