If there’s one thing that drives me crazy as a talent evaluator it’s inconsistency. Seeing the flashes of greatness sometimes, but then seeing a guy who just hasn’t figured it out others. It’s particularly frustrating when you can’t find a patter as to why they’re inconsistent. This is the case with Ole Miss left tackle Greg Little. Even with his struggles, could he help fix the offensive line problem the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have?
There’s no denying that he has talent. He has good length, quickness, power and fluidity. There are times he combines these great physical tools with good technique and he looks like a future NFL star. For example in the clip below he completely shutdown another highly regarded prospect in Montez Sweat. Note how he’s slides with ease to protect the edge and absorb Sweat with his length and strength.
You can see another good example below where Little dominates Isaiah Buggs, who was second on Alabama in sacks last season. Little completely controls this rep with his long arms that he extends well and his natural power.
However there are times when Little breaks down from a technical standpoint and gets sloppy. As a result his quarterback finds himself under pressure more often than he should with a guy as talented as Little protecting him. For example in the play below notice how Little doesn’t fully extend his arms and lets the defender into his chest. Once the defensive end can control him, Little tries to plant his feet to regain his power, but as a result the end gets passed him and pressures the quarterback.
We see these technical flaws even more in the run game. Too often will Little bend at the waist and reach for his man as opposed to driving through them. This causes him to miss his targets with regularly despite having all the athleticism he needs to make these blocks. Below is a prime example of this issue. Notice how he completely misses the linebacker despite being in prime position to make a block.
In the end, Little has a lot of talent to work with. All the athletic trait you’d want in an NFL tackle and a track record of stopping some of the best pass rushers in the country. With that said, I wouldn’t be comfortable with Little starting on an offensive line next season. He has too many technical breakdowns and is too inconsistent. I project Little to be drafted in the ballpark of 50 to 70 overall and I think he’ll be a good player down the line, but I consider Little to be a little bit of a project that needs to be coached up and developed.
