Position: Offensive Guard

School: Stanford

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 315

When many people think about elite offensive lines the Stanford Cardinals should be one of the first teams that come to mind. They play a more old-school smash mouth football style. The mentality is of the school of thought of lining up and punching a defense in the mouth. The best of that group is guard David Yankey. Alongside fellow Pac 12 member Xavier Su’a-Filo are the two best guards in the nation.

Strengths

Power: Yankey does a good job of mauling his opponent. He shows little issues with pushing defensive linemen around. In the game against Arizona State, Yankey was able to push Will Sutton around at the line of scrimmage. He can also be seen putting Sutton on the ground on a few occasions. Yankey is no stranger to the weight room as he put on significant weight since high school. He opens up holes for running backs, which Tyler Gaffney benefited greatly from.

Athlete: For a big man Yankey moves around fairly well. He does a good job of pulling around when called upon. With his athletic ability and power combination, Yankey really gives a team options on how to utilize him. He comes out of his stance quickly and has some versatility. He play some offensive tackle after Jonathan Martin left for the NFL.

Weaknesses

Technique: While Yankey does use his athletic ability and power to his advantage, technique can be a real issue for him. The biggest concerns for Yankey are his pad level and bend. At times he will play too high which allows defenders to get underneath him and control the outcome. This is coachable and any offensive line coach should be able to correct this relatively quickly.

Finishing: Yankey at times will struggle with finishing plays. When Yankey finishes off an opponent he doesn’t get to the second level. In order to become an elite guard in the NFL he will need to focus on this. By not doing so, he is allowing linebackers and safeties to come up and make the play. Needs to give his running back the most opportunity to extend the play.

Draft Outlook

Yankey for the most part has been a top the guard rankings all season long. Guards aren’t highly regarded in terms of the NFL Draft usually, so expect him to go mid to late first round or possibly early on day two.

Best Fits

I believe that Yankey can play either a man blocking scheme or zone blocking. There are a few teams out there looking for guards such as the Dallas Cowboys or Seattle Seahawks as the best fits.