Offensive tackle is one of the most important positions on a football field, especially now that the myth of the “blindside” is finally being dispelled. Teams routinely assign their pass rushers by matchup, regardless of the quarterback’s throwing arm. Thus, right tackles are also extremely important.
Kadeem Telfort has an uphill battle to hearing his name called during the NFL Draft’s full seven rounds, but tackles are always among priority free agents after the draft is over. Here is everything you need to know in Telfort’s curated scouting report.
Kadeem Telfort NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- School: UAB
- Year: Redshirt Senior
Telfort transferred to UAB in 2020 and played as a redshirt junior. That year he appeared in six games and tallied four starts. He was part of a Blazer offensive line that allowed only four sacks on the season, the fewest in Conference USA and fourth-fewest in the nation.
In 2021, with an extra year due to the COVID waiver afforded to players during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020, Telfort received honorable mention Conference USA recognition and played in all 13 games on the offensive line, starting all of them. This time, the rushing attack was in focus, and Telfort was part of the Blazers’ offensive line that helped UAB running backs rush for 2,737 yards on the season.
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In 2022, Telfort played his final college season as a redshirt senior. He was named first-team All-Conference USA after appearing in 12 games while starting in 11. He was the starting left tackle for the top offensive line unit in Conference USA and helped UAB rush for 235.3 yards per game, which was eighth nationally.
Telfort was a member of the o-line unit that was selected for the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll and paved the way for record-setting running back DeWayne McBride, who led the nation in rushing.
Kadeem Telfort Scouting Report
Strengths: Long, nasty college left tackle who projects to the right side. Quickly sets up off the snap, keeps his feet moving, and immediately gets his hands into defenders. Displays footwork off the edge, jolts defenders with terrific hand punch, and rides opponents from their angles of attack.
Arm length is a shade under 36 inches. Powerful, blocks with a nasty attitude, and keeps his head on a swivel. Drives opponents off the line or squares into defenders and seals them from the action.
Weaknesses: Doesn’t sink his butt at the line of scrimmage and must do a better job bending his knees as well as playing with leverage. Lacks quick footwork and lateral range in pass protection.
Overall: Telfort is a massive lineman with the size, dimensions, and power to play on the right side. He’s a bit of a project, yet he’s worth stashing on a practice squad.
Kadeem Telfort Combine Measurements and Results
The NFL Scouting Combine gives us a great opportunity to see how players stack up in various testing environments. Luckily, PFN has full databases of both NFL Combine measurements and NFL Combine results. Below is everything you need to know from Telfort’s Combine performance.
- Height: 6074
- Weight: 322
- Arm: 36
- Hand: 8 ½”
- Bench Press: 19
- 40-Yard Dash: 5.45
Kadeem Telfort Current Draft Projection
According to Tony Pauline’s Big Board, Telfort is the 15th-ranked offensive tackle and No. 246 player overall. He is graded as a seventh-round pick.
Telfort’s Relative Athletic Score is considered “poor.” Despite great size for the position, Telfort lacks the athleticism to wow team evaluators. Every category, from speed to explosion, was seen as “very poor.” His 10-yard split was approaching two seconds (1.89), which is a big red flag. His 8.7 three-cone drill was also quite alarming.
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When I ran through the Pro Football Network Mock Draft Simulator, Telfort is the 312th-ranked player on the consensus big board, so needless to say, he doesn’t ever get drafted. It’s most likely that result plays out in reality, and Telfort must go the undrafted free agent route to making an NFL roster.