NFL Draft Profile: Steve Avila, Offensive Lineman, TCU Horned Frogs
#79
Pos: iOL
Ht: 6035
Wt: 332
Hand: 0928
Arm: 3300
Wing: 7900
40: 5.21
DOB: 10/16/1999
Hometown: Arlington, TX
High School: South Grand Prairie
Eligibility: 2023
Steve Avila
TCU Horned Frogs
One-Liners
Right now, Avila’s game needs a lot of work but he projects as a potential starting gap power guard at the next level.
Evaluation:
The first thing that stands out on Avila’s film is his size. He isn’t the tallest center but he has a huge upper body. His natural upper body strength is extremely impressive. Players struggle to bull rush Avila, as he is just too strong to move. For his size too, Avila has very quick feet. In short areas, Avila is explosive and quick enough to mirror defensive lineman. That level of natural play strength combined with quick feet is hard to find. With that being said, Avila has a lot of work to do. He is all over the place technically and plays very sluggishly. If he is going to stay at center, Avila will need to lose weight, which could result in a loss of power. There are too many times on film where Avila fails to find work and looks lost. He struggles to identify stunts and twists and tends to be late to react to them. In both the run and pass games, Avila can’t handle players who can bend. He’s so top heavy that he plays really high and he can’t get low enough to stay in front of them. Guys can get under Avila and shoot gaps without Avila disrupting them. On the move, Avila is too slow and doesn’t attach to defenders. He can’t sustain blocks because of his poor technique. Defenders are able to either disengage from Avila with ease or avoid him completely because he can’t get to them quickly. Overall, Avila is still raw and has a lot of work to do. He needs to retool his upper half, while keeping his play strength, which is his best trait. Avila doesn’t have the processing ability to stay at center but he could be a really solid guard prospect. He’ll be scheme limited, with his limited movement skills but Avila is quick enough in a phone booth. There is upside with Avila but he has a lot of work to do to reach his potential.
Grade:
5th Round
Background:
Steve Avila, coming into 2022, as one of the leaders of the offense. As a junior, he started at center in eleven games and saw a little action at right guard showing off his versatility on the offensive line. During that season, he earned First Team AP All-Big 12 and Second Team All-Big 12. Out of Arlington, Texas, Avila was a four-star recruit by ESPN and was the ninth-best offensive guard in Texas. Avila has incredible versatility, and it has shown, and it will be on full display in 2022 for TCU.
