Every year there are bound to be several prospects in the NFL Draft that go on day three and succeed nicely in the league. Kendrick Green could be one of these guys. Green had almost no draft hype at the end of the 2020 season but like several prospects, has picked up some serious steam throughout the offseason. Green was looking at a day three projection months ago, but now, could be seeing his name called on day two.
Make sure to check out all of our other 2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports.
Player Bio
Name: Kendrick Green
Jersey: #53
Position: Offensive Guard
School: Illinois
Class: Redshirt Junior
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 315 lbs
Pass Blocking (8/10)
Green is a solid pass blocker. One thing you notice about his game right away is his explosiveness at the snap. This works for him in both pass protection and run protection. He often rejects hand counters and pass-rush moves and can win his rep nicely. He gets pretty well posted up and there’s no real tape of him just getting overpowered or bull rushed. This is a promising area for Green and he should be able to carry over a lot of what he already knows to the league.
Run Blocking (8/10)
Green is very balanced in his protections. It’s not until the finer parts of his game where he really gets critiqued a bit. He’s shown a good push and has been a reliable guy to run behind. Being a bit undersized, he doesn’t really plug the gaps all too well but has taken up enough space at the college level to get his running back a nice hole. If he moved to center (where he has lots of experience) Green could be an even better run blocker at the next level because the size would match up better.
Technique (12.5/20)
Green is not the most technically sound guard in this class. He has issues of playing too upright. He also can lean forward too much and this actually is a big cause for concern. We’ll get into it later but his balance is really just not good because of these over-extensions and upright play. He seems to play with a textbook set up and hasn’t really been overpowered, or ran by. His footwork can be very bad at times. He’s seen heel-clicking and getting tangled upon himself. He doesn’t have horrible technique by any means but it does need to improve. This is where we start to see a bit of a developmental situation for Green, and not someone who plays off the bat in the NFL.
Hands (7/10)
His hands have some nice flashes but are pretty inconsistent. The first thing that stands out is placement. His placement is rather subpar and will have to get better. in the future. Green accumulated a solid amount of holding calls for a guard from what’s on tape. For the flashes, he’s shown tremendous power in his hands which has led to him stunning the lineman. The last note on his hands, they seem to be always active. He often is just twisting up his defender’s jersey and it can be very impressive at times. Another area Green will have to develop here. He shows promise but he’s not ready for the NFL here.
Strength (8.5/10)
Green has shown some really impressive strength. His flashes of power appear often and he can drive guys into the ground. Green put up 25 bench press reps at his pro day which can attest to his strength. He’s got close to moving guys around strength and has shown the potential to do so. Play strength will not be an issue for Green at the next level and he has the potential to be borderline elite here.
Athleticism (8.75/10)
Green is a great athlete. He ran a 4.85 40 yard dash, had a 35.5-inch vertical jump and a 9’11” broad jump. For an offensive lineman, these numbers are outstanding. He plays like it too. Green gets out into space really easily and dominates at the second level. He can struggle in more constricted areas but this seems like more of a footwork issue than an athletic issue. Athleticism is a big reason why Green has potential in the NFL. He can learn to clean up a lot of issues really easily because of his athleticism and it will surely intrigue teams.
Balance (4.5/10)
This one is pretty rough. Green has gotten knocked off of his feet way too many times. As mentioned, this is because he over-extends and plays too upright. He really has to figure this issue out before he can get meaningful NFL reps. Otherwise, defenders will have a field day and just constantly knock him back. The good thing is that there are some flashes of him holding his ground really nicely. He has the strength to do so, now just comes the technical aspects.
Versatility (9/10)
Green is a super versatile player. He’s played guard on both sides of the line and has gotten starting reps at center. This is very promising for his career and has already improved his stock mightily. A switch to center may even be beneficial for him due to his smaller size. It will certainly be interesting to follow how his team will use him in the NFL.
Competitive Toughness (4.75/5)
Green gives effort on every single down. It’s really fun to watch a lineman who plays with the intensity he does. He finishes each and every rep and doesn’t seem to care about the whistle. His power is pretty fun as well during the play and he’ll give teams the effort that they desire out of later-round picks.
Injury History (4.75/5)
Green has no injuries to date besides missing one Bowl game for something undisclosed in 2019.
Player Summary
The best way to describe Green is developmental. He’ll need to sit for at least a year before getting some bigger reps in the league. Green has to get more technically sound but he has the ability to do so with his great athleticism. It seems like Green is on the fringe of a day two or day three pick and it will certainly be interesting to see what spot he lands in and how they use him.
Player Grade (75.75/100): Mid-Fourth Round
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