Drew Azzopardi, Washington: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Azzopardi was a three-star recruit from Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. in the class of 2022

Right tackle Drew Azzopardi transferred from San Diego State to Washington following his first year of starting experience. Azzopardi is a prime candidate to return to school next year, but I put together a 2025 NFL Draft profile for him anyway.

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Drew Azzopardi, RT Washington: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore right tackle from Pacifica, Calif.

Background: Azzopardi was a three-star recruit from Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 1,561 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,569 for On3.com. Azzopardi was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 74 grade out of 100. He transferred from San Diego State to Washington for the 2024 season. As a senior, Azzopardi helped Junipero Serra go 11-2 and reach the State Championship Game before losing to Mater Dei. He was a team captain and earned First Team Western Catholic Athletic League honors. As a junior, Azzopardi and Junipero Serra went 5-0 in the pandemic-adjusted spring season and won the Western Catholic Athletic League title. Azzopardi also played baseball for two seasons. His brother, Nate, plays guard for Idaho. Azzopardi was born on Aug. 14, 2004.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2023 San Diego State Offense Outstanding Freshman

Pros: Young prospect, appears to have massive hands, broad shoulders with filled out rectangular upper body, avoids feet getting stuck in the mud, very quick footwork, quick feet expand range in pass pro, long horizontal strides cover ground up the arc quickly, rarely beaten around his outside shoulder for pressure, takes on contact with a wide base, surprisingly resilient anchor, defenders struggle to play through his frame, keeps hands up and close to frame until engaging, tight hand placement into defender’s chest, locks out defender with arms after initial contact, strong extensions, sudden clamp, clamps and stays attached in pass pro, arm and grip strength, recognizes stunts well for a one-year starter, identifies and stamps out late blitzers, good movement on down blocks when his framing is right, comfortable climbing inside to the second level, comfortable climbing on combo blocks

Cons: Inexperience, competition faced, committed three penalties in six starts in 2023, two false starts vs. Utah State (2023), lower frame hasn’t filled out yet, arm length checks box but could be better at his size, sits high in stance pre-snap, initial kick step gains limited width and depth – needs reworking, hoppy footwork that is very unsettled, limited knee bend, bends at waist to maintain contact in pass pro, struggles to match athleticism and pad level of bendy rushers, consistent B-gap issues, doesn’t redirect to cover the B-gap, allows defenders to pry open the B-gap, some vulnerabilities to speed to power, more independent hand usage required, not a mauler in the run game, limited vertical displacement in run game, body positioning in run game creates lanes to the ball, defenders sometimes work around his down blocks, struggles to find the angle to second level blocks

Overview: Azzopardi is a young prospect who will turn 20 years old in Aug. 2024. He appears to have massive hands and broad shoulders with a filled out rectangular upper body. His arm length should check the box by NFL standards, but many tackles his size have longer arms. His lower frame hasn’t filled out yet and could impact him more often as Washington transitions into the Big Ten. Azzopardi didn’t face much high level competition in 2023 and only has 409 career offensive snaps under his belt. His inexperience showed up in some of the penalties he committed as a redshirt freshman, including two false starts vs. Utah State. Azzopardi sits high in his stance pre-snap and uses a kick step that needs to be reworked to gain more initial depth and width, depending on the pass set. His feet are active and quick but still very hoppy and impatient. That foot speed and his long horizontal strides expand his range in pass protection, making it difficult for defenders to win around his outside shoulder. Azzopardi uses limited knee bend in his pass set and sometimes defaults to bending at the waist to maintain contact with the defender. The San Diego State transfer absorbs contact with a wide base and displays a surprisingly resilient anchor despite his lean lower frame. Power rushers struggle to play through his frame, but he struggles to match the athleticism and low pad level of bendy rushers. Azzopardi doesn’t defend the B-gap well. This might be because of his lack of experience, but the redshirt sophomore doesn’t redirect to cover the B-gap on counters or outright inside rushes often. His frame makes him vulnerable to speed to power when facing talented edge rushers. Azzopardi keeps his hands up and close to his frame until using tight hand placement to access the defender’s chest. His strong arm extensions and sudden clamp lock out defenders after initial contact. The California native’s hands don’t generate pop, but there’s clear power in his upper body and hands. He still needs to incorporate more independent hand usage into his game to avoid swipes and counter rush moves. Azzopardi’s clamp allows him to stay attached to defenders in pass protection. He recognizes stunts and delayed blitzes well for a one-year starter. The former three-star recruit is not a mauler in the run game. He struggles to create vertical displacement, and his body positioning creates lanes for defenders to reach the carrier. Azzopardi creates good movement on down blocks, but his poor framing sometimes allows defenders to escape and make plays on the ball. He is comfortable working to the second level on combo blocks but takes poor angles to linebackers.

Overall, Azzopardi is a very young and inexperienced prospect who is still developing and refining his frame and fundamentals, but the athletic foundation he’s building on clearly possesses NFL potential. His hand usage is already in a good place for someone with so few snaps. Azzopardi must become a much more impactful run blocker to reach his ceiling.

Role & Scheme Fit: Right tackle in an inside zone scheme

Round Grade: Late Fourth to Mid Fifth Round

Size: 6'7", 315 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-02-24