2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Brian O’Neill

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Brian O’Neill, 6-6/298 Offensive Tackle Pittsburgh

Brian O’Neill Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Athletic

Quick feet

Agility

Fits well in a zone-blocking system

Can bend at the knee

Ability to bend

Quick out of his stance

Length

Height

Upside

Interviewed well at the Senior Bowl

Weaknesses:

Lacks strength

Lacks heavy hands

Doesn’t pack a punch

Doesn’t generate movement in the ground game

Needs to strengthen his base

Can react slow to rushes to the inside

Raw, will need developmental time

Summary: The 2018 NFL Draft is weak at the offensive tackle position, but there are plenty of teams in the NFL that are in need of young talent on the edge of their offensive lines. Tackle is a premium position, and the 2017 NFL Draft was also weak for edge protectors. As a result, some tackles prospects will benefit from that demand, and O’Neill is one of those fortunate prospects. While he has a talented skill set, O’Neill is raw and needs physical development for the NFL.

O’Neill is an interesting athlete. He played wide receiver in high school before going to Pittsburgh as a tight end. After redshirting as a tight end, he switched to offensive tackle and gained a lot of weight. In 2015 and 2016, O’Neill was the starting right tackle for the Panthers. With Adam Bisnowaty moving on to the NFL, O’Neill was Pittsburgh’s left tackle for 2017 and had a decent season. O’Neill was able to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl, and he had a mixed week of practice in Mobile. While he was physically pushed around at times by stronger defenders, O’Neill did show good athleticism as a blocker. Overall though, team sources told me that O’Neill helped himself with his performance at the Senior Bowl.



O’Neill has a lot of tools to develop for the NFL. He has good height, length, and the frame to add more weight in a pro strength and conditioning program. O’Neill is a good athlete with quick feet and agility on the edge. He is quick out of his stance and is able to play the typewriter with his feet. That quickness, agility and athleticism make him a potentially talented edge protector to block speed rushers in the NFL. O’Neill has a nice ability to bend at the knee and not lunge after rushers coming around the corner. With his skill set and athletic upside, O’Neill has starting left tackle potential for the NFL.

Given O’Neill’s transition in college to tackle, it is understandable that he is raw and needs developmental time. Sources from around the league have said that O’Neill lacks strength and has to add muscle for the NFL. He does not generate movement in the run game, lacks heavy hands, doesn’t pack a punch, and gets pushed back in bull rushes. O’Neill needs a year of development as a backup, while getting stronger in a pro training program, before he will be ready to take on NFL defensive linemen. If he is unable to add strength and also starts as a rookie, he is going to get pushed around frequently on Sundays.

O’Neill has been projected by some in the media to be a first-round pick. A couple of team sources said they had O’Neill as a third/fourth-round pick. One AFC general manager said they had O’Neill as a third-day pick and felt O’Neill lacked strength. Given the needs of teams at tackle, O’Neill is likely to be a second-day pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. If he adds strength, O’Neill could develop into a quality starting left tackle.





Player Comparison: Sam Baker. O’Neill reminds me of a slightly longer version of Baker. Both were athletic with quick feet and agility. Baker lacked strength, however, and had some limitations as a pro blocker as a result. If O’Neill gets stronger, I think he could be a better version of Baker.

NFL Matches: Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Denver, Baltimore, Jacksonville, New England, Philadelphia and Houston

There are a lot of teams that could be a fit for O’Neill in the 2018 NFL Draft. Tampa Bay probably will address more pressing needs early, so O’Neill could be a target of the organization on Day 2. Cincinnati definitely needs to improve its offensive line. O’Neill could be in play for the Bengals as a potential replacement to Andrew Whitworth.

Denver could use another tackle to pair with Garett Bolles and give the Broncos bookend tackles. Baltimore could use an upgrade at right tackle. Taking O’Neill to go with Ronnie Stanley could make sense to provide some long-term tackles for the Ravens.

The Jaguars’ offensive line still needs work. O’Neill could compete at right tackle or guard for Jacksonville. In the same division, Houston badly needs some young talent at tackle.

Philadelphia needs another tackle to go with Lane Johnson. The Patriots could lose Nate Solder in free agency.

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

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