Offensive line play is one of the biggest indicators of success for NFL teams. As such, building from the trenches is a key factor for many teams on draft day. Tackles, in particular, get a lot of love during the draft process. Protecting and owning the edge is a key objective for every NFL team on gameday.
Kansas’ Earl Bostick Jr. is a tackle prospect in this year’s NFL Draft that is hoping to hear his name called during one of the seven rounds. Below is everything you need to know about Bostick in his scouting report.
Earl Bostick Jr. NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- School: Kansas
- Year: Fifth-Year Senior
Bostick is relatively new to the offensive line. In fact, in high school, he was mostly a defensive lineman and a tight end. He played for head coach Dwayne Garrick at Barnwell HS and helped lead BHS to a 12-2 overall mark in 2016, including an appearance in the South Carolina Class 2A state semifinals.
From there, Bostick earned all-area selection honors as a defensive lineman his senior year while picking up all-region accolades as a tight end in both of his final high school campaigns.
He was selected to play in the 2017 Border Bowl featuring top players from South Carolina against Georgia, where he played defensive end and had seven tackles, three tackles for loss, and three quarterback hurries. He finished his senior season with 80 tackles and 17 TFLs, hauling in seven passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns on offense.
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As a true freshman, Bostick continued to play tight end, appearing in 10 games and starting four. His following year, he saw action in eight games, all on special teams. He did make the switch to offensive line that year and appeared in one game upfront. In his junior season, as he continued to make position adjustments, he appeared in only four games.
Bostick took a redshirt junior year in 2020 and seemed to make the full transition to the offensive line. He was named to the Academic All-Big 12 second team and was in the starting lineup for the Jayhawks in seven of the nine games. He played right tackle primarily and also stayed on special teams.
The following year, Bostick was a redshirt senior and again made a position switch. He started all 12 games at left tackle for the Jayhawks and helped lead a unit that surrendered just 16 sacks. He was named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team to boot.
In his final season as a fifth-year senior, Bostick made 13 starts on the offensive line and was named to the Academic All-America second team and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention by the conference’s coaches.
Tony Pauline’s Scouting Report for Earl Bostick Jr.
Strengths: Athletic left tackle who blocks with terrific fundamentals. Bends his knees, fires off the snap, and blocks with leverage. Keeps his feet moving, stays square, and anchors in pass protection. Displays terrific range off the edge and is smooth sliding his feet. Quick to the second level, moves well in space, and nicely redirects to linebackers. Blocks down well on opponents.
Weaknesses: Possesses average run-blocking strength and struggles to finish off opponents. Late with his hands and doesn’t consistently place them correctly.
Overall: Bostick is an underrated OT prospect who was a productive starter on the left side for Kansas over the past three seasons. He’s athletic, has an upside, and needs just a year or two in an NFL weight training program before he’ll be ready to play on Sundays.
Earl Bostick Jr. Combine Measurements and Results
- Height: 6’5 3/4″
- Weight: 309 pounds
- Arm: 34 1/8″
- Hand: 9 1/2″
- Bench Press: 21 reps
- 40-Yard Dash: 5.05
Earl Bostick Jr. Current Draft Projection
According to Tony Pauline’s Big Board, Bostick is projected as a sixth-seventh-round talent. This does not mean he will necessarily be drafted in the sixth or seventh round. It simply means that is the projection for a player with the draft grade Pauline has given him. The board may fall a certain way that sees Bostick drafted earlier or not drafted at all.
Bostick has a Relative Athletic Score of 9.41, which is considered “great.” His size is about average for the position, but his bench press was considered poor. At only 21 reps, some scouts may like to see that higher, but functionally, the bench has little bearing on football ability. It is actually more of a test of effort based on how simple it is to improve one’s bench reps. Scouts use it as a litmus test to see who got in the weight room.
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Speed-wise, the 10-yard split is what matters for Bostick. At 1.68, his score was considered elite for the position. Explosion-wise, his vertical and broad jump were considered great, as was his agility. Athletically, Bostick has an upside some coaches may covet for development.
One must wonder how much the constant position changes Bostick encountered at Kansas affected his overall development and the quality of his tape. His athleticism and senior film imply there is upside and ability for further development. It is unlikely Bostick is drafted, but he does have the necessary résumé to be a priority free agent.