NFL Draft Profile: Brent Laing, Offensive Lineman, Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
#76
Pos: iOL
Ht: 6036
Wt: 304
Hand: 0968
Arm: 3238
Wing: 7868
40: 5.01
DOB: 6/3/1999
Hometown: Lakeville, MN
High School: Lakeville North
Eligibility: 2023
Brent Laing
Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
One-Liner:
A versatile offensive lineman that has good athleticism and agility but will need to develop his technique to stick at the next level.
Evaluation:
Laing has versatility and agility that make him an important piece to Minnesota Duluth’s offensive line. He started as a guard before moving to tackle, playing primarily on the right side of the Bulldogs’ offensive line. Brent Laing has exceptional speed and agility for an offensive lineman. Laing’s background in throwing in track and field translates well to the football field. His movements look comfortable and relaxed. He looks natural running in space and changing directions. Laing can easily can pull and move laterally in a variety of zone and man-blocking schemes. In pass protection, Laing looks sharp and explosive in his pass set with composed hands. The tackle can continue to create depth with his kick slide and match the path of outside edge rushers. He plays with a mean intent and looks to finish off-balance defenders in the turf. His work ethic translates through his tape, and he looks to always be giving high levels of effort. Brent Laing is a slightly smaller tackle, and he probably compares more similarly to NFL guards than tackles. Laing does well to initiate contact, but can struggle to maintain it to prevent defenders from slipping off and making tackles at the last moment. He lacks the pure power to knock large defenders back on isolated blocks at the point of attack. When pass protecting, the Duluth tackle seems to not have the strength of size to anchor after his punches. This causes Laing to wrestle and grapple with defenders rather than sit back and strike. If the defender gets control of Laing’s chest, he doesn’t have the size or inertia to resist being driven into his quarterback’s pocket. He relies heavily on his technique and positioning to make up for the lack of raw strength in his game. Laing will likely be a guard in the NFL. His agility and speed are what make him attractive as a prospect, but his smaller stature and low-inertia are concerns in translating his game to the next level. When considering the competition that he faced, transitioning his game to the NFL will be a major challenge. Laing will likely be a multi-year project if he can retain a roster spot. Laing deserved attention in the upcoming 2021 season. If he puts together another productive season and can add some weight, his name could pop up around draft circles.
Grade:
UDFA
Background:
Brent Laing is a reliable Offensive Linemen for his team where he has not missed a whole lot of games. In 2021 he was on the Reese’s Senior Bowel Preseason Watchlist and was looked to by players and coaches as a team leader. From Lakeville, Minnesota, and at Lakeville North High School, Laing was a four year starter for his team and was voted the Lineman of the Year for his team. Laing is majoring in business and is the son of Patrick and Mary Laing.
