Steve Avila – Guard/Center – 21 – Senior – TCU
Height: 1m93
Weight: 150 kg
Estimated draft position: 2nd round
NFL Comparison: Rodney Hudson
Strong points
– Center of gravity and anchor point
– Violent hands
– Detonating athletic qualities given his size
In the TCU Horned Frogs’ historic season, which saw the Texans reach the college national final, Steve Avila wasn’t the player most in the spotlight. And yet, its role in 2022 was fundamental, as it will have been in the darker hours experienced a year earlier.
Tall and burly, Avila has the notable traits of a dominant inside lineman: strength and solidity. Used as a guard or center, during his time on the Fort Worth campus, the person concerned has always been able to be aggressive from the first contact, while demonstrating an unbreakable lower body once the position is locked.
And to succeed in having the upper hand over his vis-à-vis from the outset, the number 60 calls on incredible athletic qualities for a player of such a size, literally exploding from the start. snap. It was even more impressive when he occupied the center of the line, which did not prevent him from being both impulsive and solid, especially against bull rushers.
Weak points
– Technique in motion
– Lateral mobility
Steve Avila therefore knows how to do wonders with his physical mover. But its speed should not be forgotten. The lineman, for example, has this ability to stall, due to his overall speed, but can experience an imbalance and a certain rush on his moving blocks, once the second curtain is reached.
Its responsiveness is also put to the test in the face of pass rushers livelier, and if he did not concede bags in 2022, Avila left a few doors ajar despite himself, due to relative lateral mobility.
Possible destinations
Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals
A colossus-like warrior. Steve Avila is above all an alloy of raw physics and game intelligence. An ability to be used in several positions and in different game patterns. The franchises know his weak points, but also know that the native of Arlington can be a starter in the league quickly, given his current skills.
If his explosiveness allows him to integrate a massive bouldering scheme in the zone, it would probably be more logical to see him integrate a formation with a good dose of gap to give him more chances to demonstrate his dominance in the trenches.