NFL Draft Profile: Ryan Swoboda, Offensive Lineman, UCF Knights
#72
Pos: OT
Ht: 6092
Wt: 6092
Hand: 319
Arm: 934
Wing: 3434
40: 5.35
DOB: 9/19/1998
Hometown: Windermere, FL
High School: Windermere Prep
Eligibility: 2023
Ryan Swoboda
Virginia Cavaliers
One-Liner:
An imposing tackle prospect at 6100, 325 pounds, Ryan Swoboda’s impressive functional strength and movement skills afford him a high NFL ceiling; however, he must learn to drop his pad level and win under imperfect conditions.
Evaluation:
Very few college football players have the distinction of physically standing out from their peers. Ryan Swoboda, though, boasts a unique 6100, 325-pound frame and has already excelled against NFL prospects in the ACC. The massive tackle has flashed the awareness to pick up stunts and delayed blitzers in pass protection. Against outside rushers, Swoboda maintains a hard inside shoulder to ward off inside moves. The talented lineman leads with his hands into contact, exhibiting mostly accurate punches and sound weight distribution. When he lands his punch first, he typically locks opponents down. The athletic tackle packs heavy punches that allow him to control or throw defenders around. In the run game, Swoboda creates space with leg drive and a finishing mentality. The Virginia standout sustains blocks with a strong grip. Further, his flexible ankles and midsection contribute to a naturally strong anchor. His wide base improves his ability to stand rushers up. The former basketball player mirrors well in his pass sets, in the run game, and once engaged. Moreover, he keeps active feet behind his punches to stay in position should he whiff. What’s more, his length and movement skills give him a wide range of influence. Swoboda is capable of getting to space in the run game. Although the standout tackle displays impressive traits, his unrefined game will leave him vulnerable against NFL defenders early. Swoboda loses in too many ways; he is susceptible to power, speed, bend, leverage, length, and active hands. In short, he loses when defenders initiate contact. Opponents regularly swipe his hands away before he can reach them. The Cavaliers’ blindside protector frequently bites on defenders’ body fakes before engagement. Additionally, he takes awkward, poorly-aimed angles in pass sets. He shoots for the inside or high shoulder and gives himself almost no room for recovery. When he does land his punch, he finds himself in half-man more often than not - where defenders have a clear advantage over him. Likewise, Swoboda commits too heavily to single punches. While engaged, he ostensibly lacks the knowledge of or ability to employ hand counters. Swoboda’s footwork is, similarly, problematic. He practices choppy steps in his pass sets that impact his functional power and change of direction ability. Defenders have success against him by employing inside speed counters or spins. What’s more, Swoboda consistently displays a high pad level that surrenders his chest to power moves. As a result, opponents with leverage and length test his anchor. To remedy this, he leans his shoulder rather than dropping his hips. In the run game, the Virginia star fails to generate people-moving power because of his high pad level. A massive tackle prospect, Ryan Swoboda displays various promising athletic traits that should lead to his being drafted. He complements his imposing power and length with above-average movement skills. All the same, his current level of technique will leave him susceptible to various styles of rusher in the NFL. He must learn to win against varying skillsets; he is not currently adaptable mid-snap. Currently a developmental piece, Swoboda has starting potential.
Grade:
Floor/Ceiling: Developmental Tackle / Average Starting Tackle
Scheme Fit: Gap/Power Run Scheme
6th-7th Round
Background:
Born in September of 1998 in Portland, Oregon, Ryan Swoboda played his high school sports at Windermere Prep in Windermere, Florida. On the gridiron, he helped lead his program to a 10-1 record and a semifinal appearance in the FHSAA Sunshine State tournament in 2016. That year, Swoboda was named first-team All-SSAC by the Orlando Sentinal. The massive tackle is a two-time Florida Athletic Coaches Association first-team All-District 11 1A-4A selection. He also played in the 2016 Central Florida All-Star Game. In 2014, Swoboda was part of a line that paved the way for the team’s 11-0 FHSAA Sunshine State championship season. He was also a star basketball player who won a state championship with Windermere Prep. The well-rounded athlete was listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports Composite Rankings. The same outlet named him the 1204th-overall player in his class, the 110th-ranked offensive tackle in his year and the 178th-best recruit in the state of Florida. Early on in his time with the Cavaliers, Swoboda’s football career and life were threatened by a terrible heatstroke in summer training that saw his temperature rise to 109 degrees in practice. His recovery was worse than expected. The Florida native spent three weeks in the hospital and was hooked up to as many as 12 machines at one point. Swoboda was even placed into a medically-induced coma to regulate his temperature. Doctors were initially unsuccessful in subsequently waking the Virginia tackle. From that point, Swoboda was told his future as a football player was murky. Although the Windermere Prep product lost 40 pounds during his recovery, he was able to attend classes that fall. At about that time, he started walking on treadmills for between 10 and 15 minutes. He took his first jog on his birthday. He began doing pushups and planks next. In January of 2018, the University of Virginia sent Swoboda to the Korey Stringer Institute in Storrs, Connecticut. The facility specializes in heatstroke information and testing people for their heat tolerance. He failed his initial test but was permitted to work out under supervision. He trained on the sideline wearing a helmet before he was cleared for contact. Swoboda visited the Stringer Institute three times for testing and once for training. On July 30, 2018, he was cleared to play football. Naturally, Swoboda did not appear in any games during his 2017 freshman season. In 2018, he appeared in all 13 of Virginia’s games. He started at tight end against Ohio State. In 2019, Swoboda appeared in 10 of Virginia’s 14 contests. He started once at left tackle and twice at right tackle. In 2020, Swoboda broke out. He started all 10 of the Cavaliers’ games at right tackle. Part of an offensive line that ranked first in the ACC and 12th in the nation in tackles for loss allowed while simultaneously ranking second in the ACC with two sacks allowed per game, the Florida native has starting potential. He has been a strong blindside protector for Brennan Armstrong to this point in 2021.
