Earnest Greene III, Georgia: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Greene was a four-star recruit from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif. in the class of 2022

Georgia left tackle Earnest Greene III has all of the physical tools to be a future first round pick, but the one-year starter is still incredibly raw. He could develop into a top 32 player in the 2025 NFL Draft if he cleans up his balance, footwork, and hand usage.

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Earnest Greene III, LT Georgia: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore left tackle from Los Angeles, Calif.

Background: Greene was a four-star recruit from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 45 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 40 for Rivals, and No. 48 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 70th in the nation with an 85 grade out of 100. In 2021, Greene was The Los Angeles Times’ High School Football Lineman of the Year. He earned an invitation to the 2022 All-American Bowl. Greene’s father, Earnest Greene Jr., played along the offensive line at Savannah State before spending stints in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Injuries & Off-Field: Played through an injury as a high school sophomore, redshirted in 2022 with a back injury that required surgery, also dealt with a hamstring injury as a true freshman, suffered minor ankle injury in 2023 fall camp

Awards: 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team

Pros: Not penalized in 2023, arm length checks NFL boxes, thick and NFL-ready frame, natural power throughout frame, explosive kick step to cut off wide alignment rushers, flashes of rare foot speed at his size, mixes in the occasional jump set to finish plays early, attacks and attempts to neutralize the defender’s hands, throws feints to draw out the defender’s hands, heavy hands, overwhelms pass rushers at the top of the arc, length and punch power were overwhelming vs. Missouri (2023), deployed snatch-trap vs. Dallas Turner (2023), upper body and core strength to manhandle Justin Eboigbe (2023), several reps of clear dominance vs. Dallas Turner (2023), otherworldly force vs. second level defenders

Cons: Inexperience showed in 2023, mental emphasis on foot speed sometimes leads to sloppy hand usage in pass pro, struggled to combat Dallas Turner’s violent hands (2023), initial hand placement is wide, surrenders chest far too often, recovery is a step late when beaten, unsettled feet make him inconsistent anchoring vs. speed to power, gave up a sack vs. Dallas Turner’s speed to power on a long-arm (2023), bull rushed into the pocket more often than he should be at his size, bendy edge rushers post occasional wins when he’s drawn forward and out of his stance, significant number of losses to Darius Robinson’s swims and clubs (2023), lunges into and whiffs on blocks vs. smaller defenders, occasionally late to recognize stunts, awareness of the pocket and body positioning still is developing, not a nasty run blocker, creates less run game displacement than expected, leg drive stalls in the run game, overruns landmarks when lead blocking, lunges and leans when lead blocking leading to whiffs on second level defenders, not agile enough to mirror second level defenders when pulling or lead blocking, balance puts him on the ground a lot in short-yardage scenarios

Overview: Greene measured in with 35-inch arms at the All-American Bowl in high school, so he will check that box for evaluators. He sports a thick and NFL-ready frame that boasts plenty of natural power. Greene’s explosive kick step allows him to gain the depth and width needed to handle wide-9 rushers without being too stressed. His foot speed varies, but he has flashes of rare speed to handle explosive rushers. Greene’s inexperience as a first-year starter was on full display in 2023. His focus on maintaining his footwork and speed sometimes led to him neglecting his hand usage. He struggled to fight off Dallas Turner’s violent hands (2023) and suffered from wide hand placement that allowed defenders into his chest. To Greene’s credit, he got Turner back with a snatch trap and used his length and heavy hands to bludgeon Missouri’s pass rushers (2023). The redshirt sophomore attacks and attempts to neutralize the defender’s hands early in the play and even throws feints to draw out his opponent’s hands. He mixes in the occasional jump set to really get after defensive linemen. However, these jump sets sometimes put him at a disadvantage as he doesn’t always have the recovery speed to get back in plays once he’s beaten. Greene’s unsettled feet disrupt his balance and make it difficult to anchor against power rushers. He gets bull rushed into the pocket way too often for a lineman with his physical tools. Turner found success against him working speed to power through a long-arm move, and Missouri’s Darius Robinson posted multiple wins against Greene with swims and clubs (2023). Bendy edge rushers post wins against Greene by drawing the inexperienced tackle forward and out of his stance, disrupting his balance and softening his outside shoulder. The California native gets impatient and lunges into blocks in both the run and pass game, which leads to whiffs and quick losses against smaller defenders. He is still learning to recognize stunts and develop his natural feel for the pocket and body positioning. Greene flashed the upper body and core strength to dominate Turner and Justin Eboigbe (2023), including several great reps in the run game. Unfortunately, the big left tackle is not a nasty run blocker and creates less displacement than expected. His leg drive stalls in the trenches, and he lacks the agility to mirror second level defenders. Greene is a destructive force when he gets his hands on linebackers, but he lunges and leans too much to make consistent contact. His balance puts him on the ground a lot in short-yardage scenarios.

Overall, Greene is an inexperienced left tackle who has NFL-caliber size, traits, and flashes against elite competition, but flawed anchoring, balance, footwork, and hand usage led to many preventable losses in 2023. Greene has the tools to be a first round player, but it’s asking a lot for him to make that jump in just 2024. If he enters the 2025 NFL Draft, he will likely still be a developmental prospect.

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

Round Projection: Second Round

Size: 6'4", 320 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 05-13-24