NFL Draft Profile: Tyler Vrabel, Offensive Tackle, Boston College Eagles
#78
Pos: OT
Ht: 6050
Wt: 305
DOB: 6/24/01
Eligible: 2022
Bellaire, TX
Saint Pius X High School
Tyler Vrabel
Boston College Eagles
Pros:
Pulido: Tyler Vrabel is a player to watch for next season. Vrabel has enough size and length to play on the outside. He has some solid foot speed to reach his set points fast. He plays very under control and doesn’t lose balance. He shows some excellent flashes against length and athleticism. Against length, he uses an excellent punch and above-average hand usage to keep them from getting in and having leverage on him. Against the speed, he stays in his set point and keeps half-man relation. He also has an outstanding ability to anchor against the bull rush. Vrabel is dominant in the run game and sets the edge intensely. He is a fiery competitor and it shows up as he mauls opponents.
Ezring: The 2021 Boston College offensive line has NFL prospects at every position. One of the team’s most consistent and effective linemen is Tyler Vrabel. The tackle started every game of the 2019 season before playing every snap in 2020. Vrabel’s versatility, having played left and right tackle while boasting a skill set that may allow him to move to guard, will appeal to teams at the next level. The experienced starter primarily wins with his sound technique. He generally plays over his base while displaying patient but effective hands. He keeps his feet active behind his punches, enhancing his ability to mirror and recover from poor shots. If Vrabel has his hands knocked away early in the snap, he has the wherewithal to quickly reestablish contact. While engaged, Vrabel typically maintains a wide base to improve his anchor. In vertical sets, he exhibits a hard inside shoulder to stay ready for inside-outside threats. He down blocks well in the run game and rolls his hips through engagement. Further, Vrabel’s heavy hands slow defenders upon contact. He flashes reliable grip strength. The Boston College standout sticks with defenders through single-direction pass-rushes. He gets respectable depth in his vertical sets and can, consequently, mirror opponents up the outside track. He has the linear athleticism and loose hips to chip, hinge and climb. The Eagles star consistently plays through the whistle.
Cons:
Pulido: Vrabel leans over too much in his stance and though it hasn’t become a problem for him at the college level, it could become a concern in the league. Vrabel can reach to get to his opponents a little too much which can cause easy paths through gaps. Vrabel is not a freakish athlete.
Ezring: Boston College’s high-profile tackle’s status as a prospect is clouded by various athletic and technical shortcomings. First and foremost, he lacks lateral agility, burst and change of direction ability. His movement skills in the run game are lacking; he also struggles to consistently mirror. Vrabel’s underwhelming power profile is perhaps the trait that is most deleterious to his NFL future. Defenders regularly establish distance before bench pressing, stacking to shed, windowing or otherwise throwing him around. Once into the Boston College standout’s frame, defensive linemen and linebackers routinely walk him back. Conversely, Vrabel is unable to control opponents at the point of engagement. His unreliable grip strength enables defenders to work through him. The Texas native’s leg drive is inconsistent and ineffective. Moreover, Vrabel lacks functional length. Defenders easily defeat him with long-arm moves. The Eagles’ tackle’s low resting hand position leads to inaccurate and late punches; this only further enables opponents to reach his chest. Additionally, Vrabel’s base narrows when he attempts to move too quickly in his pass sets. The experienced starter’s stiff frame sees him lean into his blocks. Before engagement, Vrabel practices poor angles that exacerbate his athletic shortcomings; similarly, he bites on body fakes before contact. In pass protection, Boston College’s star tackle struggles to pick up stunts, delayed rushers and multiple defenders to his gap.
Summary:
Pulido: Tyler Vrabel is a starting-caliber offensive tackle in the league at either tackle spot due to his length, foot speed and strength. He could be in consideration for the end of the first round. Vrabel uses size, intelligence and movement skills to win in the pass game. He is a very solid starter for Boston College at the right tackle spot. He uses his pure strength and aggressiveness to win in the run game. Vrabel can work a little bit on his stance as he lets his shoulders get over his knees and he can overreach a bit. Vrabel is going to play and start on Sundays and could be a name that sneaks into the first round.
Ezring: Experienced starters with decent technical bases often draw attention in the draft process. Tyler Vrabel is one such player who also offers intriguing positional versatility at either tackle or guard spot. That said, the Boston College standout struggles against power, speed, length and refined hands. He is a developmental piece with high-level backup and spot starter potential.
Background:
Born June 24th, 2001 to Mike and Jen Vrabel, Tyler Vrabel comes from an athletic family. His father is the Tennessee Titans’ current head coach; he also won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. As a high school football player at Saint Pius X High School, the now Boston College starter was selected to the All-State First-Team and the All-District First-Team. The team captain was also a finalist for the Offensive Lineman of the Year award. After his high school career, Vrabel earned a three-star rating from 247Sports Composite Rankings. The same outlet named him the 1386th recruit nationally, the 128th-best tackle in his class and the 191st-overall player from Texas in his year. In 2018 at Boston College, Vrabel played in two games before exercising his redshirt. As a redshirt freshman, he started all 13 games at left tackle on his way to earning All-ACC Honorable Mention. In 2020, Vrabel started all 11 of the Eagles’ games and played in all 785 of the team’s offensive snaps. He helped Boston College rush for 1,119 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a redshirt sophomore, he once again earned All-ACC Honorable Mention. Vrabel is a communication major in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences; he received The Gridiron Club Football Scholarship.
One-Liners
Pulido: Tyler Vrabel is a starting-caliber offensive tackle in the league at either tackle spot due to his length, foot speed and strength. He could be in consideration for the end of the first round.
Ezring: An experienced starter with potential positional versatility, Tyler Vrabel’s ceiling is limited by middling movement skills and an underwhelming power profile.
Grades
Current Player Value/Potential Player Value
Pulido: 8.4 / 9.0
Ezring: 6.3 / 7.6
