It’s absolutely amazing how good this year’s class of interior offensive linemen is. Not only do you have one of the most dominant college players in recent memory, but the number two and number three guards are also both great. FPC: Bears has already covered Will Hernandez, but he isn’t the aforementioned number two.
That would be Georgia’s Isaiah Wynn.
While it’s the universal feeling that Quenton Nelson is the most talented offensive guard in the draft by a mile, Wynn is good enough to be the best in a vast majority of classes. Wynn, who actually played tackle at Georgia, transitioned to guard prior to the Senior Bowl, which was a massive success. Wynn beat out UTEP’s Hernandez for the best offensive lineman during the week in Mobile.
It’s not hard to see why Wynn got such high praise. Remember Andrew Brown, the Virginia defensive lineman who I am on record praising over and over again?
Isaiah Wynn v Andrew Brown. Two dudes who've had great weeks. pic.twitter.com/bjXCnRZsSe
— john sheeran (@John__Sheeran) January 25, 2018
Watch Brown here as he gets completely shut down by Isaiah Wynn. Brown does everything right on this play as well, but Wynn just wins out in the end as he stays in front of Brown on every step. Since Wynn was a tackle in college, this quickness aspect shouldn’t be a major concern for him as he jumps to the next level.
Much like Will Hernandez, much of Wynn’s value comes from his athleticism.
https://twitter.com/BillyM_91/status/959811986413547521
There is no word to describe this play other than amazing. While this play is from the tackle position, it is still a testament to the force and athleticism that Wynn possesses in his game. Wynn makes both of the impact blocks on this play, single-handedly freeing D’Andre Swift for a huge gain.
While he won’t get these kinds of opportunities at guard, Wynn will have to make second-level blocks, especially in a spread system. He will have to base a large part of his game off these kinds of plays, as he is undersized as an NFL guard.
https://twitter.com/BillyM_91/status/956648636158488576
Again, Isaiah Wynn moves his feet impeccably in multiple different scenarios, proving once and for all he does his job and then some in that regard. This montage of clips shows a few more clips which could better represent Wynn’s actual line of duty.
“Wynn is a talented, technically sound block-winner with a demeanor that offensive line coaches will love. His athleticism allows for quick advantages as a run blocker while his hand strength and footwork helps him sustain those advantages into open running lanes.” – NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein
While he won’t get these kinds of opportunities at guard, Wynn will have to make second-level blocks, especially in a spread system. He will have to base a large part of his game off these kinds of plays, as he is undersized as an NFL guard.
Many have, because of this, recommended Wynn move to center at the next level. Per NFL.com, an NFC Scout said that “you might even see a team draft him as a center since he’s stronger than a lot of the centers you will see in this draft.”
Wynn hasn’t played center, so there isn’t any film available on how he performs in that spot. However, in my opinion, that’s unlikely to happen. Unless Wynn is “redshirting” his rookie year, I doubt a team is going to try and move him from tackle to center in less than a year.
That being said, there isn’t going to be much doubt about his abilities to move inside.
Isaiah Wynn v Da'Shawn Hand pic.twitter.com/OEMBdYbQho
— john sheeran (@John__Sheeran) January 24, 2018
Watch how effortlessly Wynn stays in front of Hand following his swim move. While Wynn does get pushed back towards his quarterback, he does his job and prevents Hand from even threatening a sack or hit.
Honestly, it’s too bad that Wynn is undersized as a tackle because he’s great against the corner blitz from the tackle position.
Isaiah Wynn is a first-round prospect. pic.twitter.com/eqCNxUENoI
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) January 30, 2018
Do you recognize that rusher that got planted by Isaiah Wynn? If you don’t, that’s Minkah Fitzpatrick. That’s arguably the best defensive player in this year’s draft.
Wynn does have the brute strength to make up for his small stature. Not only does he prove it in this clip against Minkah, but he more than proved it at the Senior Bowl.
Quite obviously, one of the humungous red flags on Wynn is his inexperience at the guard position. It’s going to take an incredible job coaching if Wynn is going to jump right into the guard position and succeed at the NFL level.
And that is where the Bears come in. Harry Hiestand is, by many accounts, the greatest offensive line coach in the NFL, and if anyone is going to tap into Isaiah Wynn’s strengths, it is him. Hiestand has had previous experience getting the best out of offensive guards, and there isn’t anything that jumps out to prove that Wynn would be otherwise. One of Wynn’s strengths is his coachability, which is one of the most important personality traits a team could ask for.
That being said, Wynn is currently being mocked in the late first round, which isn’t exactly ideal for the Bears. It is highly unlikely he makes it to the 40th overall pick, but the 8th overall pick would still be really high for him.
A trade down with Buffalo has been long talked about, and if that is the case, the timing seems right to grab Wynn in the mid-late first round. NFL.com projects him as a “Round 1-2” prospect, which means while taking him 21st or 22nd may be a bit of a stretch, it isn’t anything to raise an eyebrow at.
