Dartanyan Tinsley, Cincinnati: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Tinsley was a recruit from Owensboro High School in Owensboro, Ky. in the class of 2019
Cincinnati left guard Dartanyan Tinsley took the hard path to carving out a starting role at the DI FBS level. He has some physical tools that could make him an intriguing undrafted free agent. Unfortunately, Tinsley’s failure to maximize his traits likely means he won’t get a call during the 2025 NFL Draft. A seventh round selection is still possible.
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Dartanyan Tinsley, G Cincinnati: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt senior left guard from Owensboro, Ky.
Background: Tinsley was a recruit from Owensboro High School in Owensboro, Ky. in the class of 2019. He didn’t receive a star rating or grade out of 100 from 247Sports, Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. Tinsley transferred from NAIA program Kentucky Christian University to Cincinnati for the 2022 season. He was invited to the Best of the Bluegrass All-Star Football Game in 2019, which features the best high school players in Kentucky.
Injuries & Off-Field: Missed three games with a lower leg injury suffered vs. Miami (OH) in 2024
Awards: 2020 First Team All-NCCAA, 2020 First Team All-Mid-South Conference Appalachian Division, 2021 First Team All-Mid-South Conference Appalachian Division
Pros: Rarely penalized, great arm length, thick upper frame, wide and thick base, strong throughout frame, defenders struggle to play through his frame, nice lateral mover, good effort to recover when beaten initially, limited leaning and waist bending, powerful clamp, impressive leg drive, experienced and successful combo blocker, quickly climbs to the second level, bulldozer when he has forward momentum
Cons: Lacks twitch to mirror some agile 3-techs, lacks elite recovery speed and agility, pulled forward and off balance, doesn’t sustain blocks long enough, overexposing chest makes him vulnerable to speed to power, hands land wide and expose his chest, hands need to be more resilient, two-handed punches leave him vulnerable to swipes and swims, inconsistent recognition of stunts, defenders escape him and pursue the ball, frequently overshoots targets when working up to linebackers, fails to mirror linebackers
Overview: Tinsley offers some terrific traits for a guard. His arms measured 34 1/4 inches at the Hula Bowl and 34 inches at his pro day. His frame is thickly built with the necessary power to hold up against NFL-caliber defensive linemen. Defenders struggle and often fail to play through Tinsley’s frame because of his play strength and wide base. He moves well laterally but lacks the twitch to handle some of the more agile 3-techs in the game. Tinsley makes a nice effort to recover when beaten early in the play but lacks the agility and speed to save those reps. He mostly avoids waist bending in pass protection but still gets pulled forward and off balance. Despite possessing powerful hands with good grip strength, Tinsley struggles to sustain blocks. His overall hand usage is much less developed than teammate Luke Kandra’s and needs significant work. Tinsley’s hands land wide, exposing his chest to bull rushers. He lacks independent hand usage, often opting for a two-handed punch that leaves him vulnerable to swipes and swims. He’s slow to recognize and adapt to stunts. In the run game, Tinsley displays impressive leg drive and easily clears out defenders when he initiates contact with a head of steam. He fails to finish blocks because defenders escape his grasp and redirect to the football. The Kentucky native quickly climbs to the second level after securing the initial positioning on combo blocks, but he frequently overshoots linebackers or fails to mirror them in space. His heavy frame prevents him from being light-footed on extended plays, but he closes space on defenders with good initial quickness to secure blocks in a timely manner. Tinsley needs to play with more aggression and intensity to weaponize his raw traits while developing the technical elements of his game.
Overall, Tinsley is an impressive mover with a nice frame for a guard, but his shaky technical foundation leads to inconsistent and sometimes volatile play. Tinsley must do a better job sustaining blocks. Some team will appreciate his traits and developmental upside and sign him to a nice undrafted free agent contract.
Role & Scheme Fit: Left guard in an inside zone scheme
Round Grade: UDFA
Size: 6'3 5/8", 336 lbs. (Hula Bowl)
Submitted: 10-07-24
Updated: 12-10-24