Mary Langenfeld-US PRESSWIRE
Reid Fragel – Ohio State University
Height: 6064
Weight: 306
Age when drafted: 22
Hometown: Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Position: RT
Collegiate Number: 77
Games Viewed: 2012 – Cal, UAB, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Michigan
SIZE:
Despite reports of his height checking in at the 6’8” range, Fragel is just a shade under 6’7” which should be helpful when it comes draft evaluation time. Fragel added 20 pounds of mass to his frame for his transition from TE to OT in 2012. Fragel’s frame suggests that he could add another 10-15 pound without noticing any differences in athleticism. It’s conceivable and advisable, at this point, that Fragel add another 10 pounds before the draft.
ATHLETICISM/STRENGTH:
Reid was a blocking TE in Ohio State’s system under Jim Tressel/Luke Fickel. When Urban Meyer came on board at OSU, Fragel was moved to offensive tackle. Fragel added 20 pounds to help the transition to tackle but appears light on his feet with natural knee bend. With Fragel’s height, it’s a good sign that he is able to bend at the knees with the consistency that he does. His balance is solid once he’s latched on in the run game. Rarely found Fragel on the ground. He mirrors defenders off the edge really well with a solid base. Fragel appeared to get stronger in the run game as the season wore on, which speaks to his upside and that he has the upside to be a road grader with added weight/strength in the offseason.
PASS BLOCKING:
Fragel beats his opponents out of his stance more often than not. He uses his excellent athleticism to slide laterally to control edge rushers. He has outstanding feet allowing him to mirror pass rushers. He has vines for arms which allow him to engage and move defenders with excellent hand strength. Fragel does drop his head in pass pro, on occasion, allowing him to be susceptible to counter moves. The good news is that Fragel is such a good athlete that allows him to quickly adjust to counter moves. Fragel does get high, on a handful of occasions, which allows him to be overpowered by more powerful pass rushers.
RUN BLOCKING:
General consensus heading into the season was if Fragel was going to be able to be an effective run blocker for an OSU offense predicated on zone read and spread power looks. Fragel exceeded anyone’s expectations in the run game. He explodes out of his stance with a low, powerful base. While I wouldn’t consider Fragel a road grader, he was far more powerful as a drive blocker than I thought. He’s very good in space with the ability to wall off defenders with his natural length and strength. Ton of upside as a run blocker which will intrigue scouts. Would like to see him finish blocks with a little more nasty demeanor to his game.
TECHNIQUE:
The other area of concern coming into the season was if Fragel was going to hold up from a technique standpoint against some of the Big Ten’s top defenders. While there is some room for improvement, it’s an area that he far exceeded expectations with a ton of room for growth. He’s solid from the feet to waist from a technique standpoint. Two criticisms that show up more consistently than you want. He gets his hands outside and needs work on initial punch. While he didn’t draw a lot of penalties, there were several times that he was close. When his hands get outside he’s susceptible to giving up too much ground. He needs to work on leverage as he will get high through contact and can get dead legs against more powerful defenders.
RED FLAGS:
None. Reid appears to be clean off the field.
OVERALL:
Reid Fragel is a fast rising prospect that will intrigue scouts from many aspects. He’s a converted TE that was entrenched in a spring camp battle with a true freshman, Taylor Decker. Fragel showed consistent improvement through spring, summer, and into fall camp. Most pundits thought Fragel and the offensive line was going to be the downfall of the OSU offense under Urban Meyer. It couldn’t have been further from the truth. The OSU line was an offensive strength with Fragel being an integral part. Fragel was not on NFL radars before the season but has been talked about amongst scouts as a “sleeper prospect” with a ton of upside. His combination of size, strength, and athleticism will be tough to watch pass on draft boards come April. Expect Fragel to show well at the Scouting Combine as he combines rare athleticism with solid functional strength. Fragel had to pull out of the Senior Bowl due to injury. Fragel’s athleticism will play well and force everyone to take an extra look. He was as impressive as any OSU offensive lineman, including Jack Mewhort, who will be an early selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. I would fully expect Fragel to hear his name called early on day three of the draft and wouldn’t be surprised if he was a late day two selection. Some team will be drawn in with his athletic upside and lack of bad habits.
