NFL analysts say Scherff’s a guard

IOWA CITY - NFL Network draft analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Charles Davis said Brandon Scherff's NFL future lies at guard, not tackle.

Scherff, a consensus All-American tackle at Iowa, played offensive tackle his final three seasons at Iowa after opening his career inside at guard. Scherff is projected as a first-round pick anywhere from Washington (No. 5 overall) to Kansas City (No. 18 overall). The NFL draft begins April 30 and concludes May 2.

'I moved him to guard in my position rating,” Davis said Monday. 'I didn't leave him at tackle; I made him my No. 1 guard in the position ranking. I think that's where he's going to be best.”

'I think Brandon is 100 percent a guard,” said Jeremiah, a former NFL scout with the Baltimore Ravens. 'He can be a great guard. He reminds me 100 percent of (former Iowa tackle) Marshal Yanda, who we drafted in Baltimore, who made that switch inside and has been a fantastic pro.”

Several analysts compare Scherff (6-foot-5, 319 pounds) with Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin, who was chosen No. 16 overall in last year's draft. Martin (6-4, 308) was considered a guard/tackle prospect who moved inside at guard. He became an All-Pro as a rookie and helped DeMarco Murray lead the NFL in rushing. Scherff's pre-draft grade by NFL.com (6.49) is higher than Martin's initial grade (6.23).

When comparing the two players, Scherff's arms are longer (33 3/8 inches to 32 7/8), he had a significantly longer broad jump and higher vertical jump, and he was faster in the 3-cone drill and short shuttle. Martin did more bench-press repetitions of 225 pounds (29 to 22) but Scherff's hang clean of 443 pounds stands by itself.

'I would have rated Zack Martin higher coming out last year than I rated Brandon Scherff,” said Davis, a former BTN football analyst. 'That doesn't mean he's not a good football player. He will be at his best if he's inside, playing there. Some people may want him to play at tackle. That's fine. I understand that. But I think he would be at his best playing inside at guard.”

Jeremiah first watched Scherff's video last summer and 'really, really loved how physical he was.” But Scherff struggled against Maryland - a 38-31 loss - in which the Terrapins registered four sacks. That game was played about a month after Scherff had knee surgery but didn't miss a game.

'He didn't look like the same guy, especially when he had to redirect,” Jeremiah said. 'In the Maryland game, to me it was the first game I watched off this year and he got beat inside. In other words the defender crossing his face and beat him clean inside off four different occasions. He got completely bulled back into the quarterback and he got completely flat-backed on one play. So I'm sitting here going this doesn't look like the same guy I saw last year.

'Now in the run game, I still saw the same physical nature that he had the nastiness to finish. But in some of the redirect stuff in pass protection I thought he struggled.”

Scherff won the Outland Trophy, which goes to the nation's best interior lineman. He also was a two-time, first-team all-Big Ten selection.

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com