Garrett Dellinger, G LSU: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Dellinger was a four-star recruit from Clarkston High School in Clarkston, Mich. in the class of 2021

Garrett Dellinger is one of several LSU offensive linemen who will hear their names called in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has stretches of excellent play in pass protection, but his game is too inconsistent to warrant a top 100 selection.

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Garrett Dellinger, G LSU: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior left guard from Clarkston, Mich.

Background: Dellinger was a four-star offensive tackle recruit from Clarkston High School in Clarkston, Mich. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 91 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 184 for Rivals, and No. 115 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 33rd in the nation with an 87 grade out of 100. Dellinger was a four-year starter at Clarkston. He began his high school career as a freshman starting right guard on Clarkston’s state championship team before kicking out to right tackle as a sophomore and then to left tackle as a junior and senior. Dellinger earned All-Oakland Activities Association Team honors twice and was an Under Armour All-American. His dad, Matt, played basketball at Cleveland State, while his mom, Stephanie, played basketball at Towson. Dellinger’s brother, Matt, was a Third Team All-MAC linebacker at Kent State in 2015 and finished his career with 273 tackles. His sister, Taylor, played volleyball at Western Kentucky and Oakland University.

Injuries & Off-Field: Did not play in bowl game as a freshman (2021), missed five games in 2022 with a broken hand that required surgery and a grade 2 MCL strain in his right knee

Awards: N/A

Pros: Experience playing left tackle, left guard, center, and right guard, only penalized three times in the past two seasons, thick frame, maintains wide base through contact in pass pro, build and base make for a strong anchor, strong clamp, keeps head on a swivel to help his center and tackle, diagnoses and picks up stunts well, power to outclass stunting outside linebackers, effective combo blocker who picks off second-level defenders, good effort as a run blocker to generate displacement, generated displacement on down blocks vs. Braden Fiske (2023), power to seal run lanes inside and out, showcased mobility on gap runs

Cons: Received plenty of help from teammates, pad level in pass pro gives up leverage, allows defenders to pry up his pad level too easily, outside shoulder needs to be firmer, should tighten up hand placement, hands could channel power better, needs better counters for long-arm moves, early contact to his chest puts him on skates, inconsistent balance, pulled forward and off balance, vulnerable to push-pull, lower body speed doesn’t match upper body movement, footwork didn’t match Braden Fiske’s twitch leading to a pressure (2023), inconsistent timing on gap pulls, leans forward in the run game, forward momentum makes him vulnerable to swims, ducks head and goes crown-first into run blocks, arm length and hand placement sometimes lead to him being stacked and shed

Overview: Dellinger has experience playing left tackle, left guard, center, and right guard at LSU. He has a thick frame and plays with a wide base when engaging with the defender in pass protection. That build and base give him a sturdy anchor when defenders try to play through his frame. Dellinger also has a strong clamp, but his outside shoulder needs to be firmer and more difficult to capture. He is turned to his left too often by linemen threatening to capture his outside shoulder. The senior must tighten up his hand placement to better protect his chest and prevent defenders from putting him on his heels early in plays. Considering his size, Dellinger should be able to channel more power through his hands than he currently displays. The Michigan native’s pad level in pass protection is inconsistent. He surrenders leverage by allowing defenders to pry up his pad level. He can prevent this by learning more hand counters to break long-arms and interrupt bull rushes. Dellinger keeps his head on a swivel to help his center and tackle. He quickly diagnoses and picks up stunts and possesses a significant power advantage against stunting outside linebackers. Dellinger’s balance raises some concerns in the run and pass game. Defenders frequently pull him forward and off balance. Push-pull moves are especially effective in the pass game, while swim moves work well in the run game. Dellinger’s lower body speed struggles to match his upper body movement. Defensive linemen who possess some level of explosiveness or twitch, like Florida State’s Braden Fiske, took advantage of this disconnect in 2023. Dellinger isn’t a great run blocker, but it’s not because of a lack of effort. His balance is his primary issue in the run game. The former four-star recruit leans forward and struggles to control his forward momentum. He also ducks the crown of his helmet into some blocks. Dellinger’s hand placement in the run game contributes to him being stacked and shed. Fortunately, he has the size and power to generate significant displacement on down blocks. Dellinger battles through the play to generate displacement and frequently resets the line of scrimmage or seals run lanes when he stays square to the defender. The converted tackle is an effective combo blocker who picks off second-level defenders. He has the mobility to operate in a gap scheme, but his timing on pulls sometimes leads to him arriving at his landmarks late and missing chances to engage defenders.

Overall, Dellinger has stretches of excellent play in pass protection when his frame, anchor, and grip strength allow him to stonewall pass rushers, but his hand placement, balance, and consistency in the run game all need development. Dellinger’s solid floor in pass protection gives him upward mobility if he shows development in 2024.

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

Round Projection: Fourth Round

Size: 6'5", 325 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 02-17-24