by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of On3.com.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Oklahoma, Center, Andrew Raym
Name- Andrew Raym
Pos- Center
Team- Oklahoma
HT/WT- 6’4” 305 lbs.
Born- N/A
Home – Broken Arrow, OK
Raym attended Broken Arrow High School and was a consensus four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. He was the consensus no.1 prospect in the state of Oklahoma and was selected as an Under Armour All-American. He chose Oklahoma over Michigan, Georgia amongst others.
He played in 9 games as a freshman, seeing action on special teams and took some snaps as a reserve left guard.
His sophomore season, he played in 12 games, starting 7 at center and had a dominating season that saw him get selected as a second team All-Big 12. He gave up one sack in 314 pass-blocking snaps according to PFF.
Last season, he started the first 10 games at center before being hurt for the last 3 for the Sooners. He played 700 snaps and gave up 2 sacks on 358 pass-blocking plays. So far this season, he has started 6 games at center for Oklahoma.
Raym plays with a solid base and sufficient knee bend, giving him leverage and balance. He has fluid movement and easily gets to the second level to make plays. He understands combo blocks, and has the athleticism to help with double teams and can get out in front of a play. Once he plants his original punch, he has excellent leg drive and can move defenders back off the line. He has a mean streak that most scouts love and he takes pride in putting defenders on their backs during run blocking.
His mechanics are a lot smoother during run blocking than they are at pass blocking. He often looks to merely direct pass rushers away from the pocket, instead of making solid contact and using his legs to drive them away. He struggles with bullrushes and twists and is susceptible to getting beat on inside moves. His backpedal is slow and unorthodox, making it hard for him to consistently anchor against the pass rush. He is better at blocking in tight situations and has lapses when he needs to make a block out in space.
A good comparison for Andrew Raym is veteran NFLer Corey Linsley who was a 5th round draft pick in 2014. Both were advanced run blockers at the collegiate level who struggled in pass blocking. Linsley still has some issues with pass blocking but has had a successful NFL career. Raym should follow suit where Linsley was selected in the draft and work his way into a starting center in the NFL.
Strengths
Second level
Mean streak
Run blocking
Combo block
Weaknesses
Pass protection
Footwork
Inside shoulder
In space
Final Analysis
The 2023 class of centers is not deep and Raym has potential to move up draft boards depending on how many teams are looking for a center. He is a competent center prospect that should make the transition to the NFL and stick with a team.
Draft 412 Draft Projection - Round 5