Braeden Daniels, OT/IOL Utah: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Daniels was a three-star recruit from Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas in the class of 2018

Braeden Daniels is a versatile All-Pac-12 offensive lineman with significant starting experience at three different positions. He’ll likely play guard at the next level to diminish concerns about his athleticism and reactionary agility. Check out Daniels’ 2023 NFL Draft prospect profile.

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Braeden Daniels, OT/IOL Utah: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior left tackle from Carrollton, Texas

Background: Daniels was a three-star recruit from Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas in the class of 2018. He was the No. 1,445 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,654 for On3.com. Daniels was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. He originally committed to Illinois before flipping to Utah. Daniels picked the Utes over offers from Boise State, Houston, Illinois, Tulane, and Tulsa. In high school, Daniels earned First-Team All-District honors in 2016 when Hebron won Area and Bi-District Championships. He also competed in track and field, finishing third in the area and district in shot put in 2017. Daniels’ mother played basketball at McNeese University.

2021 Production: 14 games, 1 sack allowed, 4 penalties committed

2020 Production: 5 games, 1 sack allowed, 1 penalty committed

2019 Production: 14 games, 3 sacks allowed, 7 penalties committed

2018 Production: 2 games (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2019 Pac-12 All-Academic Honor Roll, 2020 Pac-12 All-Academic Honor Roll, 2021 Second-Team All-Pac-12, 2022 First-Team All-Pac-12

Pros: Starting experience at left guard, right tackle, and left tackle, appears to have adequate arm length and wingspan, hands engage early, guides the rusher upfield and around the pocket, seals lanes for outside runs, strong enough to wall off second-level players, displays some lateral agility to protect his outside shoulder in pass pro, examples of well framed blocks, rarely beat to his inside shoulder in pass pro, feet remain active, good use of leverage as a pass blocker, looked much more in control at guard than tackle, as a guard he had some success climbing to the second level on inside runs, appeared more confident attacking the offensive linemen’s chest when playing guard

Cons: Frame is lean for an offensive lineman, hand placement is wide, hands lack pop, waist bender, power rushers put him on skates, lacks agility to mirror defenders, forced to open his hips to handle speed rushers, footwork is inconsistent and staggered, defenders easily disengage and redirect to the football, leans and lunges to sustain blocks, allows defenders into his chest, awareness and recognition of stunts and blitzes wavers, tossed off balance by smaller defenders, hands are frequently swatted or swiped away, tight and narrow hips, lacks play strength to maul defenders, takes poor angles to second level defenders, struggles to sustain blocks in the run game, inconsistent at creating displacement as a run blocker, plays high in space, not a fast mover in the open field

Overview: Daniels is unofficially listed at 6'4", 297 lbs. He allowed pressure on 3.38% of his pass blocking snaps in 2021 and 2.17% in 2022 through the regular season and conference championship game. Daniels has significant starting experience at left guard, right tackle, and left tackle. He appears to have adequate arm length and a good but not elite wingspan. Daniels makes his money in pass protection. His hands engage early and guide the rusher upfield, around the pocket. He displays some lateral agility to protect his outside shoulder in pass protection but struggles to reach his landmarks before explosive defenders. There are examples of Daniels framing blocks well, but this is an area where he’s highly inconsistent. He’s rarely beaten to his inside shoulder in pass protection. Daniels uses leverage well as a pass blocker, and his feet remain active. Despite earning All-Pac-12 selections at both tackle positions, Daniels appears more confident attacking the chests of offensive linemen. when playing guard. He also displayed better control and upside climbing to the second level on inside runs when operating at guard. Daniels seals lanes for outside runs and is strong enough to wall off second-level players. The redshirt junior’s frame is very lean for an offensive lineman of his size, and it’s reflected in his poor play strength. Power rushers put him on skates and walk him back to the quarterback. Daniels lacks the strength to maul opponents, and defenders easily disengage from his blocks and redirect to the football. Smaller defenders occasionally toss the former three-star recruit off balance. He is inconsistent at creating displacement as a run blocker and struggles to sustain blocks in that area of the game. Daniels lacks the agility to mirror defenders and is forced to open his hips to handle speed rushers. His lean build includes tight and narrow hips, which might cause trouble as he tries to add mass in the future. The Texas native leans and lunges to sustain blocks, causing him to play unbalanced frequently. Daniels plays high in space, isn’t a fast mover in the open field, and takes poor angles to second-level defenders. His hands lack pop and are consistently wide, allowing defenders into his chest. The All-Pac-12 selection frequently bends at the waist and displays inconsistent, staggered, and toesy footwork. His hands are frequently swatted or swiped away. Daniels’ awareness and recognition of stunts and blitzes wavers from week to week.

Overall, Daniels is a versatile lineman who has flashes of well-framed blocks and lateral agility, but his lack of play strength, questionable agility, and underdeveloped technique make him a late round pick at best. Daniels is best suited as a guard at the NFL level because he struggles to operate on an island without a natural barrier protecting his outside shoulder.

Role & Scheme Fit: Left guard in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Late Sixth to UDFA

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 12-15-22