Connor Tollison, Missouri: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Tollison was a three-star offensive tackle recruit from Jackson High School in Jackson, Mo. in the class of 2021

Connor Tollison is an undersized center from Missouri with mobility that flashes in the open field. He still needs to add weight and continue developing his frame, but his movement skills will catch the eyes of teams in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Connor Tollison, C Missouri: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior center from Jackson, Mo.

Background: Tollison was a three-star offensive tackle recruit from Jackson High School in Jackson, Mo. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 399 recruit (four-star) according to 247Sports and No. 433 (three-star) for On3.com. Tollison was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 79 grade out of 100. He led Jackson to a 14-0 record and a state title as a high school senior. The team’s offense averaged 424.7 yards per game, including 229.1 rushing yards per game. Jackson totaled 62 rushing touchdowns in their 14 games. Tollison was a Second Team All-Conference selection as a freshman.

Injuries & Off-Field: Exited 2022-23 Bowl Game with an injury

Awards: N/A

Pros: Accurate snaps, room on his frame to add mass, maintains a good pad level, keeps his head on a swivel in pass pro, powerful arm extensions vs. Georgia (2023), identifies blitzers early, mobility for reach blocks, mobility pops on combo blocks, comfortable climbing to the second level, good speed and open field mover, impressive lateral mover in the run game, capable of pulling and lead blocking for WR or RB screens

Cons: Committed 12 penalties over the past two years, center-only in college, one early snap that surprised Brady Cook vs. Georgia (2023), a little high-hipped, very lean and lacking mass, arm length allows defenders into his pads, inconsistent anchor, tries to anchor too high, hands can be low and late, hands are too easy to swipe and lack resilience, poor block framing, block framing and hand usage are too soft – defenders break free easily, more independent hand usage required, vulnerable to swim moves, rocked by Josaih Hayes (2023) who hit him with a push-pull-swim that knocked him down, sometimes late to diagnose stunts, occasionally drops head into run blocks, stacked and shed at the point of attack, pushed into the backfield on run plays flowing horizontally, lacks a mauler mentality, created limited displacement vs. Kentucky (2023), doesn’t flash a killer instinct at the second level, takes poor angles to second level blocks, high pad level on the move

Overview: Tollison is an undersized center-only prospect who has committed 12 penalties over the past two years. He is a little high-hipped and is very lean for an offensive lineman. Tollison has room on his frame to add mass. He needs to put on 15 or more pounds to match NFL-caliber power in the trenches. Tollison maintains a good pad level in pass protection, but his arm length gives defenders easy access to his chest. The junior doesn’t have the anchor to stalemate bull rushes or counter defenders who get into his chest. His hands arrive wide and late, and he tries to anchor too high in his stance. Tollison’s hands are too easy for defenders to swipe away. They lack the power and resilience to influence the defender’s counters. The former three-star recruit’s block framing and hand usage are poor. Defenders easily escape his blocks and redirect around him. More independent and violent hand usage will go a long way toward correcting these issues. Tollison is vulnerable to push-pull and swim moves. He keeps his head on a swivel in pass protection but is late to diagnose stunts sometimes. Tollison usually delivers accurate snaps, but he had an early snap that surprised quarterback Brady Cook against Georgia (2023). The Missouri native flashed powerful arm extensions in the 2023 match against the Bulldogs. He identifies blitzers early and has the mobility to redirect and cut them off. Many of Tollison’s best reps in pass protection come when he isn’t covered up and can double team with a guard. His size and arm length make one-on-one situations difficult when faced with NFL-caliber/sized defenders. In the run game, Tollison has the mobility to execute reach blocks and hit the second level on combo blocks. He is comfortable climbing to the second level and is a good open field mover with solid speed. Offenses can trust Tollison to pull and lead block on wide receiver or running back screens. However, he occasionally drops his head into run blocks. Defenders stack and shed Tollison at the point of attack or drive him into the backfield on runs flowing horizontally. The center lacks a mauler mentality and struggles to create displacement against fronts that feature future NFL talents. He takes poor angles to second level blocks and doesn’t have a killer instinct when facing smaller defenders.

Overall, Tollison’s mobility is the cornerstone of his game, but he doesn’t have NFL-caliber size or mass to hold up at the pivot at the next level. Tollison needs to hit the weight room to fill out his frame, especially his lower body. His hand usage and block framing are still developmental and might need another two years of work to reach a pro level.

Role & Scheme Fit: Center in an outside zone or gap scheme

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Early Sixth

Size: 6'4", 286 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 02-24-24