2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: OL Zach Tom, Wake Forest

Zach Tom is another intriguing prospect that could develop into a solid interior backup option.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Mar 23, 2022 9:50 AM EDT

In this story:

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Zach Tom, OL

Height: 6’4
Weight: 304 lbs.
Class: RS-Senior
School: Wake Forest
Arm length: 33 ¼”
Hand size: 10 ⅜”

A former three-star recruit out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he attended Catholic High School, Tom was the 150th prospect and the 56th ranked recruit in the 2017 class. He originally committed to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles before flipping to attend Wake Forest.

Notables

Tom was an accomplished starter for three seasons for the Demon Deacons. Was 2019, 2020, and 2021 ACC All-Academic member, while winning the 2021 Jim Tatum Award (given to the top senior student-athlete in the ACC). Phil Steele also had Tom as an All-American in 2021; he also finished first-team All-ACC in 2021.

Appeared in 48 games with 37 starts; played significant snaps at left tackle and center. In 2,967 career snaps (1,629 pass-blocking snaps), he only gave up four sacks and 37 pressures. Tom attended the NFL Scouting Combine; here are his numbers:

40-yard dash: 4.94
Vertical jump: 33”
Broad jump: 118”
3-Cone: 7.32
Short-shuttle: 4.47
10-yard-split: 1.70

Strengths

Very good athletic ability
Has quick feet, smooth pass-sets, and fluid hips
Plays balanced with a solid center of gravity
Good overall pass protector
An excellent technician with his hands
Crafty with his hands, very good finesse
Reactive hands, plays chess with defenders mid-rep
Isn’t overly aggressive with his punch - uses patience
Will bait contact and deceive defenders with hand movements to get them to punch prematurely
Does a good job stabbing with his inside arm and keeping his feet reactive to defender’s movements
Displays good grip strength when his punches land
Made up for length deficiencies by using a long inside arm to grab underneath the armpit over longer defenders (Jermaine Johnson II FLST) - one arm is longer than two
Mirrors easily, effortless mover
Excellent mental processing - takes great angles of attack
Solid overall run blocker
Has enough power to pin 4i-shades as the play side tackle
Angles on reach blocks combined with his athletic traits allow him to reach landmarks
Athletic ability and spatial understanding allows him to kick into space and locate defenders
Does a good job flipping his hips around defender’s outside shoulders while reaching
Does well in combo situations; good angles up to the second level
Played significant snaps at LT and OC, versatile

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Can Improve

Appears small on film
Length is average
Lower-half is thinner than the desired OL
Not overly powerful at the point of attack
Wish he was more mean
Anchoring ability in the NFL could be an issue

Summary

Overall, Zach Tom is a technically sound versatile offensive lineman who could play tackle and has ample experience at center. Coaches raved about his intelligence; his angles into contact, good functional athletic ability, and crafty attacking approach with how he employs his hands make him an excellent addition to an OL like the Giants.

He’s not the biggest or the most powerful, but he frames his blocks so well and his grip strength is above average. I also appreciate how he times his punches and uses patience to his advantage.

I like Tom, but I wish he was a little more powerful. He’s a great Day 3 option for the Giants, one who could initially be added as depth with a chance to start if he can prove his strength in the NFL.

GRADE: 6.24