It was a long time for the Rams to draft their first pick in the NFL draft, but it was worth the wait. They picked up Logan Bruss, an offensive line prospect out of Wisconsin. This past season he played right tackle, but will play right guard with the Rams, his main position in 2020. Bruss tested very well at the combine, scoring a 9.63 RAS as an offensive guard, and 8.76 as a tackle. He didn’t bench press, and I think that would’ve increased his score. Likely starting at right guard, he’ll have David Edwards across from him at left guard. Let’s jump into why the Rams made this pick, and why I think it could be one of the best of the NFL Draft so far.
NFL Draft Measurables
| Height | 6’5″ | Wingspan | 79-6/8” | Vertical | 31″ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 309 | 40-time | 5.32 | Bench | N/A |
| Hand | 10-6/8″ | Shuttle | 4.55 | 3-Cone | 7.57 |
| Arm | 33-1/8″ | Broad Jump | 9’4″ | RAS | 9.63 |
How We Grade Players
| Grade | Player Meaning | Grade | Player Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5-10 | Generational Player | 6.25-6.75 | Average Starter |
| 9-9.49 | Top of Position | 5.5-6.25 | Below-Average Starter |
| 8.5-8.99 | All-Pro Caliber | 5-5.4 | Developmental Player |
| 8-8.49 | High End Starter | 4.5-4.9 | Special Teams Player |
| 7.5-7.99 | Pro-Bowl Caliber Player | 4-4.4 | Practice Squad |
| 7-7.49 | Above Average Starter | 3-4 | Journeyman PS |
| 6.75-6.99 | Slightly Above-Average | 0-2.9 | Free Agent |
How We Grade Traits
| Grade | Trait Meaning | Grade | Trait Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5-10 | Nearly Perfect | 6-6.4 | Average |
| 9-9.4 | Top of Position | 5.5-5.9 | Below-Average |
| 8.5-9 | Great | 5-5.4 | Below-Average |
| 8-8.4 | Very Good | 4.5-4.9 | Poor |
| 7.5-7.9 | Good | 4-4.4 | Bad |
| 7-7.4 | Above Average | 3-4 | Very Bad |
| 6.5-6.9 | Slightly Above Average | 0-2.9 | Non-Existent |
NFL Draft Evaluation
| Trait | Grade | Trait | Grade | Trait | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.75 | Awareness | 6.5 | ||
| Movement | 6.5 | Versatility | 7.25 | ||
| Play Strength | 7 | Agility | 6 | ||
| Anchor | 5.5 | Finishing | 5.5 | ||
| Hand Placement | 7.25 | Second Level | 5.75 | ||
| Hand Power | 7.75 | Footwork | 6 | ||
| Run Blocking | 6.25 | Leg Drive | 5.5 | ||
| Pass Blocking | 6.5 | Overall (IOL) | 6.41 |
Snap Counts
| Career | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right Tackle | 1,790 | 647 | 69 | 828 | 246 |
| Right Guard | 375 | 0 | 352 | 23 | 0 |
| Left Tackle | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Bruss is an experienced offensive lineman. Clearly, he has the most reps at right tackle, but due to his playstyle and size, he will do better at guard. I think if he played guard this past season with the Badgers, there’s a good chance his name would’ve been called much earlier in the NFL Draft.
Strengths
The first that you’ll see from Bruss is incredible grip strength. Even playing at tackle, he would latch on to the number two overall pick Aidan Hutchinson and just not let go. He’s also pretty fluid. When playing on the interior he can detach and swing to his other side to pick up a blocker. That aforementioned grip strength comes from his arms, which are man-movers. One of my favorite traits of his is his ability to use his arm strength to redirect defenders who have crossed his face, and then get back in front of them. He plays through the play with a high motor, especially on run plays. He’s also shown flashes of very good leg drive.
Great grip strength on Huthcinson again. Just imagine this on the interior. Bruss is a very good pickup. pic.twitter.com/kNDWZqsEXS
— Pat Pryor (@PryorNFL) April 30, 2022
Weaknesses
One of the major weaknesses in Bruss’s game is simply inconsistency. He’s inconsistent in his hand placement, limiting how much power he delivers. He’s also shown inconsistently in that leg drive. Similarly, he’s shown flashes of great awareness, laying a nice check into an extra rusher, but there are times where he’ll allow a player to just get by. He doesn’t have the quickness to be a tackle, but that shouldn’t be a huge worry at guard. Doesn’t have a great anchor, possesses average footwork. Below average leg drive, most of his power comes from upper body.
Overview
So why did he fall to 104 in the NFL Draft? Well, he doesn’t have a ton of experience at guard, and doesn’t possess the measurables to play tackle. He someone who needs slight development at guard. However, he’s still a plug and play guy, he’ll be the starter at right guard day one, I have no doubt of that. It’s just whether or not he can overcome these inconsistencies. When players get across him, he has to deliver that arm or they’ll get to the quarterback with ease. This is a problem in drop pass sets at tackle, so luckily in the pros he’ll have the extra body to either side. If he can deliver his punches accurately and consistently, and show continued leg drive, he’d improve heavily.
How Does He Fit?
Right now, however, he fits perfectly into the Rams pass heavy offense and wide-zone run scheme. He can play in a small area with guys next to him very well on pass plays, and should do well on zone run plays. He can be agile and does well finding new targets when moving upfield. With this fit, he could be one of the major steals of the NFL Draft. Bruss should be able to come in and compete immediately with Coleman Shelton at right guard. In fact, there’s a decent chance that he wins that position in training camp. The Rams lost Austin Corbett in free agency and Bruss is very similar.
Grading the Pick
While the Rams left some talent on the board in players like Zyon McCollum, Cade Otton, and Dominique Robinson, this was a very good pick. Bruss fits perfectly in the Rams offense and is exactly what they look for on the interior of the offensive line. You can’t fault them for that. They’ve had success with Wisconsin offensive linemen in the past with Rob Havenstein and David Edwards. Hopefully Bruss follows in their footsteps.
Grade: B+
About Post Author
