Finding quality players for your offensive line is a priority for every team, every year. Your quarterback can be great, but it doesn’t matter if he’s on his back all game. Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach recognized this following 2020 and revamped the entire offensive line into one of the league’s best because they had the best quarterback on planet Earth.
Star of the class? Sixth-round guard Trey Smith. Could LSU’s Anthony Bradford follow suit?
Bradford is a guard prospect hoping some team feels he can be a piece that comes in and upgrades a unit looking to protect their quarterback. Below is everything you need to know about Bradford in his scouting report.
Anthony Bradford NFL Draft Profile
- Position: G
- School: LSU
- Year: Senior
In high school, Bradford was a consensus four-star prospect from Michigan. He was noted for his tremendous upper body strength, giving him the ability to push the pile. Among his strengths, it was noted that he excels in run blocking. He played tackle in high school and was ranked the 11th-best OT prospect in the nation and third overall recruit from the state of Michigan, according to Rivals.
Bradford sat most of his freshman year. He played in three games with no starts, seeing action in a backup role in wins over Northwestern State, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas. As a redshirt freshman, it was more of the same. He appeared in seven games, with most of his action coming on special teams.
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Bradford saw a bit more action in 2021. He played in six games, starting five times. He opened the season as the starter at right guard vs. UCLA but did not play in LSU’s next three games. Then, he started at left tackle in four consecutive games — vs. Auburn, at Kentucky, vs. Florida, and at Ole Miss, — but once again did not see any action in the team’s final five games.
His junior season would be his last despite having another year of eligibility. Bradford appeared in 13 games with 12 starts for the Tigers, again playing multiple positions. He started at right guard in the season-opener vs. Florida State before shifting to right tackle the following week vs. Southern.
He moved back to right guard vs. New Mexico and remained there for the remainder of the season, with the exception of the Tennessee contest when he started at left tackle. He played a total of 899 offensive snaps and was called for only two penalties. He only gave up four sacks all season, despite moving around the line.
Tony Pauline’s Scouting Report for Anthony Bradford
Strengths: Strong run-blocking lineman who is best in a small area. Blocks with leverage and power and stays square. Anchors in pass protection and turns defenders off the line to open up running lanes. Knocks blockers back with explosive hand punch. Keeps his head on a swivel and plays with a nasty attitude.
Weaknesses: Lacks footwork in space. Late with his hands. Must sink his butt at the line of scrimmage.
Overall: Bradford is a massive lineman who offers possibilities in a power-gap scheme, yet he comes with limitations.
Anthony Bradford Combine Measurements and Results
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 332 pounds
- Arm: 33 1/2″
- Hand: 9 1/2″
- Bench Press: 34 reps
- 40-Yard Dash: 5.08
Anthony Bradford Current NFL Draft Projection
According to Tony Pauline’s Big Board, Bradford is projected to be a third-round pick, and it’s easy to see why. He is Pauline’s sixth-rated offensive guard and has demonstrated excellent position versatility on both sides of the line. He is Pauline’s 107th-ranked prospect overall.
Bradford’s Relative Athletic Score of 9.88 is considered “elite.” Aside from perhaps being on the shorter side of average, his size is considered great, coming in just over 330 pounds and putting up 34 reps on the bench press. He’s been doing 30+ reps since he was in high school.
Bradford’s speed is considered elite where it matters most: the 10-yard split of the 40-yard dash. As a guard, being explosive out of your stance is fundamental to the position, and the 10-yard split is a great measure of that ability. This is coupled with his great explosion scores. His agility is average for his size, which is good enough being locked in a phone booth all game on the interior of the offensive line.
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I suspect Bradford goes much higher than middle-to-late Day 3 of the draft. The Buffalo Bills have a glaring need at the guard position and a glaring weakness in the run game.
Bradford would fill both of those quite nicely. Depending on how the board falls and where the value is in the draft, I could see Buffalo taking Bradford with pick No. 130. By then, they have likely answered questions at the linebacker and wide receiver positions. Getting Bradford there would be a great addition for them.