Nate Solder of Colorado ~ 6.8/315
"A physical specimen for the position who possesses a rare combination of size, length and overall athleticism. You can tell he’s a former tight end by the way he lines up in pass protection, as he exhibits good flexibility but coils up as if he’s almost trying to release off the line and get into a pass route. Then, he simply stands straight up off the snap, extends his long arms and uses his athletic ability to mirror on the edge. He’s still very raw with his kick-slide, which causes him to get overextended with his base and lose balance on contact.
Does a much better job maintaining his balance and staying quick and compact with his footwork when he knows he has help on the outside in the form of a chip. However, when left on an island he's more athlete than technician and is consistently susceptible to the "up and under move." Also, he lacks the upper body strength to stick to linemen once they gain a step on him.
Now, he is a gifted athlete in space and showcased better pop and power as a run blocker than I expected. Looks natural on the move and has the ability to get into blocks quickly and create a bit of a surge at the point of attack.
Impression: A guy who will likely be over drafted based on upside, and rightfully so as he has the skill set to be as good as he wants to be in the NFL."
Does a much better job maintaining his balance and staying quick and compact with his footwork when he knows he has help on the outside in the form of a chip. However, when left on an island he's more athlete than technician and is consistently susceptible to the "up and under move." Also, he lacks the upper body strength to stick to linemen once they gain a step on him.
Now, he is a gifted athlete in space and showcased better pop and power as a run blocker than I expected. Looks natural on the move and has the ability to get into blocks quickly and create a bit of a surge at the point of attack.
Impression: A guy who will likely be over drafted based on upside, and rightfully so as he has the skill set to be as good as he wants to be in the NFL."
"Skinny: The big fella has been listed as tall as 6’9 and weighs in around 300 pounds, with just eight percent body fat. He also runs a 4.8-forty and has a 34” vertical jump. Solder switched from tight end to left tackle during his sophomore season and hasn’t looked back since, utilizing his athleticism to his advantage in the trenches.
SCOUT'S TAKE
There are not many men on planet earth who measure at 6’9”, tip the scales at 300 pounds and can run a forty-yard dash in under five seconds. Mr. Solder is one of those rare men. This Buffalo began his college career as an in-line blocking tight end, but once coaches realized his feet were better than his hands—and he put on about 30 pounds—the Colorado staff made the wise move to shift Solder inside to offensive tackle following his red-shirt freshman year. Not just tackle, but left tackle…and he was superb from the get-go, recording a team-high 69 knockdown blocks and allowing just one sack the entire season.
The Buena Vista, Colorado native’s incredibly light feet and outstanding size combine to make him one of the more unique offensive linemen in the nation. Off the field Solder is the complete package—a bright young man with numerous academic honors who is admired for his work ethic and character. While the left tackle is body beautiful that does not mean that he is done sculpting that body. The prototypical weight for an offensive tackle is around 330-335 pounds and that’s at about 6’6” or 6’7”. It is clear that at just 300 pounds Solder lacks the type of bulk that most premier offensive linemen possess at the next level. With a stellar senior campaign, that is if Solder can progress both mentally and physically, this Buffalo could stampede right into the top 15 of the 2011 NFL Draft."
SCOUT'S TAKE
There are not many men on planet earth who measure at 6’9”, tip the scales at 300 pounds and can run a forty-yard dash in under five seconds. Mr. Solder is one of those rare men. This Buffalo began his college career as an in-line blocking tight end, but once coaches realized his feet were better than his hands—and he put on about 30 pounds—the Colorado staff made the wise move to shift Solder inside to offensive tackle following his red-shirt freshman year. Not just tackle, but left tackle…and he was superb from the get-go, recording a team-high 69 knockdown blocks and allowing just one sack the entire season.
The Buena Vista, Colorado native’s incredibly light feet and outstanding size combine to make him one of the more unique offensive linemen in the nation. Off the field Solder is the complete package—a bright young man with numerous academic honors who is admired for his work ethic and character. While the left tackle is body beautiful that does not mean that he is done sculpting that body. The prototypical weight for an offensive tackle is around 330-335 pounds and that’s at about 6’6” or 6’7”. It is clear that at just 300 pounds Solder lacks the type of bulk that most premier offensive linemen possess at the next level. With a stellar senior campaign, that is if Solder can progress both mentally and physically, this Buffalo could stampede right into the top 15 of the 2011 NFL Draft."
"Nate Solder has been a terrific left tackle for the Buffalos and is a solid next level prospect. Bending his knees, he effectively works his hands throughout the action and keeps opponents away from his passer. Agile, he adjusts to speed rushers or knocks out linebackers on the second level. He makes good use of blocking angles and body positioning but is just a marginal run blocker that must improve his balance."
"Positives: Extremely athletic... Intelligent, heady... Good agility... Good length and long arms... Excellent speed, quick feet... Good pass blocker... Flashes the ability to play with good knee bend... Good lateral movement and slide... Good run blocker... Very solid drive blocker... Carries his pads well... Solid strength... Can coil up and generate reasonably good power... Does a good job staying on his blocks... Uses his hands well... Can get to the second level... Good flexibility... Breaks down well and does a nice job blocking on the move... More of a wall-off blocker than a mover... Hard worker... Fits best at Right Tackle in ZBS.
Negatives: Inconsistent knee bend... Footwork needs a little work... Choppy overly compact kick slide... Rises too early in pass protection... Will occasionally lean and overextend... Gets beat by good inside moves... Will allow his technique and footwork to get sloppy... Gets too upright when run blocking... Not especially strong at POA... Needs to add some bulk to rangy and over-tall frame... Lacks a great anchor, can be walked back... Inconsistent balance... Was kind of a project coming into the 2010 season."
Negatives: Inconsistent knee bend... Footwork needs a little work... Choppy overly compact kick slide... Rises too early in pass protection... Will occasionally lean and overextend... Gets beat by good inside moves... Will allow his technique and footwork to get sloppy... Gets too upright when run blocking... Not especially strong at POA... Needs to add some bulk to rangy and over-tall frame... Lacks a great anchor, can be walked back... Inconsistent balance... Was kind of a project coming into the 2010 season."
"Nate Solder spent a couple years as a tight end at Colorado, first as a redshirt in 2006 and then as a freshman in 2007. He played in all 13 games in 2007 (mostly on special teams, and in special situations as a blocking tight end). While he certainly spent most of his time blocking, he did catch three passes for 50 yards on the season. For his sophomore campaign Solder added 30 pounds and was moved to the tackle position. Despite the adding of the weight, Solder remained surprisingly quick and has been timed running a 4.8 40-yard dash.
Solder immediately stepped into the starting role at left tackle and did not miss a snap the entire 2008 season. While there was some time needed to adjust to the position, it was a pretty smooth transition since he spent most of his time blocking as a tight end anyway. The 2009 season continued to cement Solder's status as a superb offensive tackle. For his efforts, Solder was the only offensive lineman who was not a senior to make the All-Big 12 First-Team. That led to many preseason accolades heading into the 2010 season and Solder has been a rock in the offensive line and continues to get bigger and stronger.
Solder has everything one could want from an offensive lineman. He is strong and quick and has gone up against some of the nation's best defensive ends in the Big 12. A talent like his will not fall past the first two rounds of the draft."
Solder immediately stepped into the starting role at left tackle and did not miss a snap the entire 2008 season. While there was some time needed to adjust to the position, it was a pretty smooth transition since he spent most of his time blocking as a tight end anyway. The 2009 season continued to cement Solder's status as a superb offensive tackle. For his efforts, Solder was the only offensive lineman who was not a senior to make the All-Big 12 First-Team. That led to many preseason accolades heading into the 2010 season and Solder has been a rock in the offensive line and continues to get bigger and stronger.
Solder has everything one could want from an offensive lineman. He is strong and quick and has gone up against some of the nation's best defensive ends in the Big 12. A talent like his will not fall past the first two rounds of the draft."
"A converted tight end who needed time to fill out his frame, Solder is long-armed, quick-footed and athletic. He has shown improvement in pass protection, can set and slide his feet and has really honed his pass-protection technique. He is still relatively raw, however, especially in the run game. He has a tendency to play upright and lacks the ideal base and anchor strength to handle NFL power. A three-year starter at left tackle, he has been very durable, hardworking and trustworthy. He simply lacks lower-body explosion and power and would be best in a zone-slide protection scheme where he could play angles."
"Solder is quite the physical specimen. He stands tall at 6’9, and is very strong, getting great push in the run game. His quick feet allow him to stay in front of his opponent in pass protection, and his long arms allow him to punch the defender with ease. The former tight end has started in every game since 2008 since bulking up and moving to left tackle. Solder is rising up draft boards quickly."
Fanatical FootBall Fiend on Nate Solder
Nate Solder commands an absolutely phenomenal Offensive Tackle Skill Set: Power, Speed, Fludity, and Lateral Velocity. He's still raw, having recently converted from Tight End, but his upside is simply IMMENSE.
He'll very likely go in the 1st Round, and though he'll need work, he is well worth it.
As always, the preceding thoughts were regurgitated, derivative tripe, adding no value whatsoever, while in fact obliterating intelligent thought and offending the spirit of all decent men. You are now stupider for having read it, and are encouraged, in the strongest possible language, never to expose your eyes to this Site again.
He'll very likely go in the 1st Round, and though he'll need work, he is well worth it.
As always, the preceding thoughts were regurgitated, derivative tripe, adding no value whatsoever, while in fact obliterating intelligent thought and offending the spirit of all decent men. You are now stupider for having read it, and are encouraged, in the strongest possible language, never to expose your eyes to this Site again.
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