Blake Fisher, OT Notre Dame: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Fisher was a four-star recruit from Avon High School in Avon, Ind. in the class of 2021

Most college football fans know about Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt, but right tackle Blake Fisher is also a legitimate NFL prospect. The redshirt sophomore has excellent power to make an impact in the run game. He projects as a third round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Blake Fisher, OT Notre Dame: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore right tackle from Avon, Ind.

Background: Fisher was a four-star recruit from Avon High School in Avon, Ind. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 55 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 26 for Rivals (five-star), and No. 55 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 104th in the nation with an 84 grade out of 100. Fisher was Mr. Football Indiana (Offensive Line) in 2020. As a senior, he earned IFCA First Team All-State and First Team All-Indiana honors. Fisher received an invitation to the 2021 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He helped Avon’s rushing attack average 136.4 yards per game as a left tackle during his final high school season.

Injuries & Off-Field: A torn meniscus cost him 11 games in 2021

Awards: N/A

Pros: Only committed two penalties in 2022, high school left tackle and college right tackle, massive frame with room to add more weight, powerful extensions generate knockback, punches put dents in Ohio State’s Javontae Jean-Baptiste (2022), some “man among boys” reps against Boston College (2022), upper body power and leg drive, grip strength is good but not elite, footwork to quickly reset and get back in play after being beaten by a swim move vs. Ohio State (2022), redirects quickly to prevent B-gap pressure, re-anchors vs. speed to power, maintains wide base, quick recognition and response to stunts, keeps head on a swivel, jump sets pack enough punch to remove defenders from plays, generates displacement on down blocks, power to seal interior players in the run game, redirects to hit secondary targets

Cons: Possible arm length concerns, locked out by K.J. Henry’s arm length (2022), outreached by Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku (2022), high-hipped build, some hip tightness prevents fluid unlocking, some waist bending, lateral footspeed and agility, slow feet, first step isn’t explosive, struggles to mirror edge rushers up the arc, wide alignment rushers beat him around the corner, technique breaks down when attempting to mirror rushers, gets desperate and lunges in pass pro, upper body leaves feet behind, pad level rises quickly, allows defenders into his chest, gets high and struggles to drop anchor, moments when hands aren’t heavy and slip off defenders, reloads hands too slowly, speed of hands must improve, needs to sustain blocks in the run game longer, lunges into contact which messes with his balance, struggles to stay low in short yardage run situations, struggles to mirror linebackers at the second level

Overview: After only appearing in two games as a true freshman because of a torn meniscus, Fisher had some nice reps against Ohio State in Notre Dame’s 2022 season opener. He outperformed teammate Joe Alt against the Buckeyes despite making just the third start of his college football career. Fisher was a high school left tackle who continued that role into college before bumping over to the right side. The redshirt sophomore has a massive frame with room to add more weight. His powerful extensions and punches generate knockback. Fisher’s punches overpowered Ohio State’s Javontae Jean-Baptiste in the 2022 opener. The right tackle also had several dominant power plays against Boston College (2022). The combination of Fisher’s upper body power and leg drive generate displacement. His grip strength is good but not elite as there are opportunities for him to control defenders and sustain blocks longer. The Indiana native’s feet appear slow at times, but he’s also shown the occasional speed to recover once quickly beaten by sudden pass rush moves. Fisher redirects quickly to prevent pressure through the B-gap. His high pad level makes it difficult for him to drop his anchor at will, but he manages to re-anchor with his wide base against speed to power after conceding some space. The former four-star recruit is quick to recognize and address stunts. His jump sets pack enough punch to remove defenders from plays. Fisher generates significant displacement on down blocks and has the power to seal interior players in the run game. He frequently redirects to hit secondary targets in the run game after securing his initial assignment. Unfortunately, Fisher’s arm length is questionable. Clemson’s K.J. Henry and Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku got into his chest and seemed to outreach him in 2022. Fisher is high-hipped, which leads to some hip tightness and waist bending. His lateral footspeed and agility are less than ideal, and his first step isn’t explosive. Fisher struggles to mirror edge rushers up the arc and prevent wide alignment defenders from turning the corner. His technique breaks down when he attempts to mirror more athletic pass rushers. Fisher lunges when he feels pressured up the arc in pass protection, resulting in a loss of balance. His upper body often leaves his slow feet behind. Fisher’s pad level rises quickly, which allows defenders into his chest and disrupts his ability to anchor. There are moments when his hands slip off of defenders instead of stunning them. He needs to reload his hands quicker and fire them faster. Fisher struggles to stay low in short yardage run situations and struggles to mirror linebackers at the second level.

Overall, Fisher is a traits-based prospect with the build and power to make an impact at the next level, but flaws in his technique reflect his inexperience. Fisher must play with more polish in 2023, especially in pass protection, to assuage any concerns evaluators have about that part of his game.

Role & Scheme Fit: Developmental right tackle in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Third Round

Size: 6'6", 310 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 08-21-23