Khalil Keith 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• Has received playing time both at left guard and right tackle, including several years of starting time at guard in 2019 and 2020
• Was also a basketball player in high school, receiving All-County honors in 2015-2016

System: 

• Scheme tendencies: Zone rushing system
• 2022 projected role: Starting RT

Pros: Movement in the run game jumps out at you pretty quickly here. Khalil Keith is a mauler whose experience playing inside at guard pops quickly as his violent brand of play will overtake defenders and create wash and cut opportunities for his backs. Keith has an NFL tackle build in general, which pairs with his power to give him intriguing positional versatility to project to a number of different spots. If you wanted to argue he’s best implemented inside, I wouldn’t fight you. But the flashes at right tackle are enough for me to want to see more, as I thought his cadence in his pass sets was notably effective as well. And, given that the Baylor offense gave their line more true pass sets, I think this could be a launch point for him transitioning to the pro game a little smoother than most as well. Keith shows good hand variance and an effective amount of pop through his hands to offset upfield charges. But his best value comes in either combo blocks or releases vertically in the run game—he can be an asset in this regard. 

Cons: For all the pop and power that Khalil Keith brings, I was a little surprised to see the issues with anchoring that challenged him at times. Texas had a few reps where defenders got into his frame and put him on skates along the edge. This could be due to acclimation to playing tackle but it also may be on account of his build—he appears to be a bit top-heavy and would do well to recondition and try to add some more mass in the lower half to help with his natural power from the ground up. As is, he appears to recruit more force from the waist up, which will help with initial pop but not sustained strength. You see some tightness in his frame as well, especially when the range of his blocking radius is tested. This is likely where the arguments to push him back inside will come.

Khalil Keith NFL Draft Scouting Report by Kyle Crabbs