2017 NFL Draft: North Carolina Jon Heck Scouting Report
By Jon Dove
North Carolina’s Jon Heck is an experienced offensive line prospect who’ll gain NFL draft attention based on his size.
Jon Heck is basically a size prospect who will get drafted because his measurements will meet what evaluators covet. However, he lacks the overall athleticism and movement skills to needed to be a starter at the next level.
Heck’s biggest issue is that his movement is filled with stiffness. He’s not a natural bender thanks to his stiff legs and tendency to get his shoulders over his base. This stiffness negatively impacts his balance and ability move in space.
He also has heavy feet which keep him from shuffling and allows the pass rusher to gain the edge. Heck just doesn’t have the foot speed, quickness, balance and change of direction ability needed to play offensive tackle in the NFL.
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His height and lack of bend will make it tough for him to transition inside. Heck exposes too much of his frame and struggles to gain leverage. This will allow defensive tackles to gain inside hands and drive him into the back field.
He also doesn’t show a nasty streak or raw strength needed to drive the defender off the line of scrimmage.
The positive parts of Heck’s game are that he has a ton of experience and ideal measurables. His length is a real asset as it allows him to quickly get his hands on the defender. The coaches in the NFL will likely have Heck focus on firing off the ball and using his length to his advantage.
However, it’s hard to see much room for improvement based on the lack of natural explosiveness and fluidity.
Current Draft Range: Late 6th Round