Horseshoe Huddle

2025 Draft Offensive Linemen Break Down Most Important Trait for Success

Horseshoe Huddle asked 18 offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft class what their thoughts were on the most important trait for their position.
Zach Hicks|
Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; University of Connecticut offensive lineman Chase Lundt (OL24) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; University of Connecticut offensive lineman Chase Lundt (OL24) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

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Indianapolis Colts

The NFL Combine is a unique experience where media members from around the country get the opportunity to speak with hundreds of NFL hopefuls throughout the week. I was fortunate enough to be there this year covering the Indianapolis Colts, and I obviously used this opportunity to pick the minds of the best position group in all of football; offensive linemen.

The media scrums are set up in a way where it is difficult to get in more than one or two questions to a given prospect, so I attempted to make the most out of this chance to get some insight into the trenches. I asked 18 offensive linemen at the 2025 combine what they thought the single most important trait is for success at their position.

Below are the answers that each player gave me.

John Williams, Cincinnati

There's a few things. One thing I would say would be the next-play mentality. You are going to mess up, that's just part of the position, so being able to move on to the next play and forget about what happened (is important). I would also say confidence. You spend so much time on an island by yourself with guys that are more athletic than you or faster than you, so you have to have real confidence to go out there and play fast.

Wyatt Milum, West Virginia

I would say that you have to be physical to be able to play offensive lineman. You have to have that grit to go out there and dominate the guy in front of you.

Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M

I would say violence. Violence translates. If nothing else, you can be violent. We associate defensive linemen with being a dog... I'm a dog! That's who I am, so being a violent individual is what can set you apart.

Clay Webb, Jacksonville State

Ooh, that's a good one. I would say persistence. No matter what, you gotta be able to go to the next play because one mess-up for you just kills the entire play. In our heads, we are such perfectionists because we have to get every single thing right to call it a good game. We could win a game, or even win by 50, but I could miss one block and it'll haunt me until we watch film.

Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech

I would say adaptability. You have to be able to adapt to the different fronts and also to the different play styles of the guys you are working with. I view myself as the most versatile offensive lineman in this draft, so being able to go from tackle to guard to center on both sides and be able to play with whatever guy is next to me is something that I think I have a great ability to do. I've done it throughout college, so just being able to adapt and work with all types of guys is a great attribute for sure.

Torricelli Simpkins, South Carolina

I... I want to say physicality so bad. I want to say it so bad, but I'll go with communication. The way you communicate with your offensive line is going to get you a whole lot and give you so much more. The way you talk to each other and make sure everybody is on the right assignment, that's the best thing possible for you to do. Also being physical, I just gotta say being physical.

Branson Taylor, Pittsburgh

Grit. You gotta be a gritty guy to play on the offensive line. You don't get a lot of praise throughout the game but there's a lot of grit and a lot of selflessness.

Marcus Tate, Clemson

I would say being selfless. When you play offensive line, you aren't playing for yourself to get put on T.V. You are playing to protect the quarterback and to create the holes for the running back. You are doing everything for somebody else, so you really have to have that trait. I think you have to be a server of men. That's what we were put on Earth for. I just try to serve my teammates the best I can and I believe I've been blessed to do that.

Marcus Mbow, Purdue

I'd say mentality. The physical mentality and the willingness to go out and put somebody in the ground.

Jackson Slater, Sacramento State

Teamwork and the ability to understand different schemes. You are only as good as what you know and if you are able to understand what your job is (and of the guys around you) then I think that is the most important piece.

Xavier Truss, Georgia

I'd say mental toughness. It's natural at the position to have physical toughness -- you wouldn't be an offensive lineman without physical toughness -- but not everybody has that mental toughness. You have to have that next-play mentality. It's huge, especially in the NFL. You are getting fewer opportunities to play than you are in college. There is less practice, and you have less time to perfect your game, so being able to make a mistake, get over it, and get to the next play is huge. Mental toughness is something I feel like everybody in the world could use nowadays.

Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Florida

I would say two different traits. You have to have awareness and have good eyes to diagnose anything that is going on in a play. Then I would say strength. Those are two things that really stand out to me with offensive linemen. I would also say you have to be smart too, though.

Eli Cox, Kentucky

I think grit is probably a word that comes up a lot. You have to have that grit and mental toughness to be an offensive lineman. It's a thankless job, it's a tough job, and it takes all five guys being really tight-knit for any of us to do it well. It's one of the few positions where you are so dependent on the guy next to you, and a good offensive line with five gritty dudes can overcome a lot.

Hayden Conner, Texas

Short-term memory. We are playing some of the best athletes and sometimes guys that are a lot more athletic than us. You have to realize that you will get another chance to fix that rep and if you let it mess with you, you are going to be messed up the rest of the game.

Anthony Belton, NC State

You gotta be violent, physical, and dominant. Also, you have to have the next-play mindset. Every play isn't going to be perfect, so you just gotta get back to the next play and be dominant to make sure it never happens again. You have to have that next-play mentality and be ready to dominate every play and every whistle.

Joshua Gray, Oregon State

I'd probably say grit. Grit is really important. Even if a guy is banged up, he has to have the ability to go all four quarters and fight through it.

Connor Colby, Iowa

Attention to detail. Everything we do is very intricate, from footwork to hand placement, so I think the fundamentals of the game are one thing that will take you a long ways. Make sure you are consistent on every play and the rest will take care of itself.

Chase Lundt, UConn

I would probably say tenacity. I think you have to have great tenacity because, at the end of the day, it comes down to that first explosion. So yeah, that's what I would say.

The biggest lesson to take out of this is that to be successful as an offensive lineman, you have to be smart, selfless, and you have to have that next-play mentality to bounce back after anything. Oh, and grit is another essential piece of the puzzle, too, of course.

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Zach Hicks
ZACH HICKS

Zach Hicks is the Lead Analyst for HorseshoeHuddle.com. Zach has been on the NFL beat since 2017. His works have appeared on SBNation.com, the Locked On Podcast Network, BleacherReport.com, MSN.com, & Yardbarker.com. 

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