While Creed Humphrey, Landon Dickerson, and Quinn Meinerz steal the spotlight of the center position of the NFL Draft, there are plenty of other options later on in the draft. Jimmy Morrissey is one of them. Morrissey arrived in Pittsburgh as a walk-on but ended up starting all four years he was there, was elected team captain, and a three-time All-ACC Selection. Along with that, he was awarded the 2020 Burlsworth Trophy. The trophy is presented every year to the best player in college football that started his career as a walk-on. Now, Morrissey is setting his sights on the NFL.
Make sure to check out all of our other 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports.
Player Bio
Name: Jimmy Morrissey
Jersey: #67
Position: Interior Offensive Line
School: Kentucky
Class: Redshirt Senior
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 300 lbs
Pass Blocking (8/10)
Morrissey is a solid pass blocker. He has good mobility to get out and get oncoming rushers, but his downfall comes in his lack of strength and power. Morrissey can move people in the screen game when he gets out in front of the ball carrier.
Run Blocking (7.5/10)
His run blocking depends on who he is going up against. If he is going against a more powerful defender, Morrissey will get pushed back off the line of scrimmage and almost into the quarterback’s lap. When Morrissey gets out in space, he will bulldoze defenders out of the path and pave a lane for his running back.
Athleticism (8.5/10)
Morrissey is a great athlete. He posted a 9.00 RAS score, and it shows up on the tape. He has a good first step off the line of scrimmage, and his 1.68 10-yard split was one of the best of the pro-day process. Along with the 10-yard split time, Morrissey posted a 4.46 short shuttle time.
Balance (8.25/10)
Morrissey has a good sense of control. He won’t throw people around and relies on his steady feet to keep him afloat, and he won’t over-extend. Morrissey makes good use of his technique and has a good sense of knowledge of how to keep his quarterback safe.
Strength (5.5/10)
He isn’t overly explosive from his stance. Morrissey had plenty of times where he got blown back off the line of scrimmage by a defender and got ran back into the quarterback.
Hands (8.5/10)
Technician. That is the perfect word for Morrissey. He has a good sense of leverage and knows when to use his hands, and uses that to his advantage.
Versatility (4.5/10)
Morrissey started every game but one at center. His only other start came at right guard. During his time in the Senior Bowl game, Morrissey played at each interior spot for at least one quarter. His lack of in-game experience at any other position besides center is concerning.
Football IQ (9/10)
Morrissey’s IQ and awareness are great and could be one of the best in the class. He is a very experienced player that relies on his technique that overcomes his lack of strength.
Power (5/10)
As pointed out already, Morrissey doesn’t have the most strength and won’t control the line of scrimmage by any means.
Competitive Toughness (5/5)
Morrissey got a last-minute call to head down to Mobile just for the game. He studied his playbook all night and performed very well during the game, playing three full quarters at each interior offensive line spot.
Injury (4/5)
Morrissey suffered a season-ending ankle injury in 2018 and was nicked up here and there since.
Player Summary
Morrissey is one of the intriguing centers later on in the draft. He specializes in his technique and football IQ. He isn’t going to wow many with his pure strength, but his technique and athleticism should make some teams have a priority on him for day three of the draft to get him on their teams. Morrissey would fit nicely in a zone-run scheme as a developmental center that could start in 2022.
Final Grade (73.75/100): Early Fifth Round
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