The 2022 offensive line is full of options at the top of the draft, including three offensive tackles that could be selected in the top ten. There may be as many as nine or ten offensive linemen selected on day one, but there also appears to be a sweet spot on day two along the front five. Sean Rhyan is a player that can be found on day two and immediately provide results for whichever team selects him later this month. The UCLA offensive lineman has spent time at both tackle spots, but those across the NFL Draft landscape expect him to be taken as a guard due to his lack of length.
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Player Bio
Name: Sean Rhyan
Jersey: No. 74
Position: Offensive Line
School: UCLA
Class: Junior
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 321 lbs
Games Watched: Utah (2021), Oregon (2021), LSU (2021)
Major Injury History: None
Player Breakdown
Pass Blocking (13/15)
Rhyan is a stout pass blocker. He has outstanding balance and is great in his pass sets, which allows him to gather ground quickly. Rhyan stonewalled Kayvon Thibodeaux in the game against Oregon, which was a major bright spot on his resume as Thibodeaux is an absurd prospect that could go in the top-five in the draft. The only knock against Rhyan in this regard is that he can get beat outside by more athletic pass-rushers that can bend around the corner with ease. He did allow a few pressures and gave up a sack as a result of the quarterback stepping the wrong way.
Run Blocking (14/15)
Rhyan is a mauler in the run game. He has great bend to get low on defenders and can drive them to the second level. Rhyan has plus movement skills which allow him to get into space easily and wall defenders from the running lane. He is fantastic at sealing the edge defenders in the run game, and UCLA used him a ton on combo blocks. Rhyan is a fantastic run blocker, and it would be a seamless transition for teams that want to switch him to guard.
Anchor (14/15)
In addition to bending well in the run game, he uses it while he’s in his pass sets too. When tasked with blocking a power rusher, Rhyan can sit and anchor very well thanks to bending well and having great strength. He used this time and time again where he was able to stop defenders in their tracks and hold his ground.
Footwork (9/10)
Rhyan has smooth footwork. There are no wasted steps in his pass set, and he can quickly cover ground to get to his landmark in the passing game. He’s fantastic in the run game as well and uses it to his advantage to cover ground quickly and can take smaller steps when nearing a defender to direct the defender.
Mechanics (8.25/10)
His mechanics are fine. They aren’t a concern, but coming from an offensive scheme like UCLA does make him a bit of a tweener from an offensive scheme standpoint that does a lot of different short passing concepts and doesn’t necessarily have the smoothest transition to the next level.
Athleticism (8.5/10)
Rhyan is surprisingly athletic. He scored above an eight on the RAS scale at the combine. A big knock on that was his lack of height as a tackle. Rhyan is explosive coming out of his stance and can move easily in space, which is why the Bruins used him as a lead blocker on runs. He is surprisingly quick, and teams will love him for the price they will have to pay for him.
Versatility (7.25/10)
Rhyan spent most of his time at either tackle spot or as an extra lineman in Chip Kelly’s offensive scheme at UCLA. Many analysts think he should make the move to guard at the next level, and while that is true, some teams may elect to try him at tackle before moving him to the interior.
Length (6.5/10)
Rhyan’s length would suggest that he shouldn’t be played as a tackle at the next level. First off, he’s only six-foot-four. While Ikem Ekwonu is also that height, Ekwonu has 34-inch arms in comparison to Rhyan’s 32 3/8-inch arms. A player that is similar to Rhyan, that is listed as a tackle is Bernhard Raimann, and the two are likely to go in the same range in the draft. The length doesn’t show up on film a lot, but with more explosive and long pass-rushers in the NFL, it will pop up a lot more in the NFL.
Control (3.5/5)
There are a few times where Rhyan doesn’t square up to the defender the best. UCLA loves to have him out in space, but there were a few times where he got outsmarted by the defender. The defender would move past him and tackle the ball carrier. It isn’t a huge concern, but it is certainly something to look at a bit more in-depth.
Player Summary
Rhyan is an intriguing prospect at the next level. He can play either guard or tackle and do them at a starting-caliber level during his rookie campaign. Teams may move him to guard right from the jump, but some will try him at tackle first. It’s all a preference. Rhyan’s performance against Thibodeaux put him into the spotlight, and he was consistently a first-round pick throughout the NFL season but has seen his stock fall to the second day of the draft now.
Rhyan is a similar player to Tyler Smith, who both have been going in the same range in mock drafts and come with similar projections to the next level. From a tackle standpoint, he is in a similar range to Raimann and Daniel Faalele. Don’t be surprised to see Rhyan go early in the second round later this month, and it will be interesting to see where teams play him to start his career.
Rookie Projection: Starting Offensive Lineman
Third Year Projection: Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman
Final Grade (84/100): Early Second Round
Player Comp: Ryan Bates
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One Response
Great article, to the point.
Tweener, maybe. Athletic absolutely. Top vj at combine and Olympic sevens Rugby is not bad at 16 yrs of age. That’s when he focused on FB.
FB seasons in hs plus state shot put medalist.
So, year round FB player just started at ucla.
You are correct, very high ceiling in deed sir.
Thank you.