From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Texas offensive guard Hayden Conner.

No. 76 HAYDEN CONNER/OG TEXAS – 6060, 314 POUNDS (SENIOR)

Measurements

THE GOOD

– Fits hands inside to control defenders
– Gives good help in pass protection
– Strong reach blocking ability
– Good anchor in pass protection
– Impressive initial play strength but loses it after first contact
– Strong initial punch that shocks defenders
– Adequate hand fighting ability in pass protection
– Looks dominant when defenders give low effort
– NFL ready frame

THE BAD

– Gets caught lunging and can lose feet
– Needs to continue leg drive downhill at block point
– Average, lumbering athletic ability
– Fails to recover from quick rush moves
– Slow puller that can sometimes not make it to the second level
– Does not work well in space
– Gives low effort on certain screen plays
– Lacks explosiveness coming out of stance
– Bad finishing ability
– High pad level
– Arms get ripped as a run blocker

BIO

– Started 43 games at Texas across 4 years at left guard
– 2024: 443 pass block snaps, allowed 0 sacks and 2 QB hits with a 90.0 pass block grade (PFF)
– Semifinalist for the 2024 Joe Moore Award
– Assisted his offense to the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff Semifinal
– 2023: blocked for the Doak Walker Award semifinalist Jonathan Brooks and Davey Award semifinalist Quinn Ewers
– Semifinalist for the 2023 Joe Moore Award
– 2022: blocked for Doak Award winner and All-American Bijan Robinson, a top 10 pick in the draft
– Three-star prospect out of James E. Taylor High School in Texas
– Ranked the No. 12 guard nationally and No. 44 player in Texas
– Two-time all-district and four-year varsity letterman
– Named a finalist for the 2020 SI All-American team
– Conner enjoys fishing and hunting with his dad and brother
– Participated in a NASA scholars’ program in high school and wants to work in the space industry after football

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Hayden Conner has good traits, and looking at the measurables, it looks like he is an offensive tackle. I would prefer to keep him at guard due to his limited athletic ability and great initial strength. While he is a strong player, he needs to use it to the best of his ability, which he did not do at Texas. I have a hard time believing this was because of coaching because of the program he was in. It is a slight on him as a player and his mindset that he started 43 games and still had these problems.

As a run blocker, Conner is frustrating to watch. He fits his hands inside and makes good initial contact with the defender. He puts his body in good positions to win. Everything after that makes me concerned. His finishing ability is not just average; it is bad. It looks like he is going to dominate a rep when it starts, but he fails to drive his legs throughout the play and does not move people downfield. He stands straight up and extends his arms, but they get ripped through, and the defender makes a play. When he wins, it is because a defender accepts his contact, and then he looks dominant because of his raw strength. He has great pure strength that flashes on tape sometimes, but his play strength is significantly weaker. On this play, he makes good initial contact but gets beaten when he should be finishing the play.

Conner is an average athlete who struggles to get out of his stance. When he needs to pull, he looks slow and struggles to search and destroy his assignment in the open field. He does a good job when pulling towards a defensive end, but he lacks confidence and speed in space. When defenders make a quick move on him, he has difficulty recovering because of his lunging movement skills. Getting to the second level is a problem for him because of his lack of speed, where the ball carrier is on his track down the field before he can attach. On this play, he looks slow getting to the linebacker and fails to make contact.

The positive thing about his game is his reach-blocking ability. He is best used in an inside zone scheme. If he improves his finishing ability, I could see him succeeding in duo (a big if).

Conner possesses a strong anchor in pass protection that holds up well against all types of rushers. He uses good hands to fight off skill rush moves and, because of his strong initial punch, can create knockback with a defensive lineman. But the failure to finish shows up here as well. Early in the set, it looks like he is rock solid and cannot lose. Then his pad level can rise, and he can lose strength. Vs speedy rushers, he simply does not have the quick feet to snuff them. Some of these problems can be coached up, and I will say having a good initial anchor is a good starting point for an NFL guard. On this play, he displays that strong anchor, but Quinn Ewers runs into a sack.

When he is a free man, his powerful punch provides great help on double teams, which is what he will be working with on most pass plays. While there are times he is physically slow reacting to stunts or blitzes, he can see them with his eyes despite his physical limitations. On this play, he shoves the defender out of the way with ease when he does not have to worry about his own man.

CONCLUSION

Hayden Conner is an interesting player because he has NFL traits but must consistently apply them to his game. All the stuff he does well would be more encouraging if he were a young player or first-year starter, but starting 43 games at Texas, I would expect him not to be a raw prospect. I think this is just who he is. He does a good job reach blocking and has a very strong anchor, but his troublesome finishing ability is a low point of his game, and he does not have the athletic ability to overcome that. I see him as a Day 3 player who will be a solid backup and could start in a pinch if he hits his upside. My comp is Spencer Anderson.

Projection: Early Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.0 – 5th Round (Backup/Special Teamer)
Games Watched: at Michigan (2024) vs Georgia (SEC Championship, 2024), vs Ohio State (2024)