Is really coordinated through contact as well, does a nice job sitting into his stance, maintaining his balance and cleanly shuffling his feet through the play. Now, isn’t the most aware at times off the snap, will struggle to recognize his man and get caught taking improper angles, allowing himself to be jolted on contact. But, he’s a good enough athlete to rework his hands and at least create a stalemate inside and stick to the block.
Is comfortable on the move, takes good angles in space, is fluid/rangy for a big guy and breaks down well on contact. Does a nice job as a short-area athlete chipping at the line, quickly redirecting and reaching a linebacker off his frame.
Looks comfortable in pass protection, takes a quick first step off the line and does a great job keeping his base down and feet under him laterally. Is really fluid when asked to slide and shuffle and displays impressive mirror ability even in space. Now, isn’t real heavy handed, possesses a quick recoil and always keep his hands up and ready to punch, but too often allows defenders to fight off his block and he relies more so on his ability to mirror in space. However, redirects really well and can anchor on contact, as he works his hands well to consistently gain inside leverage.
Impression: A gifted athlete who plays with bend, explosion and natural athleticism in both the run and pass game. No reason to think this guy can’t be starting early in his NFL career and become a very good lineman at the next level."
SCOUT'S TAKE
Like his twin brother Maurkice, Mike Pouncey is not only schematically versatile; he can play multiple positions along the offensive line. The interior lineman started all 14 games both as a sophomore and a junior, mostly at the right guard position, and also started on the left side last year. This season he is expected to take over at center, replacing his brother who left early for the NFL. The remaining Gator is skilled to the point that the team even used him at tackle this past spring and some of the coaches at Florida believe he can play center, guard and tackle. That would give new meaning to the term ‘jack-of-all-trades’ when it comes to scouting offensive linemen.
During his two-year stint as a starter Pouncey consistently graded out as one of the top offensive linemen in the SEC, earning second team all-conference honors in 2008 (by the coaches) before cracking the first team and making several All-American squads a year ago. Standing at 6’4” and 310 pounds Pouncey is the new age prototype for NFL centers—gigantic, muscular, and athletic. The Gators are very confident that he can make the transition to the center position not just because of his physical ability, but due to his intelligence and leadership skills as well.
Pouncey lacks elite athletic ability, the type that can make an interior lineman a first round pick. He may be very strong but if he is going to play guard fulltime at the next level the Lakeland native would have to bulk up as NFL teams usually like their guards to tip the scales in the 325-330-pound range. There are those who are predicting back-to-back drafts with a Pouncey going in round one, but it says here that Mike Pouncey is going to have wait a day to hear his name called and is more likely to go in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft."
Negatives: Inconsistent... Slow to recognize stunts and delayed blitzes... More of a wall-off blocker in space than actual hitter... Can be beat by quicker three-techniques... Will lunge and lose balance... Doesn't keep his head up... Struggles snapping the ball, especially from the shotgun... Looked better in 2009 as a Guard, will get some misguided consideration at Center."
More of the same continued this season, even though 2009 ended in disappointment with a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship. The Gator offense finished first in the conference in an incredible amount of categories, including total yards (5,751, or 442.4 per game), rushing yards (2,928), and rushing yards per carry (5.6). He was a Second Team All-SEC selection by the conference's coaches in 2008 and this season he was named to the All-SEC First Team by both the coaches and the media. Pouncey stands at 6'5 and 320 pounds, perhaps ever so slightly bigger than his brother, who has starred at center for the Gators.
Mike is not quite as agile as Maurkice; Mike has been clocked at 5.29 in the 40-yard dash and generally runs in the 5.3s. He does not have the pass-blocking skills necessary to be an elite tackle in the NFL, but he has the ability to be a major force in the running game at guard."
The reality, however, is that Mike is not the player his twin brother is, and has really struggled with snapping at center, wrist-snapping bad balls in every game. He needs to move back to guard in the pros. He is big, tough and has a passion for the game and likely will be drafted relatively early, but the converted defensive tackle is not as natural or NFL-ready as Maurkice and figures to be drafted a round or two later."
However, I'm concerned by the references by both NFP's Wes Bunting and by SideLine Scouting to his Processing Speed, which is not very good at all. That, alone, would cause him to drop precipitously in my view.
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