4th round: Brandon MosleyReport Prepared: February 14, 2012
If an NFL team is looking for a "late-bloomer" to develop, this former TE (who has also played DE, but more on that later), Brandon Mosley has the raw potential (that dreaded word) to blossom.
In pass blocking, Mosley exhibited a somewhat "cool" attitude, easing out his stance and allowing the defender to come to him. He plays with natural knee bend and lateral agility to remain square to his opponent and has a strong initial punch and long arms to control their advance. Techniques such as hand placement (sometimes too low against swim moves) and kick-slide need to be improved, but even with his limited experience, is a quick study in recognizing stunts and blitzes.
Mosley is an athletic run blocker, coming off the snap low and with good leg drive to gain the necessary push off the line against opposition. He also possesses the lateral movement to seal off defenders on the edge. Once again, hand placement is inconsistent and must get higher (on the numbers) as defenders can slip his blocks. Mosley gets to the second level easily and is surprisingly fluid in his movements and sound in the angle of his blocks. The former DE has enough of that "mean streak" to finish his blocks and pancake the opponent when he senses a loss of balance.
Compares to (Current NFL Player): Sam Baker (Falcons)
Strengths
- Raw athleticism, strong and fast
- Natural bender and able to drive block
- Smooth in his footwork and quick off the snap
- Finishes blocks with a nasty demeanor
Weaknesses
- Needs to improve his hand placement
- Needs to improve his kick-slide
- Lack of experience . . . late bloomer
Quote
Mosley played at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College before transferring to Auburn in 2010. The offensive tackle instantly became a starter and remained as such for two seasons. For the National Champion Tigers in 2010, the line allowed only 23 sacks in 296 pass attempts. It helped the team rush for 254 yards and rack up 519 yards total offense in the championship game against Oregon. Auburn suffered a significant dropoff in 2011, but that was mostly due to the departure of Cam Newton in addition to the loss of key defenders. The offensive line remained solid and helped all four of the team's top rushers average at least four yards per carry (and three of the top four average more than five yards per attempt).
Mosley has good size at 6'5'' and 305 pounds, but it is his athleticism and quickness that will make him a force at the next level. The Jefferson, GA native generally runs in the 5.2s of the 40-yard dash and he has been clocked as fast as 5.06 from that distance. He even played some defense end and tight end at junior college. Now strictly an offensive tackle, Mosley has a good burst off the ball and uses his hands well to fend off pass-rushers. He would do well to add some more bulk to his frame, as he can sometimes get overpowered by defensive ends. Mosley struggled a bit at left tackle and will surely line up on the right side early in his NFL career. Look for him to be a second or third-round selection in April's draft.
Sounds like a very good developmental project with promise.