Top 10 offensive tackles in the 2019 NFL Draft

#10. Max Scharping, OT, Northern Illinois

This all-state selection from Green Bay has been a model of consistency for the NIU program, being named a Freshman All-American as the only player from the MAC and making the All-conference team each of the last four seasons. He has spent time between right guard and tackle before moving to the blindside full-time his junior year, finishing his career starting all 52 possible games.

Scharping has prototypical NFL measurements at 6’6’’, 320 pounds. He gobbles up defensive linemen as a run-blocker, as he keeps their chest close to him and repositions his feet as the play progresses. He kicks back and turns edge defenders towards his own end-zone to open up running lanes behind him while avoiding immediate penetration inside. Scharping creates excellent movement as that angular driver on combo-blocks and keeps his eyes up for the linebacker. When he is singled up he continues to ride that defender down the line and ends up with his head turned right towards the sideline.

This kid is very solid in protection. He plays with a flat back, good knee-bend and active feet. Scharping opens up his hips rather early, but always stays head-up with his rusher and is extremely patient with his arms. He showcases pretty fluid hips for his size and makes defensive ends widen the arc with his length while guiding them past the QB once they get to the top of their rush. Scharping lowers his pads and aiming point of his punch against bull-rushers. He does a really nice job sliding towards the guard while kicking back on rollout protection and really forces his man to go a long way around that edge. All this led to his allowing a minimal 11 QB pressures over the last two seasons.

The former Husky makes his chest accessible and can be put on his heels when that extended arm hits him in that area. Overall Scharping is too passive with his hands and sometimes I just want him to engage instead of reacting and waiting for a beat to land them in protection. His premature opening of the hips with that wide outside step will be taken advantage of by up-and-under moves and quick spins by NFL pass rushers. He can be a little inconsistent with his footwork at times and crosses his feet occasionally. He is just not a very aggressive run-blocker and doesn’t really latch onto defenders in the ground game, as he benefited from a lack of quality competition on the edge in the MAC, with the best one being on his own team.

Compared to the other guys on this list Scharping doesn’t have to deal with quite the same competition, but he hasn’t surrendered a sack since their bowl game versus Boise State in 2015 and he had a pretty solid Senior Bowl week, even though Oregon’s Jalen Jelks got a couple of wins against him in one-on-ones. NIU trusted him so much creating movement at the line of scrimmage and protecting the blindside one-on-one. Scharping is a smart kid and finalist for the Campbell trophy. In three years for the Huskies, he has been rated between 85.5 and 89.5 in PFF’s grading scale every season.