Steve Avila

TCU IOL

Games Watched: Texas, Michigan, Georgia

Summary: Steve Avila has played both guard and center in college and projects better as a power run scheme guard in the NFL. He excels as a run blocker where he uses his quickness of the snap and natural strength to overpower defenders. In pass protection he has a strong anchor and powerful hands to keep defenders at bay. Avila is very slow laterally however, making it tough for him to connect with defenders in space and block agile pass rushers. His hand usage and ability to read the field will also need to develop.

Pros

  • Good strength, tenacity, and grip strength  to create holes in the running game
  • Great anchor in pass protection
  • Has a lot of power in his hands
  • Good burst and footwork out of his stance to gain an advantageous position

Cons

  • Lack of lateral mobility allows more agile defensive linemen to get around him
  • Changes direction slowly making it tough for him to reach moving targets as as a blocker
  • Needs to improve his hand fighting technique in pass protection
  • Can be a little bit slow to read stunts from the defense

Grade: Steve Avila gets a late 2nd round grade. He’s a powerful run blocker but the lack of agility caps his ceiling.