Cordell Volson is taking the long road to get to the NFL, and it has been paying off. Born in Balfour, North Dakota, the mountain man is the definition of a trench player. Coming out of Drake High School, he was always a huge man, and that always came with his trademark physical play. The Shrine Bowl participant has had several awards and accolades both off the field and in the classroom to put on his mantel. With many first and second-team honors and a few Academic Excellence Awards, Volson is what team’s should want. At the same time, the standout basketball and football star in high school has a profound athletic background.
The North Dakota native is summarized in three words, and it’s “a simple man.” As a kid, all Volson wanted to do was be a farm boy and dominate in all aspects of sports. With a degree in General Agriculture, Volson enjoys playing ball and working on a farm. Volson is the son of Ralph and Wendy and is the second born out of four siblings. With a family pedigree already established by his older brother, he has someone to rely on when making it in the league. Tanner Volson was a center for the Bisons from 2014-2018 and went undrafted before signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. Furthermore, Volson has a good head on his shoulder, and his family did a great job of making sure of that.
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Player Bio
Name: Cordell Volson
Jersey: No. 67
Position: Offensive Tackle
School: North Dakota State University
Class: Redshirt Senior
Height: 6″7″
Weight: 316 lbs
Games Watched: Illinois State (2021), Indiana State (2021), Montana State (2021)
Major Injury History: None
Player Breakdown
Pass Blocking (12.5/15)
Volson has good footwork, which would serve him well when needed in pass protection. However, he does lack the skills with his hand and upper body. Volson has a good but not great foundation for teams to build around, and his pass protection is his biggest strength. While he will need to work on his fundamentals, the groundwork is already here. Furthermore, at North Dakota State, he showed a lot of growth when dealing with the explosive pass rushers due to his lack of lateral mobility.
Run Blocking (11/15)
Run blocking is a slight concern for Volson. Often, he is too vertical in his body due to his height and relies too much on his sheer size. As a result, when Volson is trying to blow someone off the line, he doesn’t get his pads low enough, and it causes him to lose the play. However, if teams can get him to sink his hips more and become more balanced, he shouldn’t have a problem with the run. At the same time, Volson would better be suited to play in a power run system over a more mobile zone run scheme.
Length (7/10)
Length is an issue for Volson, and it is one of his most significant downsides. While people might not care about his length on the surface, his draft stock will take a hit once the draft rolls around. With only 33 7/8” arms, he comes in two to three inches shorter than the average. However, some players have made this work during their careers. It’s up to the team’s discretion on whether they think he can.
Footwork (8/10)
Volson has the footwork of someone who is 6’7”. At the same time, he can be tricky as hell to move around due to his imposing stature. However, Volson does need to get better with his bend, so he isn’t so vertical. In addition, Volson being so tall in his sets allows him to get thrown off balance. With Volson winning a lot during college, with his strength and size, it won’t get him very far in the NFL. Furthermore, he could be an excellent swing tackle if he can get his knees to have more bend at a 90-degree angle.
Mechanics (7/10)
With Volson having less than leverage points, he does understand how to move his feet to cut off the opponent’s momentum. While he does have a solid base for his mechanics, he won’t be able to handle the vigor of top-notch edge talent in the NFL. However, while his lower body needs some work, he does have great hands. While Volson has drawn some holding penalties during his career, that’s on his lower body mechanics. Volson does show great latch strength and the ability to be physical with his hands.
Athleticism (6/10)
Volson isn’t the most athletic lineman in this draft, which could cause a problem for him. He won’t be significant in a Kyle Shanahan system with below-average lateral mobility and below-average speed. However, if he can go to a system built on inside runs, he could flourish as a tackle. While Volson won’t be able to become more athletic, he could have a better chance to have a long career if he can become more flexible.
Versatility (5/10)
Volson has no versatility in his game at all. He is what he is, and his game can’t change. However, Volson will need to work on a few mechanical issues that could cause his career to stagnate. At the same time, Volson will be best in one system and one system only. At the same time, he won’t be agile like Trent Williams. But, he sure can flourish in a gap and power run system.
Anchor (13/15)
Aside from his poor bend and lateral mobility, he does have an excellent anchor. With his being all of 6’7” and 313 pounds, he does have a powerful anchor that he can drop at any point in time. His ability to drop the anchor and almost become set in stone makes it harder for players to move him off his spot. At the same time, if he ever gets better bend and flexibility in his lower body, then his anchor would be that much better.
Control (3/5)
Volson is great at his control. He plays with a level head and isn’t prone to many penalties. While he has been known to get a holding penalty or two, it’s usually the case and not just him going out of control. However, he needs to get better at not getting beat on side pass moves due to him over the setting.
Player Summary
Overall, Volson does have quite a few tools that can make him an excellent swing tackle or backup in the league. While he won’t ever become a player who can be a high-level starter, he can be a starter that doesn’t hurt the team. However, Volson will need a year or two and have his techniques honed in. So, while he can very well become a player, that team’s target in the draft is to have a serviceable backup.
Rookie Projection: Developmental Player
Third Year Projection: Swing Tackle
Final Grade (72.5/100): Fourth-Round Pick
Player Comp: Dennis Kelly
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