2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Luke Fortner

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Luke Fortner, 6-3/302 Center Kentucky

Luke Fortner Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Tough blocker

Strong at the point of attack

Functional strength

Good technique

Intelligent

Fundamentally sound

Good hand placement

Quality length for an interior blocker

Good anchor against bull rushes

Keeps his weight behind his toes

Recoverability

Quick to adjust to games up front

Durable

Safe pick

Experienced

Versatile could also play some guard

Should be able to compete quickly

Leader

Hard worker

Football character

Weaknesses:

Has some skill-set limitations

Not a great athlete

Lacks speed and quickness

Enough size but not big

Summary: Fortner saw action as a freshman and sophomore in 2017 and 2018 while working his way into becoming Kentucky’s starting center. In 2019, he had an excellent season, allowing only one sack on the season. Fortner returned his senior year in 2020 and then took advantage of the extra season of eligibility to return in 2021. Over his two senior years, Fortner was a dependable blocker for the Wildcats, opening holes for running back Chris Rodriguez and protecting his quarterback well.

Fortner looks like a future NFL starter who could earn a starting job quickly as a pro. He is very tough at the point of attack and intelligent. He does a nice job of reading defenses and adjusting to games and blitzes up front. Fortner shows advanced technique in terms of hand placement and strong fundamentals to bend at the knee and avoid letting his weight get over his toes. For an interior offensive lineman, Fortner has quality size and enough length.



Fortner shows the ability to anchor in pass protection, and he can hold his ground against bull rushes from heavy defensive tackles. He won’t be a liability taking on 3-4 defenses with a good zero-technique nose tackle who aims to collapse the pocket. Fortner can sink his hips and will strongly hold his ground. Executing double teams with his guards will not be an issue either, and Fortner should be a helpful blocker to execute double teams on problematic interior linemen.

Fortner is strong run blocker at the point of attack. He can control and manipulate defenders plus displays good technique for hitting combo blocks or getting to the second level. Fortner will not be overwhelming as an interior run blocker who blasts defenders off the line, but he is well-rounded, tough and effective.

Fortner might be able to play some guard as a pro, but that is not ideal. He is a natural center. If there is an injury, his team could get away with playing him at guard to finish out a game, but he’s a better player at center.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, Fortner could be a third- or fourth-round pick, and he has serious potential to develop into a starter.



Player Comparison: Ben Jones. Some team sources said Humphrey looked like a bigger version of Jones. Jones has put together a solid NFL career for the Texans and Titans since being a mid-round pick, and Humphrey could follow a similar path.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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