NFL Draft Profile: Thayer Munford, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State Buckeyes
#75
Pos: OT
Ht: 6060
Wt: 328
Hand: 1018
Arm: 3518
Wing: N/A
40: 5.39
Bench: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Shuttle: N/A
Vert: 22
Broad: 808
DOB: 9/18/99
Eligible: 2022
Cincinnati, OH
Massillon Washington High School
Thayer Munford
Ohio State Buckeyes
One-Liner:
Munford is a fundamentalist that makes up for a lack of dominant traits with instincts, and sound technique that will give him a chance at a solid NFL career.
Pros:
Munford has played at both tackle and guard, exclusively on the left side of the line. He moved to guard in 2021 even after an All-Big ten selection at tackle in 2020 and made no qualms about it. His experience and technique are his best attributes, as he excels in the fine details. Munford works frontside three techniques away from the back to form holes and big plays. He understands body positioning and works for his hands well, making sure to always stay on top of his leverage. Seldom is he beaten on a bull-rush as he drops his base into a nice anchor and doesn't flinch His length is a necessity to his game as he reaches defenders with a nice long arm before getting the rest of his body squared up. Rarely is Munford fooled with Stunts and his cognitive ability shows repeatedly as evident by his role as a team captain.
Cons:
Munford certainly labors when it comes to the athletic parts of his position. At tackle, his kick slide has to be faster and in the run game, he struggles to reach the second level in time. While his bull rush pass set is solid, speed and finesse rushers give him trouble. At times he loses his base and cant tend to lean too far forward in his run blocking. For someone of his stature, you would like to see more finishing ability on tape. While his work ethic and acuity for the game are high, innate tenacity may be absent based on body language. Munford will need to work on his agility and footwork to be suitable against NFL pass rushers.
Summary:
Munford is an experienced offensive lineman with experience all over the left side of the line. He wins with his ability to out-leverage defenders and play with excellent body positioning and hands. While he is long with adequate size in the lower body, his athleticism tends to be a liability, especially against athletic defenders. A lack of quickness and agility makes it hard to project him as a tackle in the NFL and may be the reason for his switch to guard in 2021 where he proved reliable in the run game.
Background:
Munford is a Cinncinati native who attended local powerhouse high school LaSalle for three years where he was able to help the team win consecutive state championships in both 2014 and 2015. Munford also competed in track and field and carried a consensus four-star rating heading into college. He majored in the sports industry and was awarded All-Big Ten recognition from 2018-o 2020 including a First-team All-Big Ten selection in 2020.
Grade:
Day Three
Quotable:
He isn’t very sudden, but he has enough play strength and intelligence to stick to a roster.” Nick Falto, SI.com https://www.si.com/nfl/giants/draft/2022-nfl-draft-prospect-profile-og-thayer-munford-ohio-state
Ohio State offensive lineman Thayer Munford will appeal to NFL teams for his stature and versatility as a player.“ Kyle Crabbs, TheDraftNetwork.com https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/thayer-munford/06UCChI0vf
2021 presented a change for Ohio State’s rock, however. Munford suddenly slid inside to left guard, which has seemed to be a better fit.” Ian Cummings, ProFootballNetwork.com https://www.profootballnetwork.com/thayer-munford-ohio-state-ot-nfl-draft-scouting-report-2022/
