Nick Broeker NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Buffalo Bills' IOL
HEIGHT: 6'4"
WEIGHT: 305
ARM: 32 1/2"
HAND: 9 3/4"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 5.27
3-CONE: 7.75
SHUTTLE: 4.7
VERTICAL: TBD
BROAD: TBD
POSITIVES
— Thick, wide-bodied frame with good upper-body strength.
— Covers up his target and holds the point on the first level as a run-blocker in the post on double-teams and down blocks.
— Uses his girth, heavy hands and consistent leg drive to steer interior run defenders off their spot.
— Sets a tone as a finisher. Consistently runs his feet and gets last meaningful contact on the opponent through the echo of the whistle.
— Does a solid job absorbing force and grinding down the bull rush to anchor.
— Proven versatility that will add value to his chances of sticking in the NFL.
NEGATIVES
— Heavy feet with marginal lateral quickness and change-of-direction skills.
— Leans into contact during the drive portion of run blocks that leave him top-heavy and off-balance against slippery opponents.
— Vulnerable to losing quickly across his face against sub-package rushers with minimal recovery ability.
— Struggles to adjust his aiming points to pick up post-snap movement; slanting, spiking and twists.
2022 STATISTICS
— 13 starts at left guard
NOTES
— Former 3-star offensive tackle recruit out of Sacred Heart Griffin High School in Springfield, Illinois
— 36 career starts; 23 at left tackle and 13 at left guard
— Won the 2022 Kent Hull Trophy, which is given to the top offensive lineman in the state of Mississippi
— Accepted an invite to the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl
OVERALL
Nick Broeker is a three-year starter inside the Rebels' run-heavy offense predicated on a multiple run game with a mix of gap and zone concepts. Broeker has a wide-bodied frame, thick build and mediocre arm length with marginal athletic ability.
Broeker wins using girth, good upper-body strength, leg drive and excellent effort to play on the plus side of the line of scrimmage on base and drive blocks. He does a nice job covering up stout run defenders in the post on double-teams using "brace pop" footwork before digging out and steering them off their spot on the overtake.
Broeker brings a lunchpail mentality to the field to pester and finish opponents. He runs his feet through the whistle and strains hard to stay attached to blocks. However, he struggles to stay upright and on his feet against slippery defenders due to his marginal quickness, agility and a tendency to lean into contact.
Broeker ends the fight quickly in pass protection against head-up and tightly aligned defensive tackles who win with power using strong hands and a quick anchor. Against high-end 3-techniques and sub-package rushers, he has a razor-thing margin for error due to poor mirroring skills and a soft inside hand presence that leads to quick losses across his face.
Overall, Broeker has the upper-body strength, girth and demeanor to add value in a downhill run scheme and the proven versatility to add flexibility to a unit. But his top-heavy playing style and middling movement skills put a hard cap on his ceiling as swing interior backup.
GRADE: 5.9 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)
OVERALL RANK: 178
POSITION RANK: IOL17
PRO COMPARISON: Ben Bredeson
Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn
