Nick Gargiulo, IOL South Carolina: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Gargiulo was an offensive tackle recruit from Somers High School in Lincolndale, N.Y. in the class of 2018

South Carolina interior offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo began his career as an offensive tackle at Yale before making the jump to the SEC. Gargiulo’s smooth transition to a tougher conference bodes well for his projection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Nick Gargiulo, IOL South Carolina: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Sixth-year left guard from Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

Background: Gargiulo was an offensive tackle recruit from Somers High School in Lincolndale, N.Y. in the class of 2018. He was an unranked recruit who didn’t receive a star ranking from 247Sports, Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. Gargiulo played both offensive and defensive tackle in high school. He was a Section I All-League selection twice and earned First Team All-Section honors twice. His long list of accolades includes Section A – Lineman MVP, Section I Class A Outstanding Lineman, Section I Football Coaches Association Class A League B Outstanding Offensive Lineman, N.Y.S.P.H.S.A.A. Finals Class A – Most Valuable Offensive Lineman, Lo Hud/Journal News Super II Recipient, and a Golden Dozen Football Team selection. Gargiulo also earned All-State and All-Metro Team honors. According to MaxPreps, he totaled 77 tackles, including six for loss and a sack, three fumble recoveries, and a blocked field goal in 13 games as a junior and 58 tackles, including five for loss with a sack, and a forced fumble in eight games as a sophomore. Gargiulo’s team won the state championship in 2016. He also played basketball in high school. Gargiulo was born on July 19, 2000. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale with a double major in economics and political science before transferring to South Carolina for the 2023 football season.

Injuries & Off-Field: No 2020 season (COVID-19), missed six games in 2021

Awards: 2022 First Team All-Ivy League, 2022 New England Football Writers Association All-New England Team, 2022 Yale Team Captain

Pros: Experience playing left tackle, left guard, and center, good knee bend in pass pro, wins the leverage battle with low pad level, sufficient lateral agility, executes reach blocks, keeps head on a swivel, refined hand placement and block framing, good power in his hand swipes, replaces hands quickly, positive reps matching the power of Georgia’s interior linemen in pass pro, won the leverage battle and had better hand placement than Mykel Williams (2023), constantly keeps his body between the defender and the quarterback, clear understanding of constructing and maintaining blocks, agility and movement skills for short pulls, comfortable climbing to the second level, good lead blocker on screens with nice top speed, torqued Nazir Stackhouse (2023) out of his gap and finished him to the ground

Cons: Gradually walked back into the pocket by power, lacks the natural power to anchor when low defenders get into his chest, seemed shocked by Omarr Norman-Lott’s power (2023), resorts to waist bending when carrying rushers vertically on the edge, missed two cut blocks against Georgia (2023), post-snap processing and diagnosis must improve, inconsistent response to stunts, fooled by Georgia overload blitz, pad level rises significantly on pulls and hands drop too low, limited displacement on down blocks against Georgia, hands were late to come up in the run game against Tennessee (2023), creates limited vertical displacement in the run game, pushed into the backfield on run plays twice by Tennessee’s Bryson Eason (2023)

Overview: Gargiulo has added roughly 30 lbs. since entering college. A former left tackle recruit from the class of 2018, he has developed into a technically refined interior lineman capable of playing guard or center. Gargiulo bends at his knees in pass protection and wins the leverage battle with a low pad level. He offers sufficient agility to stick with defenders laterally or vertically. The sixth-year lineman has refined hand placement and block framing. He has good power in his swipes and quickly replaces his hands to continue framing blocks against aggressive hand-fighters. Gargiulo had plenty of positive reps in pass protection against Georgia’s interior defensive linemen. He used his superior hand placement and pad level to win one-on-one battles with Mykel Williams (2023). Gargiulo has a strong understanding of spacing and knows how to keep his body between the defender and the quarterback. He appears to be a high IQ player with a clear understanding of constructing and maintaining blocks, but his awareness needs to improve. Gargiulo’s movement skills come in handy for reach blocks or short pulls. He’s also comfortable climbing to the second level or serving as the lead blocker on screens. The Yale transfer even torqued Nazir Stackhouse (2023) out of his gap and finished him to the ground on a run play. However, Gargiulo generated limited displacement on down blocks against Georgia, and creating vertical displacement is not something he does easily. Tennessee’s Bryson Eason (2023) drove him into the backfield on South Carolina’s first play of the game, leading to a tackle for loss. Eason took Gargiulo to school again on another run play later in the game. Gargiulo carried his hands too low and extended them too late against Tennessee, inviting Volunteer defenders with superior power right into his chest. Power can also be an issue for Gargiulo in pass protection. He is gradually walked back into the pocket by power rushes or larger defensive linemen. The New York native lacks the natural power to anchor when low defenders get into his chest. He seemed shocked by the pure pop Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott (2023) packed in his hands at the point of contact. Gargiulo missed two cut blocks against Georgia. The former All-Ivy League selection’s awareness and post-snap processing must improve. He allowed too many pressures on stunts and missed assignments on blitzes in the first half of the 2023 season.

Overall, Gargiulo transitioned from the Ivy League to the SEC while maintaining his fundamentally sound play, but his inconsistent awareness and play strength have caused issues early in his time with the Gamecocks. Gargiulo needs more games like he had against Georgia and fewer like he had against Tennessee.

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

Round Projection: Late Fourth to Early Fifth

Size: 6'5", 327 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 10-10-23