College: UCLA

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 307 pounds

Positives

Athleticism/Frame: Simply put, Su’a-Filo has an odd looking body frame. He, as obscure as it sounds, looks like a pear. His wide lower body builds into a thinner upper body. Although, his shape is an advantage. Su’a-Filo’s bottom heaviness allows him to keep his balance more easily than a typical guard. Just as his natural body frame is an advantage, his natural arm length is an advantage as well.

Su’a-Filo’s arms are just under 33 ½” inches long, allowing him to often get inside of opposing lineman’s frames before they get into his. To match his impressive frame, Su’a-Filo shows wonderful athleticism. His foot quickness, both when driving back defenders and when pass blocking, is superb and allows him to generate power more quickly than his opponents.

Also contributing to his athleticism is his strength. Su’a-Filo is not quite the mauler that Chance Warmack was, but he is strong enough to move most defenders and firmly hold his ground against talented defensive lineman. At the second level, Su’a-Filo is a fluid mover. He is able to flow quickly and smoothly from defender to defender on any given play to clear a large path for his running back.

Hand Usage: The downfall of too many offensive line prospects is their lack of quick, precise, powerful hand usage. Su’a-Filo does not have such issue. He consistently attacks the frame of opposing defensive lineman immediately and does so relentlessly.

Once he gets into their frame, he continues to scrap and push until he takes his opponent entirely out of the play. Such relentlessness paired with his well above average strength allows him to bully opponents to the point of humiliation. Seldom, if ever, does he miss his mark and get improper hand placement.

Negatives

Ability to Pick Up and React to Stunts: Although it may have been a product of the UCLA coaching and scheme, Su'a-Filo struggled mightily when opposing defenses called a rush package with a stunt. Pre-snap, Su'a-Filo never noticed them. Post-snap, he was too out of position and too slow to react to be able to stop the stunting rusher. In short, Su'a-Filo was useless against opposing stunts. In the NFL, defensive coordinators will expose the weakness much more and take him out of plays. There is certainly room for improvement, but as of now, it is an issue that will hinder him tremendously.

NFL Comparison

Josh Sitton, Green Bay Packers

While Sitton does not possess the same odd, pear-shaped body, his athletic traits and technique compare favorably to Su'a-Filo. Likewise, Su'a-Filo will likely have similar success in the NFL.

Draft Outlook

This year, there is no clear cut No.1 offensive guard prospect in the eyes of the media. That being said, two guards went in the top 10 last year and the importance of interior protection is becoming increasingly valuable. If a team were to spend a high pick on a guard, Su'a-Filo may very well be the selection.

Best Fits

The most likely team to nab a guard in the top ten, barring trades, is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are in need of more interior protection and Su'a-Filo is the best option to add such bulk.

If Su'a-Filo is available when the Dallas Cowboys are on the clock, it would be tough to pass on him. After adding Travis Frederick, the Cowboys could take the next step to creating an elite offensive line.