Ryan Baer, RT/G Pittsburgh: 2026 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Baer was a four-star recruit from Eastlake North High School in Eastlake, Ohio in the class of 2022
Pittsburgh Panthers right tackle Ryan Baer projects as a high floor guard prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. His frame, developed play strength, and aggressive playstyle show up in the run game. Baer’s size and anchor will make him a difficult lineman to play through once he’s no longer operating on an island.
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Ryan Baer, RT/G Pittsburgh: 2026 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior right tackle from Eastlake, Ohio
Background: Baer was a four-star recruit from Eastlake North High School in Eastlake, Ohio in the class of 2022. He was the No. 356 (four-star) recruit according to 247Sports and No. 403 for On3 (three-star). Baer was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked four-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. He was a First Team All-Northeast Lakes District selection, a First Team All-Star for the News Herald, and a First Team All-Ohio Division II selection for the Ohio Prep Sportswriters.
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: N/A
Pros: Starting experience at left and right tackle, prepped some at guard going into 2022 and 2023, room to add mass, quick early steps in kick slide to handle some wide-alignment rushers, smooth shuffle with speed to match rushers, mostly avoids oversetting, nice timing shooting hands, aggressive and punishing hands with nice power, quick to reload hands, punches reloads and punches some more, bumps rushers off their arcs with firm punches, caught multiple David Reese spin moves (2024), anchors well even when pad level is pried up, defenders rarely win through his frame, naturally powerful frame, looks for extra work, impressive power in the trenches, leg drive and core strength to uproot anchors and displace defenders, power to torque and move defenders out of gaps in the run game, big time people mover on down blocks, good speed on pulls, looks for opportunities to pancake defenders, finishes plays in the run game
Cons: Six penalties committed in each of the past two seasons, poor arm length for a tackle, lack of length leads to many losses at offensive tackle, defenders access his chest too often, high pad level, pad level pried up, initial step doesn’t gain much width or depth, lack of an explosive first step exposes his outside shoulder vs. speed rushers, cleanly beaten several times around the outside by explosive athletes, consistent losses around the edge vs. Clemson (2024), troubled by Clemson’s Jahiem Lawson’s bend (2024), needs a more reliable outside hand to protect against chops, defenders can pry open the B-gap, some oversetting opens the B-gap, baited into chasing defenders instead of sitting in his pass set, sometimes late to recognize stunts, length disadvantage vs. Xavier Carlton (2024), must develop counters for long-arm, needs to replace hands sooner when chopped or swiped, footwork seemed to get fatigued late vs. Boston College (2024)
Overview: Baer enters his fourth season with starting experience at both tackle spots. He never took snaps at guard in a game, but the Panthers prepped him for an inside role in some practices during the 2022 and 2023 offseasons. Baer projects inside at the NFL level due to his subpar arm length and range in pass protection. He’s a powerful lineman but still has room on his frame to add mass if needed. Baer lacks an explosive kick step, which causes issues against pass rushers with the combination of burst and bend to whip around the corner. However, his quick initial steps and smooth kick slide help him cut off and engulf some wide-alignment rushers. Baer fires his hands with impressive timing and delivers punishing blows that re-route edge rushers. He reloads his hands quickly and continues to aggressively attack the defender when his initial punch doesn’t get the job done, and he’s always looking for extra work in pass protection. Defenders sometimes succeed in baiting Baer into pursuing them instead of remaining patient, but his anchor and technique when he remains in his set are impressive. Pass rushers take advantage of the Ohio native’s arm length to access his chest and pry his pad level up, but he’s powerful enough to grind down bull rushes and anchor even with the leverage disadvantage. Most defenders lack the play strength to win through Baer’s naturally powerful frame and instead manufacture wins with superior agility and speed. He mostly avoids oversetting but occasionally makes the B-gap too wide, creating room for inside counters. The redshirt junior needs to keep his pad level lower and show more resilience with his outside hand to withstand chops. When his hands get cleared, he needs to replace them quicker. While his initial punch is strong and well-timed, Baer lacks a developed set of hand counters to deploy against moves like long-arms. The former four-star recruit makes his greatest impact in the run game, where his leg drive and core strength help him uproot and either horizontally or vertically displace defenders. He torques edge rushers out of their gaps and washes away 4i and 3-techs on down blocks. Despite his size, Baer displays better than adequate speed to reach key landmarks and operate in a gap scheme. He blocks with a terrific demeanor, always looking to finish plays and pancake defenders.
Overall, Baer’s athletic limitations operating on an island will be mitigated by kicking him inside to guard at the next level. He still needs to perfect his mid-play hand usage, but his large frame, stout anchor, powerful hands, and disruptive run blocking make him a high floor prospect with starting-caliber potential. Baer is an ass kicker, and there’s always a market for ass kickers.
Role & Scheme Fit: Guard in a gap or inside zone scheme
Round Grade: Third Round
Size: 6'7", 325 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 01-18-25