Mike Brewster 2012 NFL Draft Scouting Reports

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OC Michael Brewster of Ohio State ~ 6.4/304

Draft BreakDown's Aaron Aloysius on Mike Brewster:

National FootBall League on Mike Brewster:

"Brewster has been the reliable frontman for Ohio State through some trying years on offense for the Buckeyes. Through Terrelle Pryor's up-and-down career and now a freshman starting at QB in Brewster's senior year, there has been one constant player up front for the Buckeyes as a leader, who also happens to have a skill set and frame that come together nicely. Brewster should expect to be selected in the late rounds as a reliable backup.

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Strengths: Brewster is a very good athlete in space. Some of the foot movements that he struggles with inside do not hinder him when moving to the second level, and he is good to fit his body on linebackers and get movement there. He is a competitive player who can make all the front-calls and understands angles and lower-base anchoring when he blocks. He has been durable and dependable for the Buckeyes.

Weaknesses: Brewster is not very consistent coming off the ball to get into his blocks and can fall off late. It seems at times like he is so concerned with his pre-snap reads that he is slow moving off the ball. He will have a tough time against quicker defenders off the ball at the next level."

NFL Draft Scout's Chad Reuter on Mike Brewster:

"Instead of staying in his home state of Florida to play in the SEC as one of the top offensive line recruits in the country, Brewster took his game to Columbus. The Buckeyes' coaches moved him from guard to center, where he had no experience, as a true freshman and asked him to start in just the fourth game of his career when the line was shuffled around due to injury.

He started the final 10 games of that year, and every game since, in front of classmate quarterback Terrelle Pryor. A solid player in 2008 and 2009, Brewster took a step forward as a junior. He was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center in 2010 and was named on multiple All-American teams, yet earned only second-team All-Big Ten honors from league coaches (but first-team by media members).

It is obvious Brewster has the size, strength, and athleticism to start for a long time in the pivot at the next level. His ability to form a wall in pass protection and move his quick feet to create lanes inside for his running backs give him a chance to be the top interior lineman selected in the 2012 draft.

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Pass Blocking: Possesses quickness and strength to protect the passer at the next level. Takes two or three steps back immediately after snap if uncovered. Good anchor despite relatively svelte build. Twisting ends run into a wall when greeting him, also has a strong punch to shock oncoming defenders. Will take defenders to the ground if off-balance. Usually extends his arms quickly after the snap to maintain distance but allows defenders to get into his chest at times. Feet stay planted after initial contact, giving up penetration against better tackles on occasion.

Run Blocking: Positional blocker with good feet to wall off outside shoulder of defensive tackle. Can move to either side of the defender while engaged. Gets low in short-yardage situations despite his height, gets good push. Still learning to get off initial down-block to reach linebackers on combo blocks.

Pulling/Trapping: Best in tight quarters, but shows some mobility behind the line when pulling. Most adept at attacking players straight-up, lacks great flexibility and elite quickness enough to adjust to inside targets and negate them.

Initial Quickness: Rarely beaten off the snap in pass protection. Gets hands onto his man's jersey quickly after both traditional and shotgun snaps. Quicker one-on-one defenders can occasionally get a second step forward to bring interior pressure.

Downfield: Athletic enough to take out mike linebacker off the snap if asked to do so. Possesses the tenacity and strength to eliminate any type of defender in way of his ballcarrier. Hesitates instead of attacking targets on combo blocks, though, and lacks elite quickness to adjust to targets in space.

Intangibles: Graduated from high school early to enroll at Ohio State but did not partake in spring practices due to surgery on right shoulder. Decided to return to school despite the cloud hanging over the program to become a better center and a team leader. Played through ankle injury in 2009."

--Chad Reuter

National FootBall Post's Wes Bunting on Mike Brewster:

"A tall, flexible center who sits into his stance well, displays natural bend and creates pretty consistent leverage for someone his size. Snaps and steps quickly and does a great job in the pass game quickly getting his hands up, gains proper hand placement and is a real sticky player through contact.

Is tough to disengage from because of his heavy hands and natural shuffle and slide ability through contact. But, will get overextended at times, lung into contact and stop moving his feet, allowing him to be slipped through contact.

Possesses good awareness and feel inside as well, keeps his head on a swivel, consistently picks up stunts cleanly inside and has the range to re-direct in space, maintain balance and stun a blitzing linebacker with a compact/strong punch.

Plays with natural leverage in the run game as well and once he gets his hands on defenders is tough to disengage from, as he can anchor/seal linemen consistently away from the football. Works his legs once engaged and has average natural power when trying to drive defenders off the football.

At times takes poor angles when trying to create a snap off the line into contact and will allow interior defensive lineman to get up the field and create havoc behind him. Nevertheless, displays good short area quickness, has the fluidity/footwork to make up for a false step and push defenders past the play.

Looks coordinated on the move. Isn't an elite athlete in space, but has some range to the second level, breaks down well and routinely can hold his own in space.

Impression: A seasoned lineman who displays good size, hand placement and bend for the position. Looks like an eventual starter to me in the NFL."

NFL's Future's Brad Clark on Mike Brewster:

"Pass Blocking:  Michael Brewster is a four-year starter for the Buckeyes.  He has heavy hands and mirrors defenders really well.  Despite being tall for a center he gets pretty good leverage and plays with a low base.  His technique is solid with good hand placement and is sticky through contact.  He will be susceptible to the bull rush in the NFL as he doesn’t possess a real strong base.  He will get overextended and lunge into contact too often.  I counted 13 bad snaps out of the shotgun in 2011.

Run Blocking:  Brewster is an above-average athlete with solid short area quickness.  He shows solid footwork and has solid range.  He can break down in open areas and hold his own in the open field.  I can’t see him anchoring against bigger DT’s in the NFL.  Much better as a move blocker that isn’t hat on hat.  He doesn’t generate enough lower body power to push defenders in reverse.

Bottom Line:  Michael Brewster is a good athlete that lacks the lower body strength to hold up against powerful defenders in the NFL.  He really struggled his senior season as some thought of him as a first-round center prospect.  He is an experienced leader that should warrant early attention base on leadership.  He could be a starter in the NFL in short time but may never be “elite”.

Draft Projection:  3."

Pro FootBall Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki on Mike Brewster:

"Adequate-sized, tough, competitive center who plays with a wide base, snaps and steps quickly and flashes a physical, nasty temperament.

Keeps his hands inside in pass protection and can shuffle, slide and mirror.

Spends more time on the ground than he should, doesn’t generate power through his hips in the run game (could struggle vs. widebodies) and looks top-heavy beyond the line of scrimmage.

Is not an elite talent but takes pride in his craft, puts the time in to improve and has starter-caliber ability."

Mocking The Draft's Jon Dove on Mike Brewster:

"First Word: Ohio State is going through a lot of turmoil but one player that has been a constant is center Michael Brewster.  It seems like Brewster has been the starting center at Ohio State for 10 years and that is because he has a ton of experience. Brewster is a good looking center prospect and has all the tools of an NFL center. 

He plays with great leverage and balance which allows him to be effective in both the passing and running game.  His natural bend helps him anchor after the initial contact and avoid getting pushed back into the pocket.  He is able to get his head under the chinstrap of the defender and push him off the line. 

Brewster routinely gets his hands inside the defender and is able to control and seal.  His quickness off the ball permits him to get across the face of the his opponent and seal the play.

It is going to be hard to find a better center prospect in this draft.  The only thing Brewster can improve on is his bulk and strength but neither are a true problem area.  Centers have been getting a lot of love recently so it wouldn't surprise me to see Brewster landing in the 1st or 2nd round.

Bold Statement: Brewster will be the 1st center selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Games Viewed: Wisconsin ('10), Miami ('10), Marshall ('10), Arkansas ('10)

Notes:

• Brewster is a good athlete with fluid motions
• He is able to snap and step all in one motion
• His low pad level helps him gain leverage and anchor through contact
• The ability to remain balanced through the play allows Brewster to anchor and generate a push off the ball
• Brewster has a quick first step that allows him to get across the face of the defender and seal him from the play
• His strong hands make it tough for the defender to disengage
  
• Brewster is a smart and heady player that always plays with maximum effort"

Great Blue North's Colin Lindsay on Mike Brewster:

"Technically solid four-year starter who has started 36 games in his OSU career; not overly bulky, but has good strength; good athlete with good balance and a natural knee-bend; somewhat tall for a C, but explodes off the snap, keeps pads low and consistently gets good leverage;

Has long arms and heavy hands and really locks on when drive blocking; keeps feet alive through contact and gets a consistent push; also has a smooth slide step and can change direction; can also get to the second level;

Smart player with good awareness and feel for the game and does a nice up recognizing and picking up stunts."

SideLine Scouting on Mike Brewster:

"Positives -- Has great size and excellent footwork that allows him to control the line of scrimmage... Very solid pass protector with a squared base and good hands... Moves his feet very well and can feel where the pocket is collapsing... Very good chip-blocker with a strong initial block... Puts his helmet in between himself and the running lane...

Very good angle of attack on his blocks, depending on the direction of the run... Noticeably quick, uses quickness to his advantage when blocking... Uses his speed to get to the second level, is extremely good in the open field... Has the ability to put a body on a linebacker at the next level... Knows when to plug the gap or move to the next level...

Adept at reading a defense in the run game and has the fundamentals down pat... Has the ability to get very low on blocks despite his height and plays defenders' pads very well... Can snap the ball from the shotgun or with the quarterback under center... Is a four-year starter at Ohio State.

Negatives -- Has the tendency to give up on his block when the quarterback leaves the pocket... Very fundamentally sound overall, but his effort is questionable when a play is extended... Seems to struggle a bit with lateral movement in the pocket, and moving side-to-side may be an issue against bigger and faster NFL opponents...

Slight tendency to get over-aggressive in the running game, may be a little bit too anxious at times to get off his block and move to the second level... There are questions regarding his ability to handle a NFL nose tackle, he seems to have an issue taking on one defender for a long period of time without help."

Draft InSider on Mike Brewster:

"Junior center Mike Brewster is an explosive blocker on the pivot and another offensive lineman effective in motion.  He explodes into blocks, plays with good knee bend and gets leverage on opponents.  

Brewster attacks blocking assignments and also plays a smart brand of football.  He lacks the dominant lower body strength and will be pushed back off the line, something which should be corrected in time."

FF ToolBox's Matt De Lima on Mike Brewster:

"Although he lacks exceptional athleticism or strength, Brewster is a solid offensive line prospect with no gaps in his game. He is a better pass protector than run blocker, but this mostly has to do with his frame.

He's a long and lean player who will need to add bulk to his lower half. With an improved knee bend, he'll do a much better job using his pad leverage to his advantage.

Brewster has good feet, but sometimes gets a bit lazy with his technique and can get knocked off-balance. He will need to shuffle his feet and better maintain his center of gravity when taking on NFL-caliber defensive tackles.

He is sometimes a bit late seeing the second level, identifying a blitzing linebacker and disengaging from his double-team.

Most of Brewster's shortcomings can be improved with refinement of his fundamentals. He could afford to add more bulk, but in this new pass-oriented NFL, pass blockers are at a new premium."

Draft Bible on Mike Brewster:

"An instinctive player, he is a quick thinker who understands both the opponent’s schemes and OSU’s assignments."