PROSPECT SUMMARY - BRYCE HARGROVE

Bryce Hargrove was a two-year starter at Pittsburgh and finished his college career with 27 consecutive starts at left guard. Hargrove is a powerful and aggressive blocker. He is assertive attacking defenders in the run game and has a mauler’s mentality that often leads to notable movement. While his power and style suggest he would be best as a run blocker, he is better in the pass game. He has terrific technique and power with his hands, good movement skills, and natural mirroring ability that leads to consistency keeping his opponent at bay. Hargrove is sufficient on the move and plays under control in space. When it comes to areas to improve, playing with more consistent leverage overall and better control in the run game is needed. As it stands, he can be overly frenetic, lunge, and lose control when he’s asked to drive block. Hargrove is a bit of an underrated prospect that has the ceiling of a starter should he develop and land in the right situation.

Ideal Role: Developmental guard.

Scheme Fit: Any.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by: Joe Marino

Games watched: Virginia Tech (2020), Florida State (2020), Notre Dame (2020), Clemson (2020)

Best Game Studied: Virginia Tech (2020)

Worst Game Studied: Notre Dame (2020)

Competitive Toughness: Hargrove gets after it. He is aggressive into contact and he has a mean streak to him in the run game. I love how aggressive he is with his punch in pass protection. He embraces being physical and exchanging power in the trenches.

Balance: Hargrove can be a touch overly frenetic in the run game, get caught with his weight too far forward, and not operate with enough control. He has to do a better job of keeping his pads down and hips leveraged because there are too many instances of defenders getting under his pads and taking control of reps. He is a controlled mover in space.

Anchor Ability: Hargrove has plenty of size and natural power that helps him absorb contact. Additionally, he does well to bow his back to help take on power and maintain his ground. With that said, playing with lower pads and leveraged hips will help keep him from working overtime to anchor as frequently as is currently required.

Lateral Mobility: Hargrove has good lateral mobility and he’s fully capable of sliding his feet in pass protection to stay square to his man. For his size, he does well to hinge, pivot, and turn. Overall, he has good range and more than expected from his stature.

Power at P.O.A.: Hargrove is a nasty and powerful dude at the point of attack. He’s aggressive with his hands and he explodes into contact. With that said, he needs to play with better leverage to not rob himself of power.

Hand Technique: Hargrove has heavy, violent hands that frequently stun opponents. He varies his strikes and loves to deliver knockout blows. He keeps his hands engaged and has excellent grip strength. While they can get a touch wide from time to time, overall his placement, timing, and power are excellent and a big reason why he is able to control reps.

Football IQ: Hargrove was a two-year starter at left guard for Pittsburgh and enters the NFL coming off 27 consecutive starts. While he is mostly sound with his assignments and executes with good timing, he can be touch frenetic and there is some technique to clean up in terms of leverage. Hargrove committed eight penalties over his last two seasons.

Versatility: Hargrove has the look of a tackle and could probably play there in a pinch, but I like him best at guard. He does have some appeal in zone and gap blocking schemes. While the best thing he does is pass block, he is efficient on the move and has the traits to develop as a run blocker.

Pass Sets: Hargrove is a wall in pass protection. He does well to reach his set points, slide his feet, and stay square. His issues only come up when his hands get wide or he’s too tall in his sets. He mostly does well to mirror and keep rushers and the end of his reach.

Flexibility: Hargrove isn’t overly loose or explosive but he is sufficient in terms of fluidity. He does well to bow his back to help absorb contact and he’s capable of hinging and pivoting. He’s not overly tight or flexible.

Prospect Comparison: Phil Haynes (2019 NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks)