USC
Ht. 6-5 Wt. 295
Pass Blocking: Matt Kalil is a natural LT that exhibits elite range off the edge. He’s a natural knee bender with quick feet that he uses to mirror defenders. He has a strong achor for a guy that played at under 300 pounds and has the frame to add a little weight without losing anything in terms of athleticism. Kalil does need to work on keeping his head on a swivel as he has a tendency to stop his feet and lose late blitzers. He does overcommit to edge speed which makes him susceptible to inside counter moves.
Run Blocking: Kalil is an excellent move blocker that excels in open areas. He can break down, pull, and get into the second level with ease and fights through traffic well. He is sticky through contact and usually wins once his hands are engaged. He is excellent at walling off defenders and in the trap game. I would like to see him lower his base through contact as he gets a little high which causes him to lose battles with stronger defenders.
Technique: Kalil uses his hands as well as any tackle in this draft. He’s sound from the feet up. Natural knee bender that stays on balance. He needs a little work on using leverage as he does get high through contact and can get dead legs against more powerful defenders. He can be beat to the inside by counter moves when he’s facing edge speed. Massive improvements from 2010 to 2011 from a technical standpoint.
Athleticism/Strength: Kalil has the frame to add weight and maintain his level of athleticism. He’s very comfortable in space and moves well laterally. He’s got a strong initial punch and re-sets well. Has good anchor strength despite being a sub-300 pound tackle.
Bottom Line: Tyron Smith’s success in 2011 with the Dallas Cowboys can’t hurt Kalil’s draft stock. Kalil started at LT despite Smith’s presence at USC. Smith went No. 9 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. Matt Kalil is an elite LT that won’t make it out of the top 5. There are some areas that he will need to work at but he’s got the goods to be an immediate impact tackle in the league.
Draft Projection: Top 5
