2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: OL Sean Rhyan, UCLA

Nick takes a look at another offensive line prospect, UCLA's Sean Rhyan.

Sean Rhyan, OL

Height: 6’5
Weight: 321 lbs.
Class: Junior
School: UCLA
Arm length: 32 ⅜”
Hand size: 11 ⅛”

A former four-star recruit out of San Juan Hills High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, Rhyan was the second-ranked offensive guard and the 15th-ranked recruit during the 2019 cycle. Rhyan was the starting left tackle for the Bruins for all three of his seasons on campus at UCLA.

Notables

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

An immediate impact player for the Bruins who was a Freshman All-American in 2019 as a 12-game starter at left tackle, Rhyan was first-team All Pac-12 in 2021. Rhyan was a solid tackle at UCLA; he only surrendered 13 pressures and a sack in 2021, 61 pressures and two sacks throughout his entire career. 

He projects favorable inside not just for sub-optimal arm length but also adequate foot speed in space and a propensity to over-set, opening inside counter opportunities for defenders. Rhyan’s a strong run-blocker who would be more ideal as a guard.

A better projection inside to guard shouldn’t prevent teams from at least allowing Rhyan to play tackle if he progresses and is consistently effective. Rhyan attended the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine:

• 40-yard dash: 5.25 
• Vertical jump: 33.5”
• Broad jump: 110” 
• 3-Cone: 7.55 
• Short-shuttle: 8.81 
• 10-yard-split: 1.79

Strengths

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

• Massive sized OL with some positional versatility (mostly played LT in college, figures to be a better IOL)
• Solid overall athlete for a player with his frame
• Plays with solid knee bend in the initial phase of plays
• Has solid burst moving forward in the running game and he fits his hands quickly
• Possesses a bulldozer type of skill set once he latches on in the run game
• Devastating striking ability with his 99th percentile hand size as a run blocker
• Used good power and punch in the run game
• Does well to latch onto defenders and displace them on play-side runs - keeps his feet moving through contact
• Does well to scoop from the backside and use his frame to negate defenders flowing to the play
• Good overall ability to climb to the second-level and cut-off LBs
• Solid mover in space who took good angles to assignments
• Excellent overall play strength
• Drives defenders off the line of scrimmage as a down blocker
• Efficient feet when kicking into space and pulling; redirects his weight and gets square to his target well
• Solid overall in pass protection - his issues stem from the OT position and would mostly be masked inside at OG
• Grips strength to restrict space and stagnant defenders
• Excellent anchor who, despite a higher pad level, rarely gets bullied backward by bull-rushers
• Solid overall hand usage and ability to regain control while in pass protection
• Attempts to use upper body strength to rise defender’s momentum upward when the defender rushes within his cylinder
• Smart player who was aware of twists and delayed blitzes
• Very experienced player

Weaknesses/Can Improve

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

• Gets way too high and it leads to balance issues - must improve leverage
• Arm length is less than ideal for a tackle
• Range isn’t as ideal as one would hope for a tackle
• Adequate fluidity in his lower half to flip and ride pass-rushers away from the arc
• Adequate ability to frame his blocks in pass protection when he has to locate in “space”
• Bad tendency to over-set against speed rushers
• Would lean and bend at the waist a bit too much - chest over toes - when attempting to jump-set
• Washington: Q2, 5:25
• Arizona: Q1, 7:24
• Leaning and anticipating contact got Rhyan in trouble - has to be more balanced when moving laterally
• Adequate foot-speed in pass sets for a tackle (this deficiency would be masked inside)
• Could be more of a catcher than someone who dictates reps with his punch
• Committed 12 penalties in college, six in 2021…a lot were false starts in anticipation of challenging wider angles, presumably due to lack of confidence in set-depth and foot-speed

Summary

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Overall, Sean Rhyan is an experienced tackle who may be a better fit as a guard at the next level. Rhyan moves players off the line of scrimmage with his run blocking ability. 

He generates force and is relentless when blocking down in power/gap, has the body control and footwork to be efficient when kicking into space, and he’s very effective -- if he fits his hands and controls defenders -- when blocking to the play side laterally. However, on the play side, if he doesn’t get his hands inside to control, he is susceptible to leaning, causing balance and pad level issues.

I see him more as a guard than a tackle, not just because of his 14th percentile arm length. Still, because his feet aren’t fast, he’s not confident in his sets because he over-corrects for his lack of foot quickness and will struggle to consistently play on an island against NFL pass rushers. 

At guard, he projects very well because most of his pass-rushing issues are masked inside, albeit he still needs to play with a better center of gravity. Rhyan falls in the same camp with Georgia’s Jamaree Salyer, Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green, and Kentucky's Darrian Kennard as college OTs that will more than likely play inside. (BC's Zion Johnson took snaps at tackle too). 

Rhyan should be selected on Day 2, with the upside of being a very effective starting guard at the next level.

GRADE: 6.27

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