Weaknesses:
Summary: Grasu spent the past four season as an engine in the Oregon Ducks’ high-paced offense. While Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota got a lot of attention, he had a strong offensive line that was the steady force for the Oregon offense.
Grasu broke into the starting lineup as a freshman and was an All-Freshman selection by many media outlets in 2011. He improved as a sophomore save a game against Stanford in which the offensive line generally struggled. Grasu had another quality season in 2013 except for outings against UCLA, Stanford, and Oregon State. 2014 was the senior’s best season. He was very consistent in pass protection to keep a clean pocket for Marcus Mariota. Grasu had an excellent game against Florida State against Eddie Goldman and Mario Edwards Jr. Grasu also played better against Stanford than he had at other points in his career. He was still limited with an injury during the Combine and didn’t work out on the field.
Grasu is a quick and athletic center who was a perfect fit in Oregon’s high-paced attack. He moves well and did a fantastic job as a run-blocker while being very reliable in pass protection. Grasu is fast and agile to fire out of his stance to hit blocks on the second level. He is quick to get his double-teams and slides well to pick up blitzes coming down the middle.
With his experience and intelligence, Grasu should be very adept at calling the line protections and getting the front in the right setup before the snap. While he isn’t all that big, he is athletic and quick. Grasu won’t be a candidate to move to guard unless he can add some weight and is a natural center. With his quickness and athleticism, he would be an excellent fit in a zone-blocking system to be a part of a moving wall of blockers.
The biggest thing for Grasu to work on as a pro is adding more strength in the ground game. More strength in his base would help him against heavy nose tackles in a 3-4 defense that play a zero-technique and line up over the head of the center. Extra power would help him in short-yardage as well.
Grasu could be a second-day pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. In time, he should turn into a quality starting center.
Player Comparison: David Molk. In terms of style of play, Grasu is similar to the Eagles starting center Molk. Grasu should end up being a better version of Molk as Grasu is bigger and more athletic.
NFL Matches: New Orleans, San Diego, Arizona, Denver, Philadelphia
There a few teams that are looking to land a new starting center in the NFL. The Saints have a big weakness in the middle of their line and need a long-term starter.
The Chargers went through five centers during the 2014 season. They need long-term starter in front of Philip Rivers.
Staying in the AFC West, Broncos center Will Montgomery is 32 years old. An athletic blocker like Grasu is a good fit for Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme.
The Cardinals could continue to build up their offensive line with a long-term center. Starter Lyle Sendlein is 31.
You also can’t rule out Philadelphia with the way that Chip Kelly is turning Ducks into Eagles.
RELATED LINKS:
2015 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2015 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2015 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
NFL Picks - Nov. 20
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 20
NFL Power Rankings - Nov. 19
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
