2013 NFL Draft: Larry Warford Prospect Profile

September 22, 2012; Gainesville FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Larry Warford (67) and guard Zach West (75) block against the Florida Gators in the second quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Larry Warford, a senior offensive guard, can be the first offensive linemen drafted from the University of Kentucky since 1993: to drafted by an NFL team. This Wildcat player shows top skills while playing in one of the most competitive division in the collegiate level. Warford has the ideal weight and arm lengths for a guard, albeit a shade shorter than what scouts look for. His plays has earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.

Measurables:
6″3, 332 lbs.

Strengths:
Larry Warford and the Wildcats were slated to face a lot of elite defenses in 2012. On their schedule, they were to face Florida, Georgia, and Missouri. Two of those teams will produced arguably the best defensive tackles, and all three of those opponents has first round talents on their defensive, which included the likes of Sheldon Richardson, Shariff Floyd, and Jarvis Jones. In all three contest, Warford held up his own against these monsters. He showed great use of his weight to neutralize pass rushers and can sometimes derail the defender from his path. He is also quick to recognize any unblocked defenders. Larry Warford is quick in small spaces, and shows great pulling ability to block the defender who is bearing down on the quarterback.  He’ll also hustle down the field into the secondary any chance he gets to block any downfield defenders. His best fit may be in a power blocking scheme, opening paths for the runningback.

Weaknesses:
Larry Warford struggles against quicker defenders who can slip by him. He is at times too stiff to change directions, therefore difficult to recover if he misses his assigned defender. Furthermore, for a player with 33 3/8″ arm length, Warford does not use it to its fullest extent. Instead, often times he’ll lean on his opponents overrelying on his body weight to stop his opponent. I also saw struggles when Warford was asked to move on a stretch run play. He seems to lose strength when attempting to block while moving to the side. Lastly, when Warford  is taken to the ground or falls, he makes very little effort to get back up and continue to play.

Projection:
Larry Warford is by all accounts a top guard prospect, even in a class that has elite talents at the same position such as Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper. He may not be the most athletic player, but he is an underrated football player. Coaches will not be disappointed in this Wildcat product. He shows great ability to stand toe-to-toe with strong defensive linemen, and will most likely continue on his success in the next level. Larry Warford will have a chance to be taken in the late first round, but his most likely landing spot will be in the second to third round, depending on team needs.

Grade: 7.9