The UCLA Bruins were quite competitive last season. The team went 8-4 overall, good enough for second in the Pac-12 South. They added some impressive wins to their résumé, including blowout victories over USC and LSU. After an up year, the squad will lose a number of prospects to the 2022 NFL Draft. Here are the scouting reports for UCLA players who will likely hear their names called during the three-day event.
UCLA 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
The UCLA scouting reports include some high-profile names and a couple of late-round defensive prospects.
Alec Anderson, OT
Positives: Athletic college tackle who also has possibilities at guard. Keeps his feet moving, displays good footwork off the edge, and blocks with leverage. Sets with a wide base, bends his knees, and keeps his head on a swivel. Picks up stunts and blitzes and shows the ability to adjust.
Negatives: Must make better use of angles and gets pushed back into the pocket in pass protection. Must do a better job of properly placing his hands into defenders.
Analysis: Anderson is a fiery blocker who works hard and showed ability last season, yet he had a lot of inconsistency in his game. Entering the draft was not a good choice, and Anderson will have to make his way through the practice squad before he’s ready to take snaps on Sundays.
Brittain Brown, RB
Positives: Hard-charging downhill ball carrier with outstanding vision. Sees the field, possesses good short-area quickness, and bounces around defenders to keep plays alive. Runs hard on the inside, does not go down on the first hit, and keeps his feet moving. Breaks tackles and picks up yardage off initial contact. Solid pass catcher out of the backfield who adjusts to errant throws and snatches passes from the air. Effectively uses blocks everywhere on the field.
Negatives: Plays to run one speed and runs with an upright style. Gets in trouble when he tries to run laterally and looks purely like a downhill ball carrier. Doesn’t show the ability to improvise or create yardage.
Analysis: Brown was a hard-working rotational back at UCLA, yet he lacks the size and speed for Sunday football. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield gives him an outside chance of making a roster.
Greg Dulcich, TE
Positives: Dynamic pass-catching tight end with a large upside. Fluid releasing off the line of scrimmage, quickly gets to top speed, and tracks the pass in the air. Consistently extends and snatches the ball out of the air with his hands, adjusts to errant throws, and lays out for difficult catches. Moves well downfield, displays soft as well as strong hands, and runs solid routes. Quickly gets into breaks, stays low on exit, and makes the difficult catch in a crowd.
Negatives: Possesses average blocking strength and doesn’t get much movement. Just one season of top production.
Analysis: Dulcich is a terrific pass-catching tight end who displayed consistent progress in his game the past two seasons. He’s more of a move tight end but has the frame to get stronger and develop into a blocker. Dulcich comes with tremendous upside, has starting potential, and could be a special player at the position two years down the road.
Want more information on Dulcich? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Greg Dulcich, UCLA TE | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Kyle Philips, WR
Positives: Quick, sure-handed receiver with the ability to make important plays. Outstanding route runner who fires off the line of scrimmage and quickly gets in and out of breaks to separate from defenders. Tracks the pass in the air, nicely times receptions, and adjusts to errant throws.
Possesses outstanding eye/hand coordination as well as focus, snatches the ball out of the air, and displays a sense of timing on receptions. Knows where he is on the field, follows the quarterback across the field, and works to make himself an available target. Gives effort blocking downfield.
Negatives: Lacks a burst, plays to one speed, and isn’t a vertical wideout. Struggles in battles and does not win out for the contested throw.
Analysis: Philips was a productive receiver for UCLA the past three seasons. He separates from defenders through routes and finds ways to come free despite average size and speed. He’ll be a terrific slot or third receiver at the next level and comes with return potential.
Want more information on Philips? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Kyle Philips, UCLA WR | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Otito Ogbonnia, DT
Positives: Powerful gap-occupying defensive tackle who takes up a lot of room and holds his ground. Fires off the snap with a quick first step, bends his knees, and consistently gets leverage on opponents. Explosive, impossible to move off the point, and bull rushes opponents up the field. Possesses a thick build and barrels through blocks to get to the action. Strong in his overall game.
Negatives: Doesn’t get down the line of scrimmage or outside the box in pursuit. More of a gap occupier than a playmaker. Must develop more moves to get off blocks.
Analysis: Ogbonnia is a space-eating defensive lineman with a nose-tackle mentality. He’s a prototypical gap-occupying lineman in style and substance. Though he’s not flashy, Ogbonnia could have a long career at the next level.
Want more information on Ogbonnia? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Otito Ogbonnia, UCLA DT | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Paul Grattan Jr., OL
Positives: Hard-working blocker with limited upside. Fires off the snap into blocks, stays square, and shows good initial strength at the point. Nasty blocker who keeps his feet moving, anchors in pass protection, and looks to hit as many defenders as possible. Explosive.
Negatives: Stiff and only good in a small area. Gets upright in his stance. Lacks footwork in space and is ineffective pulling across the line of scrimmage and blocking in motion.
Analysis: Grattan was a productive and durable lineman at UCLA, but the inability to block in motion or play with leverage is his downfall.
Quentin Lake, S
Positives: Terrific safety prospect with outstanding instincts and a great head for the game. Very aware of what’s happening, incredibly instinctive, and has a great feel for the action. Takes proper angles to plays, possesses outstanding ball skills, and gets vertical to come away with difficult interceptions.
Shows ability over the slot receiver, gets his head back around to locate the pass in the air, and positions himself against opponents to make plays on the ball. Fires upfield, gives effort against the run, and has a nice break to the ball. Squares into tackles and brings ball handlers down at the point. Very polished.
Negatives: Lacks long speed. Does not show great range in center field. Shows stiffness in his game.
Analysis: Lake is a playmaking safety with a well-rounded game. Though he’s just an average athlete, he makes up for his lack of speed with incredible instincts and a natural feel for the position. I expect Lake to be selected later in the draft, and he could turn out to be a steal for a team that properly uses him.
Want more information on Lake? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Quentin Lake, UCLA S | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Qwuantrezz Knight, S
Positives: Underrated run-defending safety with a terrific head for the position. Instinctive, quickly reads the action, and recognizes routes in zone coverage. Breaks down well, fires upfield defending the run, and wraps up tackling. Takes proper angles to plays, quickly picks up coverage assignments, and fires to the ball out of his plant. Displays solid lateral speed.
Negatives: Possesses average ball skills, struggles making plays in reverse, and lacks long speed.
Analysis: Knight is a hard-working safety with a one-dimensional game. He’ll be a solid strong safety at the next level and comes with a special-teams mentality.
Sean Rhyan, OT
Positives: Durable left tackle prospect who quickly sets up off the snap, bends his knees, and keeps his feet moving. Stays square and makes outstanding use of angles. Out-positions and controls defenders with terrific body positioning. Displays blocking vision, picks up blitzes, and shows the ability to adjust and knock pass rushers from their angles of attack. Moves well on his feet and quickly gets to the second level.
Negatives: Must improve his blocking ability in motion. Lacks desired footwork off the edge. Struggles finishing blocks and does not get much movement run blocking.
Analysis: Rhyan flashed on the scene as a freshman and showed promise, yet he never elevated his game. He possesses an upside and looks as though he would be a good fit in a zone-blocking system despite his athletic testing numbers. I’d like to see Rhyan improve his strength at the point of attack and feel he is a solid developmental prospect who should be drafted in the late rounds.
Want more information on Rhyan? Here’s our expanded scouting report and draft profile: Sean Rhyan, UCLA OT | NFL Draft Scouting Report