2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Geron Christian

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

Geron Christian, 6-5/298 Offensive Tackle Louisville

Geron Christian Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Very good athlete

Fast at the point of attack

Bends at the knee

Quick feet

Agile pass protector

Ability to mirror speed rushers

Can function in space

Athletic ability for his size

Great fit in a zone-blocking system

Can hit blocks at the second level

Long arms – 35 inches

Versatile

Could play guard or center

Weaknesses:

Terrible technique

Extremely raw

Slow to redirect back to the inside

Oversets

Needs to get stronger

Summary: Christian made his way onto the field as a freshman starter and had an impressive debut for Louisville. In 2016, he had some good games protecting Lamar Jackson while having some issues in other contests. The consistency issues played out again for Christian during his junior year. He should have returned to Louisville to improve before going pro, but Christian declared for the 2018 NFL Draft.

In the ground game, Christian is fast to the second level. He can fire out of his stance and get to defenders before they expect. He is able to beat tacklers to the spot and hit blocks in space. He is not a road-grader in the ground game who can knock defenders off the ball or rag doll them around the field. Christian needs to get stronger to pack more of a punch in the NFL.

In pass protection, Christian illustrates that he is a very good athlete. He is fast blocker who has quick feet to get depth in his drop. He is so quick that he makes mirroring speed rushers and cutting off the edge look easy at times. Christian bends at the knee and uses his length to tie up rushers. With Christian being so fast, athletic and agile, he has a ton of talent to take on the speed rushers of the NFL.



Christian is extremely raw and needs a lot of development for the NFL. He has terrible technique and gives up some bad pressures. He is slow to redirect back to the inside, and counter moves give him a lot of problems because he oversets far too often. While Christian needs a ton of work on his technique, his athletic ability is his redeeming trait. His athleticism is tough to find, and that makes him a worthy project with huge upside. If Christian works hard to develop his technique and improve, he has the potential to be a very good starting left tackle as a pro.

Christian may need a year to develop for the NFL, but he could become a good starting left tackle. He also has the versatility to move inside to be a guard or center. In speaking to team sources, some have Christian graded on the second day and think he could be a third-round pick. Others think he’s a late-rounder. Given his skill set with plenty of upside and the fact that he plays a premium position, there could be enough teams that like Christian to take him in the third round. This is a weak draft at offensive tackle, too, and there are plenty of teams that need help at the position. Thus, that demand could help Christian to go higher than expected.





Player Comparison: Duane Brown. Some sources have compared Christian to Duane Brown coming out of Virginia Tech in 2008. Brown (6-4, 305) was a converted tight end who was still learning left tackle and had rough start to his pro career before developing into a Pro Bowler and franchise left tackle. Brown and Christian are nearly identical in size with athleticism. Christian’s career could follow a similar path if he works hard and gets good coaching. Brown was a very astute first-round pick by the Houston Texans in the 2008 NFL Draft. Christian will go much lower but has similar upside entering the NFL.

NFL Matches: Jacksonville, New England, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Denver, Miami, Arizona, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Houston

There are a lot of teams that could be a fit for Christian in the 2018 NFL Draft. He could find a home with one of the playoff teams. The Jaguars’ offensive line could still get better and more talented. Christian could compete for the Jacksonville line at right tackle to replace Jeremy Parnell. New England lost Nate Solder in free agency and could interest the team as a replacement.

Philadelphia needs another tackle of the future to pair with Lane Johnson. Johnson could go to left tackle to replace aging veteran Jason Peters with Christian being the starting right tackle.

Joe Thomas retired, leaving the Browns in need ofa new starter at left tackle. It could be possible that Cleveland would think of Christian with one of its second-day picks.

Denver could use more offensive line help. The Broncos could bookend Garett Bolles with Christian on the right side.

The Dolphins need help on the line and might not keep Ja’Wuan James for the long term. Miami could draft Christian on the second day and start him out at guard. If James isn’t in the long-term plans, then Christian could move to right tackle to form a tandem with Laremy Tunsil.

The Cardinals’ offensive line was a mess in 2017. If Arizona takes a quarterback in the first round, Christian could make sense for the team as an offensive line upgrade on Day 2.

Baltimore could use more competition on the inside of the line and right tackle, Christian could be a competitor for the Ravens.

Even after trading for Cordy Glenn, Cincinnati could look to do more to improve its offensive line, so Christian could be in play as competitor for the Bengals at right tackle or guard.

The Texans have three third-round picks and need offensive line help badly. Christian could interest new Houston general manager Brian Gaine to be a potential starting left tackle.

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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