Eric Fisher I Central Michigan I OT I 6070 I 305 I Senior
Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE
40 Time (E): 5.10
Overview: Eric Fisher is going to draw comparisons to former Chippewa Joe Staley. Rightfully so. Fisher and Staley have many of the same attributes and could be selected in the same range. Staley was taken with the 28th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and frankly I would be shocked if Fisher made it anywhere near the 28th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Fisher came to CMU as a 6’7, 260 tackle prospect that was lightly recruited (2 D1 scholarship offers). Many thought Fisher would take time to develop into someone capable of starting but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s a three-year starter with a good grasp of the game and schemes.
Pass Blocking: Fisher is an NFL ready pass protector. He’s a natural athlete that is a dancing bear. His footwork, kick slide are as good as they come His ability to mirror defenders off the edge is excellent. Fisher re-sets really well after initial burst from the defender. His huge frame and vines for arms are evident in pass protection. It takes defenders a long time to get by him with his long arms and nimble feet. The one area that Fisher struggles in pretty consistently is lowering his pad level. Dwight Freeney-esque pass rushers will give him problems if Fisher can’t learn to lower his base and pad level.
Run Blocking: I was taken back with Fisher’s ability in the run game. I expected him to be a dominate pass protector but expected to see more struggles in the run game. I was pleasantly surprised. Fisher is so good in space that CMU pulls him quite frequently. He was stronger at the point of contact than I anticipated and remains sticky through contact. Fisher’s understanding of angles and positioning are second to none in this draft, better so than Luke Joeckel or Taylor Lewan. He will need to work on sinking his hips at the next level as his pad level is often too high. He could stand to add some bulk and strength to improve as a drive blocker.
Technique: Fisher isn’t a complete prospect in terms of technique but he isn’t far off. The biggest struggle for Fisher is his height/leverage. He’s tall and allows defenders under his pads, sometimes losing leverage battles. He also struggles drive blocking because he doesn’t sink his hips consistently. He has excellent hands and once he locks on he’s sticky through contact.
Size/Strength/Athleticism: Fisher has nice size at almost 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds. He has vines for arms. Concerns with him keeping weight on his frame are a thing of the past as he’s played at over 300 pounds for two seasons. Fisher isn’t a mauler but has consistently gotten stronger at CMU. With an NFL offseason under his belt, Fisher will get stronger. He may be one of the most athletically gifted tackles in this class. He’s solid in space and gets to the second level very quickly. His kick slide is a thing of beauty.
Bottom Line: Eric Fisher is going to challenge Luke Joeckel on a lot of team’s boards. There’s no doubt that his tape, Senior Bowl week, and Combine performance warrants that consideration. He could be in play with the first overall pick in the draft and I can’t see him falling past No. 7 to Arizona. Overall, he’s a better prospect than Staley was coming out of Central Michigan and the upside is there for Fisher to be a much better pro than Staley as well.
