Film Watched: Oregon 2021, Michigan 2021, Penn State 2020
Pro's:
Huge. A mountain of a man with excellent weight distribution throughout his frame
Excellent length
Efficient use of arms at the point of contact lock out defenders and can move them out of gaps
Ferocious pop from hands on first contact, and quick to adjust and re-strike if necessary
Strong hand grip that opponents will find difficult to shed if he latches on
True positional versatility – played left tackle in 2020 and left guard in 2021
Has the lower body strength to set a more consistent anchor than his tape showed
Ability to elongate the arc of rushers as an outside pass protector
Con's:
Confusion as to his best position – tape better in 2020, but beaten out at LT by Nicholas Petit-Frere
Sluggish lateral agility – the faster edge rushers will challenge him to the corner on the outside
Doesn’t have the movement to be an effective interior zone blocker
Poor posture with little knee bend, playing over his toes and leaning into contact
Fails to square up to power rushers, compromising his anchor
The Verdict:
“A really tricky eval, Thayer Munford has plenty of experience at both tackle and guard, but choosing which position he best suits at the next level isn’t easy. His length screams offensive tackle, yet his tardiness getting to his set point saw The Buckeyes replace him with Nick Petit-Frere and kick him inside to guard. On the interior, Munford makes the most of his upper body superiority and his shorter sets benefit him as a pass protector, but he is ineffective getting to his landmarks as a blocker on the move and almost becomes one-dimensional. What he does bring to the table as a likely NFL backup is positional versatility with some traits you can hang your hat on, and that alone will give scouts confidence they have something to work with. The floor is high, the ceiling unknown.”
PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST.