PROSPECT SUMMARY - STONE FORSYTHE

Florida offensive tackle Stone Forsythe projects as a viable starting-caliber offensive tackle at the pro level. Forsythe, who is the son of former NFL offensive lineman Ray Forsythe, started the final 25 games of his career with the Florida Gators at left tackle—but he has taken reps on the right side of the line as well and that added flexibility should afford teams more appeal as a potential swing tackle early in his career while he works on some of the finer points of his game. Forsythe brings a smooth cadence to the field and is quite controlled in his pass sets; willing to take depth on his vertical sets and trusting his technique to maintain integrity on the edge or alternatively snap out of his stance to challenge you early at the line of scrimmage. You’d like to see more consistency with his leverage, but he’s a looming frame at 6-foot-8 and there's an inevitability to him playing higher than most defenders at first contact. Fortunately, at 315 pounds, Forsythe does have the natural strength in his frame to sit down on outside pass rushers who look to bull him back into the lap of the quarterback. Ideally, this isn’t a Day 1 starter, but the ceiling is there for Forsythe to make an impact and there’s little reason to think he couldn’t fit in any number of offensive systems across the league regardless of core principles and ideologies.

Ideal Role: Developmental starting offensive tackle.

Scheme Fit: Pass-heavy offensive attack with consistent launch point from the pocket.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Kyle Crabbs

Games watched: Alabama (2020), Georgia (2020), Arkansas (2020), Oklahoma (2020)

Best Game Studied: Georgia (2020)

Worst Game Studied: Oklahoma (2020)

Balance: Forsythe plays with admirable control for such a big-bodied tackle, but he isn’t immune to overextending and getting out over top of his toes. It happens largely when playing in attack mode in the run game, but you do see instances where he’s challenged across face as a tackle in his pass set and he’ll be slow or late to slide his feet and maintain effective framing.

Pass Sets: Short sets, vertical sets, you name it... he looks to be comfortable with anything and everything you may want to ask him to attack rushers with. His toolbox here is plentiful and he typically stayed a step ahead in three of the four games I studied (Alabama, Georgia, and Arkansas).

Competitive Toughness: You can’t help but appreciate the raw strength that he brings to the position. He’ll sit down and absorb power rushes despite not having the pad level you’re looking for. He is effective in combo situations to help jolt and provide some juice to A-level defenders. And he does play with a little bit of feistiness to him, too.

Lateral Mobility: This is not something I would consider a strong suit for Forsythe’s game. Defenders with length have shown an ability to work across face on longer developing plays, and if you’re looking to work the outside angles with the ball, you’d better hope he has an angle stepping down on his block. He will be much more effective in pin-and-pull scenarios there as compared to trying to string out defenders and work across the face of a smaller defender.

Length: As you’d expect with a 6-foot-8 frame, Forsythe has plenty of extension skills and reach. The strike timing is rarely premature and he shows trust in his reach to be able to land with power and sustain outside angles to force rushers to challenge him with steep angles to turn the corner against him. When he extends and flips his hips to run you past the quarterback, it’s over.

Football IQ: Forsythe is a two-year starter at left tackle for the Gators and showed a fair level of versatility in his pass sets and technique to keep opposing rushers guessing in most reps. Awareness to games and stunts up front is effective and he’s shown the ability to transition off of the initial defender if hit with a late-developing looper or a second-level runner.

Hand Technique: While I’ll definitely credit Forsythe for patience and not prematurely flashing his palms, he can be a touch late against more twitched rushers to throw and let defenders get a little too far into his frame. His hand power and stickiness in close quarters combat is effective and helps to work the point of attack and allow his back to cut off his frame. His hands remain active throughout the rep if he doesn’t land a firm punch and sink the hook early on.

Anchor Ability: I did see Forsythe sit down on a number of speed-to-power conversions and his core strength was sufficient to maintain space for his quarterback despite, at times, giving up his chest and pad level with a long-arm strike. Forsythe has brute power at his disposal and many times offsets initial charges with his first contact punch.

Power at P.O.A.: If he can leverage your pads and generate some torque and turn, he’s going to consistently win gaps. He’s methodical with his feet when looking to climb vertically but he doesn’t generate a ton of natural movement initially due to leverage and only adequate ability to roll the hips through contact. He’ll lean a bit on his punch power as a result and when trying to sustain movement he can be guilty of overextending.

Versatility: Forsythe offers experience on both sides of the offensive line, making him an attractive option for a swing tackle role early in his career before allowing him to settle into the area of need for his NFL team. Outside zone concepts are probably the only collection of plays that would play directly against his strengths as a player.

Prospect Comparison: Ty Nsekhe (2009 NFL Draft, UDFA)