30-Days, 30 Prospects: DAY 28 – Offensive Lineman Juice Scruggs

Juice Scruggs is yet another prospect in this draft whose stock has been trending upwards upon their senior season. After struggling a bit at the guard position his junior year, allowing 16 quarterback hurries and 2 sacks, Scruggs seems to have found his stride at center the following season, giving up just one sack against stiff competition in the Big-10.

Scruggs shows exceptional quickness off the snap, often generating movement at the point of attack. Additionally, Scruggs has excellent hand placement at initial contact, bringing a powerful punch behind it. Scruggs also moves well laterally with great balance, particularly in pass coverage with an upper and lower body that is constantly in sync with one another. Most importantly, Scruggs shows a high level of versatility, as he is able to play the entire interior offensive line knowing both zone and man blocking schemes.

One of Scruggs’ weaknesses is that he is a jack of all trades, but a master of none– he doesn’t contain any aspect of his game that he does exceptionally well. Additionally, Scruggs often stops his feet at the point of contact, often losing engagement on defenders, as he relies too heavily on his length.

Scruggs has the trending upside and physical ability to be a late-round steal in this draft on the conditions that he goes into the entirety of the off-season hungry and willing to polish his skills. The Raiders seem to be a perfect fit for Scruggs, as he will be able to learn under one of the best offensive lineman coaches in the game in Carmen Bricillo, along with a sound veteran presence to mentor and uplift when needed. Look for the Raiders to have Scruggs on the top of their big board at #174, #204, or #214-overall.