School: TCU

Position: OG

Year: Redshirt Senior

The Good: Steve Avila, at 332lbs with just 33” arms, is exactly what you want your left guard to look like. And he’s got a pair of tiny hands (7th percentile) that are basically two mini boxing gloves at the ends of his arms. Avila’s hand usage is truly excellent for a prospect. They are quick with proper inside positioning and a strong grip, and he pops defenders with them when he lands his punch. Avila has all-around strength; he can stop and turn DTs against their will. He consistently wins pad level moving forward and he’s got a very heavy anchor setting backward.

The Bad: Avila, though relatively athletic, isn’t the most graceful mover. He’s a lesser player in the open field than in the muck of the trenches; he doesn’t pick up defenders quickly on the move and he doesn’t work a tightrope along the line of scrimmage. Though stout, Avila has some iffy balance, which shows on tape when he tips over more than you’d imagine for his build. For things to clean up in the pros, Avila will hit his back foot too hard in pass protection and get his cleats stuck in the turf from there. He can lock up his elbows too, with which his shorter arms is a recipe for giving up inside pressure.

The Bottom Line: Avila is a good prospect at offensive guard. He started at center for TCU in 2021 then at the Senior Bowl – where he looked very good – he took some more center reps, but I’ll say it again: Avila is a good prospect at OFFENSIVE GUARD. Don’t move him, don’t mess with him; just take the safe and reliable guard with NFL size and hands in Round 2 and be content with it. 

Grade: Second Round

Pro Comp: Mike Iupati

Games Watched:

• Oklahoma 2022
• Kansas 2022
• Oklahoma State 2022
• Michigan 2022
• Senior Bowl

Plays That Matter [LINK]