A linebacker and tight end in high school, Dylan Parham also lettered in basketball and track. In track and field, Parham participated in sprints and jumps, which isn’t typical for the position he played on the gridiron. Parham went to Memphis to play tight end but moved to the offensive line in the spring of 2018 and became a four-year starter for the Tigers. His first two seasons were at left guard, his third season was at right tackle, and he finished his career at right guard in 2021.

As you would expect based on his background, Parham is a terrific athlete. He is a smooth operator with nimble feet and is extremely flexible. As a pass blocker, his athleticism shines. He easily frames defenders and has the foot quickness to slide and mirror pass rushers. As a run defender, Parham is a technician that does well to establish body positioning. Parham offers great overall range as a blocker.

Ideal Role: Starting interior lineman

Scheme Fit: Zone

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Joe Marino 

Games watched: Mississippi State (2021), UCF (2021), Houston (2021), Tulsa (2021)

Best Game Studied: UCF (2021)

Worst Game Studied: Houston (2021)

Competitive Toughness: It’s easy to appreciate how Parham is willing to exchange power in the trenches with defenders. He continuously looks for work and there are some flashes of nastiness from him on tape. With that said, he falls short of earning labels like “mauler.”

Balance: See Above.

Anchor Ability: Parham does well to maximize his functional strength by playing with consistently low pads and good knee bend to help anchor at the point of the attack. He is thick below the waist and his hops are generally leveraged.

Lateral Mobility: Parham has terrific lateral movement skills and he easily redirects. He is springy when sliding his feet and changing directions. He easily hinges and pivots and overall, brings terrific range.

Power at POA:  Despite good temperament into blocks, he has not always shown to have the power  necessary to consistently create consistent movement. Most of his high level work in the run game is predicated on body positioning.

Hand Technique: Parham has quick and active hands. He competes to maintain his hand fits to help sustain blocks, but his grip strength is only modest. While I appreciate his high hand carriage and quick punch, there is little variance to the way he activates his punch.

Football IQ: See Above.

Versatility: See Above. 

Pass Sets: Parham has nimble feet and has no issues reaching his set points and staying square in pass protection. His springy feet allow him to slide and stay square once he has defenders framed. With that said, the Memphis offense doesn’t feature many true pass set opportunities so there is a notable curve to keep in mind for him at the next level.

Flexibility: Parham has terrific flexibility. His hips are loose and he easily hinges and pivots. He can bow his back and he has natural knee bend. He firmly checks this box.

Prospect Comparison: Shaq Mason (2015 NFL Draft, New England Patriots)

SCOUT GRADES

TDN Consensus: 80.42/100 (Second Round Value)

Crabbs Grade: 83.50/100

Marino Grade: 83.00/100

Harris Grade: 74.00/100

Sanchez Grade: 80.00/100

Weissman Grade: 80.00/100

Parson Grade: 82.00/100