2013 NFL Draft: J.C. Tretter Prospect Profile
By John Carey
J.C. Tretter is one of the more intriguing prospects in this years class. He is very athletic, and he has room to add more muscle mass in an NFL weight program. There are questions over the competition he played, being that he is an Ivy League player at Cornell, and that he will likely have to move inside to guard due to his smaller arms. Overall though, Tretter is an extremely smart player who will be a project, but has tremendous upside.
Measurables:
6’4” Height
33 3/8” Hands
307 lbs. Weight
10 1/8” Arms
Strengths:
One of Tretter’s best attributes is that he is a very nice athletic frame, and has the athleticism to be able to mirror opposing pass rushers. He is flexible, and shows the ability to bend. Very quick off the snap, shows light feet and has good lateral agility and balance. He shoots his hands into his opponents chest and has the nastiness to just knock a defender to the ground when he catches them off balance. He is a very smart player and has great football intelligence, recognizing stunts and blitzes and executing multiple blocks in these situations. He is an ascending player who has the talent there, but just needs some more experience to access his full potential.
Weaknesses:
One of the obvious questions about Tretter is over the competition he faced in his time at Cornell. He has shorter arms, so he will likely have to move inside into guard. While he was quick against the Ivy League competition, he doesn’t have the speed to handle NFL edge rushers. He lacks some core strength that he will need to anchor against defensive tackles at the pro level. He will most likely not be able to contribute as a rookie, but will rather take a “redshirt” year to learn his new position.
Projection:
Like I have said before, Tretter is a developmental player who will not be able to contribute in hs rookie year, which will cause him to fall a bit in April. He also will be considered a guard, which of course does not help with him getting drafted any higher, since guards are typically drafted lower than they should be. He will likely be a late 3rd to 4th round pick in April.
Grade: 6.6