2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Iowa OL Connor Colby

From now till the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as potential, inspecting their strengths, weaknesses, and what they’ll deliver to an NFL franchise. These gamers might be potential top-10 picks, right down to Day 3 choices and precedence undrafted free brokers. Right this moment, a scouting report on Iowa offensive lineman Connor Colby.

#77 Connor Colby/OL Iowa – 6056, 309 kilos (Senior)

Measurements

The Good

– Spectacular athletic potential
– Sturdy explosiveness out of stance
– Superb zone blocker
– Athleticism offers him nice attain blocking potential
– Does a superb job attending to second stage on inside zone because the play-side guard
– First rate play power
– Highly effective downhill drive on account of fixed shifting legs
– Understands run scheme and assault factors
– Can be a superb starter on a zone workforce

The Dangerous

– Can overset on second stage blocks on duo
– Common grip power as a cross protector
– Possesses lots of inconsistencies with approach in cross safety
– Performs with arms near physique and lets defenders get into his body first
– Excessive pad stage in cross safety
– Inconsistent anchor vs energy rushers
– Doesn’t react nicely to handsy cross rushers
– Doesn’t have a robust punch to knock again defensive linemen
– Loses project in stunts when cross defending
– Dangerous approach as a puller; more often than not will throw a shoulder as a substitute of partaking in block

Bio

– Began 50 video games throughout 4 years at Iowa
– 2024: allowed 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, and 6 hurries in 316 cross block snaps
– Acquired First Staff All-Large Ten honors
– Named to Phil Steele Third-Staff All-America and semifinalist for Joe Moore Award
– 2023: allowed 1 sack, 2 QB hits, and 11 hurries in 327 cross block snaps
– Acquired Third Staff All-Large Ten honors
– Named Tutorial All-Large Ten
– 2022: allowed 3 sacks, 5 QB hits, and 11 hurries in 371 cross block snaps
– Began the primary 6 video games at proper deal with after which the subsequent 7 at left guard
– Named Freshman All-American (FWAA)
– 4-star prospect out of John F. Kennedy Excessive Faculty in Iowa
– 2 recruit out of Iowa and the No. 11 inside offensive lineman within the nation
– Named First-Staff All-State as a junior and senior

Tape Breakdown

Connor Colby has began 50 video games in his profession at Iowa and was an anchor for his or her offensive line, enjoying a number of completely different positions, most lately at proper guard. He’s finest used as a guard on account of his athletic potential, zone-blocking talent, and struggles in cross safety.

Colby does lots of encouraging issues as a run blocker, and I’d say he’s a particularly spectacular zone blocker. The way in which he explodes out of his stance instantly places him ready to win and speaks to his good athletic potential. He exhibits nice IQ when walling off defenders and takes delight in his zone blocking abilities.

His athleticism exhibits up as a attain blocker, the place he exhibits unbelievable potential to recover from a number of gaps to wall off his project. He consistently drives his legs to push them downfield when he makes contact with the defender. When attending to the second stage as a play-side guard, he will get hooked up rapidly and maneuvers them together with his robust grip. On this play, he controls the linebacker and brings him to the bottom.

On hole runs, Colby loses some talent. As a puller, he exhibits lazy approach by throwing his shoulder on the defender relatively than attacking with squared shoulders and low pad stage. His downhill drive is spectacular on zone runs, however when he has to get straight downhill, he has hassle shifting defenders. They will stand him up and find the ball service, making a play on the ball.

On duo runs, he can have out-of-control toes and overset when making an attempt to get to the second stage, which ends up in the linebacker making a play. He’s nonetheless serviceable as a spot blocker however might be finest utilized in a main zone scheme. On this play, he shows erratic toes that overset to the linebacker.

In cross safety, Colby struggles with approach and hand-fighting potential. When he’s going in opposition to a straight-line bull rusher, he exhibits an inconsistent anchor that may be pushed into the quarterback. He’s already a taller guard, and his pad stage offers him a weaker base that may be bullrushed rapidly. On this play, he will get knocked again into the quarterback, inflicting a fumble.

He struggles if the cross rusher has any talent with palms or a fast get-off. The worst factor he does will not be prolong his arms to make first contact with the defender. His arms should not brief, however how he makes use of them makes him seem like he has 31-inch arms. He tries to catch the cross rusher, leading to a fast chop of his palms or a rip transfer that he won’t get well from. When he doesn’t have a 1v1 matchup, he doesn’t present optimistic assist to his teammates, and there are some performs the place he doesn’t block anybody.

His IQ in cross safety is low, and he will get confused by stunts and loses good physique positioning. The play power he exhibits as a zone blocker goes away, and his arm power is what worries me essentially the most. His grip power in cross safety is weak, and he can lose reps deep into the play relatively than successful rapidly and staying in management.

As a result of he’s such a superb zone run blocker, he does a superb job on play-action performs that seem like exterior zone. On this play, he brings the defender to the bottom through the use of good leverage.

Conclusion

Connor Colby is a veteran on the faculty stage, which is clear when watching his blocking on zone runs. I believe he could be a stable starter in a run, and zone-heavy workforce the place he could be helped in cross safety. He has good explosiveness off the ball and is a superb attain blocker whereas holding his physique positioning and driving downfield. However he’s simply a median blocker on hole runs, and his struggles in cross safety are evident.

To maximise his function as a professional, he might want to clear up his approach and win as a cross protector. Colby matches a really particular function, however I’m assured in his potential if he goes to the appropriate workforce. My comp for him is Zak Zinter.

Projection: Mid-Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.1 – 4th Spherical (Rotational Participant)
Video games Watched: vs Iowa State (2024), at Ohio State (2024), vs Nebraska (2024)