Scouting Report: Matt Peart, OT Connecticut
Born in Jamaica loving soccer and going to high school in Byfield, Massachusetts loving basketball, Matt Peart had never played football. Going to a school that required him to play a fall sport, he was convinced to play football and fell in love.
Barely recruited out of high school, Peart went to Connecticut as a two-star prospect. Fast forward to his final year in Storrs and he was the only redshirt senior on the team. When Randy Edsall was re-hired, everyone else took the opportunity to become a grad transfer while Peart stayed, was a leader and became a better football player. He's played different spots on the line, but he's found a home at right tackle.
Athletic Profile
Age: 22 (Born June 11, 1997)
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 318 lbs
40-Yard Dash: 5.06
Broad Jump: 9'5"
Vertical Jump: 30"
3-Cone Drill: 8.01
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.92
Bench Press: 26 Reps
Peart has prototypical height and length for the position with a strong build. He possesses fantastic speed and explosion. His agility and balance leave something to be desired but the other attributes can make up for it.
In fact, the Browns had a player succeed at the highest levels with similar athletic testing results in Joe Thomas coming out of Wisconsin. That doesn't mean Peart will be a hall of fame caliber tackle, but it shows that a player with excellent explosion can be more than athletic enough to make up for a weakness in agility.
Peart's age doesn't really help or hurt him. He turns 23 in June, which is fine.
Run Blocking
The theme that consistently shows itself with Peart's play is his effort. He plays to the echo to the whistle, is relentless and wears down opponents. If he can help a teammate gain an edge on a block or pick up an extra one, he'll do it. He's protective of his teammates and does little things to make sure they don't get near the ball carrier before or after the whistle.
When he's right, his first step is explosive and he can get on the opponent immediately and his length can overwhelm them. Connecticut uses a lot of zone concepts, so Peart is accustomed to positional blocking, but he rarely settles for just getting in the way. Once he's in position, he's looking to dominate the opponent. He can appear somewhat mechanical or careful in lining up some blocks, but the results often work out incredibly well as he then starts driving his legs and finishes the opponent. If he can become more fluid in how lowers his pads to line up blocks, he will only get better.
His athleticism and range is impressive. Peart often doesn't use his full speerd in what seems to be out of concern that he might overrun plays or be out of control. That's not likely to be something he can do in the NFL, so he'll have to get better playing at a higher speed. There's a small concern with the level of competition, but he did perform well as a run blocker during the week at the Senior Bowl against high level competition. Peart's play strength, his attention to detail, and his sheer effort will have coaches fall in love with him.
Pass Protection
Peart being as long as he is, it can be difficult to get around him. Between his height and his arms, he does have some room for error when he makes a misstep. He mirrors reasonably well, but he will try to anticipate and get caught out of position on occasion, then relying on his length to make up the difference. At times, he looks uncomfortable in space waiting for an opponent to initiate the action. When Peart gets hands on, he settles down and takes control.
The biggest question mark when it comes to Peart in pass protection is the level of competition he faced. The AAC just didn't offer much this past season, so he wasn't really tested during the season. It wasn't until the Senior Bowl week where he got stressed as a pass protector and it raised some questions.
The biggest thing that hurt Peart in drills was a poor stance. He was often beat before the play started by not getting an explosive first step, overthinking the drill and not focusing on what he needs to do to put himself in position. He didn't have as much reach dealing with speed rushes and he wasn't coming out with the power he should. As a result, he was often trying to make up ground. He was far more comfortable in team situations where it just looked like he wasn't overthinking it and just played his game.
Peart has a ton to work with, but he's not quite there yet in pass protection. He needs to master his stance, be more comfortable in space and get experience going against more talented pass rushers. It would not be a surprise if he had a difficult time early in camp in the NFL because he simply hasn't faced the level of talent the NFL routinely has to offer. He will figure it out, but it's a question of how long that will take. As a result, he might not be a plug and play type right tackle which could impact where teams value him.
Fit, Usage and Projection for the Browns
Matt Peart is a developmental right tackle that should start relatively early in his career. Whether that's at the start of his rookie year, some point during it or in year two is the question. His experience in zone fundamentals is valuable to a team like the Browns. His length and movement skills are exactly what the Browns are hoping to find. The effort he plays with and mentality he brings make it easy to buy in to what he can be. Peart warrants a day two selection.
