Since Jim McElwain has taken over as head coach of Colorado State, they have had a substantial amount of success on the field as well as in the NFL Draft. One of the areas where they have been particularly strong has been the offensive line, which say Weston Richburg drafted as the top center in the 2014 NFL Draft. This year, left tackle Ty Sambrailo will have his opportunity to be selected.
Sambrailo has experience at both right guard as well as right tackle, but has come into his own as the team’s starting left tackle, earning All-Mountain West honors in his first full year as the starter. As a senior, he missed a pair of games with a knee injury but has come back healthy and been an integral player in the Rams’ offense.
The Rams use a substantial amount of zone concepts in their blocking scheme, so Sambrailo has a significant amount of experience moving around and hitting moving targets at the second level and in pulling. Sambrailo also has experience playing in gap scheme type runs, playing power football. While the Rams use some offensive sets that might be considered gimmicky, the majority of their offense allows Sambrailo to be well prepared to make the move to the NFL, much like Richburg did the previous year.
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Vitals & Build
- Born March 10, 1992 (Will be 22 at the time of the NFL Draft)
- 6’5″ 315lbs (Listed)
Sambrailo appears to have a prototypical build with long arms. He carries his weight well with no apparent excess fat to be seen. Sambrailo needs to continue to get stronger but appears to have the room to add a significant amount of muscle. There is a good amount of potential going forward.
Athleticism
Sambrailo is extremely light on his feet, both in pass protection as well as pulling and getting to the second level. He demonstrates good body control and is able to settle in space and adjust to hit a moving target.
- Sambrailo pulls all the way across the formation with ease, then goes to the second level to get a block on a linebacker.
- Sambrailo shows good lateral agility and quickness with his feet.
Run Blocking
The first aspect of Sambrailo’s run blocking that stands out is the amount of effort he puts into it. He run blocks with a ton of pride and while he may not make every block, he will play with an unrelenting effort each and every play. Sambrailo is the type of player opponents both hate and respect because he does not stop. He will play through the whistle, finishes opponents when able and will send a message to opponents by taking every opportunity to hit them until the play is over.
- Sambrailo goes right to the second level and gets to the linebacker, locks on and drives him down the field through the echo of the whistle.
Sambrailo is an excellent run blocker for a few reasons. First, he is able to get behind his pads and move opponents off of the ball with power. Sambrailo does an excellent job of constantly working to get himself into better position by consistently moving his feet and putting himself between them and the ball carrier. Last, when he does lock on to the opponent, he drives his legs and will either push them down the field or into the ground.
- Sambrailo pulls around, puts himself in position to block a moving target and then turns him inside and buries him. This is a fantastic play from start to finish.
- Sambrailo releases into the screen, where he goes out and decks this poor corner on the edge, creating space for the receiver.
Pass Blocking
Sambrailo has all of the tools to be terrific in pass protection, but he is further along as a run blocker to this point in his career. His athleticism allows him to mirror with just about anyone that he can go against, mirror effectively and stay under control when he needs to make the block.
He shows good awareness, keeps his head on a swivel and is comfortable holding water in space. Sambrailo seems to have a good understanding of how opponents want to attack him and his responsibility in situations. He does not ever seem unsure of what he needs to be doing on a play.
- Sambrailo does an excellent job of taking the defensive end and passing him in to the left guard before getting outside and cutting off the blitz from the outside linebacker.
Sambrailo is extremely well equipped to take on speed due to his athleticism and length. He has terrific range and is able to slide and reach out to wash out speed rushers.
At this point, Sambrailo has shown to be the most vulnerable to power and some quickness right at him. Sambrailo will occasionally have trouble anchoring and while he is not getting blown up by any stretch, he gives up a decent amount of ground at times before being able to anchor.
- The defender shows speed before going to power and is able to push him back into the pocket. Sambrailo establishes his anchor late.
Some of this will improve as Sambrailo gets stronger but he will occasionally play with a narrow base. He just needs to get more comfortable operating lower with consistency.
The other issue that will occasionally show up is when Sambrailo overextends when he goes to punch the defender and they use a quick move to get around him.
Sambrailo goes for the punch and comes up empty as the defender is able to swim past him and gets pressure in the backfield.
The issues Sambrailo has are correctable and the obvious talent and potential could have him develop into an extremely effective pass blocker at the next level. The additional strength required could take some time, but his ability to adapt to defenders and the different looks he can get at the tackle spot should come rather quickly for him. The blips that come up with Sambrailo are few and far between now and he is able to make a number of plays that some tackles simply cannot because of his outstanding range.
Technique
Sambrailo has a good understanding of angles and how to manipulate his position to shield off opponents. He does an excellent job of locking onto opponents in the running game and he is on the correct shoulder. His punch is decent, but will occasionally get himself in trouble by overextending. Sambrailo does a good job of keeping his hands inside when pass protecting.
One area where Sambrailo has not had a ton of success is cutting as a run blocker. He tries his best, but he has not shown a feel for it at this point and ends up being unsuccessful quite a bit, delaying the defender as opposed to taking them down to the ground. Most of the time, he would be better off trying to block them straight up than cut.
Footwork
Sambrailo’s footwork is excellent for the most part. He is agile and light on his feet but does not waste many steps and gets to where he needs to go quickly and in good position. Sambrailo has demonstrated some good habits for a lineman and his feet never seem to stop, always working to get in the best position possible, run or pass. The other part of that is Sambrailo is able to keep his balance going down the field because he keeps running his feet and does not get over his pads.
System Fit
- Zone Scheme Tackle
Sambrailo’s athleticism and range make him ideal fit for a team that runs a high percentage of zone scheme blocking. His accuracy as a blocker in space and the amount of experience he has in these types of blocking assignments will him an extremely attractive prospect to these types of teams.
- Gap Scheme Tackle
Sambrailo can certainly play in a heavier gap scheme team but he needs to get stronger. He has shown he can operate blocking with power, able to create space in the running game. This just may leave some of his obvious athletic attributes on the table.
- Left Guard
Tackle seems like where Sambrailo is going to go at the next level. However, if a team were not sure he is ready to play outside early in his career, he would make an excellent left guard in any scheme. His athleticism makes him excellent at pass protection as well as being able to pull and help a team run power to the right.
Draft Projection
Ty Sambrailo is a first round caliber tackle as is stands right now. His potential to be a franchise tackle could cause him to go in the Top 10 to 15 picks, but it would be shocking to see him available after the first night of the draft.
The clips were provided by DraftBreakdown.com