Photo of Ethan Pocic
Grade
5.7 ?
  • 5.15 SEC
    Top Performer
  • 26 REPS
    Top Performer
  • 27.0 INCH
    Top Performer
  • 107.0 INCH
    Top Performer
  • 7.89 SEC
    Top Performer
  • 4.81 SEC
    Top Performer
  • 6'6" Height
  • 33 1/8" Arm Length
  • 310LBS. Weight
  • 10 1/8" Hands

Overview

Brothers Ethan and Graham Pocic (pronounced po-sick) had great success as college football centers. Graham was a two-time honorable mention Big Ten honoree with their home-state college, Illinois, and now Ethan is having his day as an All-SEC center with an NFL future. The Parade High School All-American enrolled at LSU a semester early, and it paid off when he played in six games the following fall, starting once. He got the full-time gig in 2014, lining up nine games at right guard and three more in the pivot. Pocic received second-team all-conference recognition as a junior, leading the Tigers in knockdowns with 132.5 in just 12 games. He finished off his career with a first-team All-SEC nod in 2016, as well as multiple second and third-team All-American honors.

Analysis

Strengths

Five-for-one lineman offering roster flexibility; has played tackle, guard and center. Determined player. Shoots hands inside defenders frame and keeps them there. Shows the hand strength and body control to "ride the bull" against stronger players while remaining engaged. Rapid lateral movement allows him to slide along his gap to pick up blitzers. Pass sets feature adequate base width and solid hand quickness. Fluid combo-blocker who glides easily to his second-level targets with good angles. Patient blocker on second level. Able to wait as long as possible for committing to his block in space. Features good body control and high connection rate on blocks in space. Athletic on pull blocks and screens and able to make blocks well down the field. Smart and makes the offensive calls.

Weaknesses

Tall for a center, losing some leverage battles because of it. Athletic ability offset by below-average core strength. Doesn't play with the pad level or leg drive to uproot defenders without help. Gets jarred by power across from him. Upper body strength needs work. Anchor will always be an issue against zero-technique nose guards. Gives into pocket pushers, creating traffic in the backfield. Defenders able to drive through his edge and redirect attempts. Can be quicker into proper positioning for reach blocks. Has difficulty securing zone blocks at times.

NFL Comparison

Brandon Linder

Bottom Line

Flexible, natural athlete with starting experience all along the LSU offensive line. Scouts say Pocic has the intelligence teams look for from a center and is highly regarded by LSU coaches and teammates in the locker room. Pocic is an excellent "work-up" blocker with the ability to thrive in a running game that operates in space, but his lack of power will produce some extremely challenging matchups for him at times.
-Lance Zierlein
C
Grade Title
9.00-10 Once-in-lifetime player
8.00-8.99 Perennial All-Pro
7.50-7.99 Future All-Pro
7.00-7.49 Pro Bowl-caliber player
6.50-6.99 Chance to become Pro Bowl-caliber player
6.00-6.49 Should become instant starter
5.50-5.99 Chance to become NFL starter
5.20-5.49 NFL backup or special teams potential
5.01-5.19 Better-than-average chance to make NFL roster
5.00 50-50 Chance to make NFL roster
4.75-4.99 Should be in an NFL training camp
4.50-4.74 Chance to be in an NFL training camp
No Grade Likely needs time in developmental league.