Steve Avila, IOL TCU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Avila was a three-star offensive tackle recruit from South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas in the class of 2018

TCU guard Steve Avila has experience taking snaps at four positions along the offensive line, making him one of the most versatile linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft. Avila is a lock to go in the top 100 selections and could go as high as the second round.

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Steve Avila, IOL TCU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior left guard from Arlington, Texas

Background: Avila was a three-star offensive tackle recruit from South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas in the class of 2018. He was the No. 1,065 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 970 for On3.com. Avila was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked four-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. As a high school sophomore, he was the 2015 District 8-6A Co-Offensive Sophomore Most Valuable Player.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed one game in 2020, missed part of 2020 Kansas State game with an injury

Awards: 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big 12, 2021 Second-Team All-Big 12, 2022 First-Team All-Big 12, 2022 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, 2022 Second-Team All-American

Pros: Experience playing left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle, ideal size and mass for a guard, plays with a wide base, defenders struggle to play through his frame, stout anchor eats bull rushes, independent hand usage, accurate punches to the defender’s chest, hands pack some knockback power, foot speed, footwork to mirror defenders, walls off and guides defenders around the ball carrier, constantly looks for extra work, angles, directs, and washes defenders out of run lanes, some success displacing defenders when working vertically, excels on double teams, mobility to reach the second level, lands second level blocks, some examples of finishing defenders to the ground

Cons: Age, eight penalties in the past two years, not a mauler, not a nasty or violent blocker, not an explosive open field athlete, limited lateral agility and change of direction skills, arm length is acceptable but not elite, can be late to extend his arms which allows defenders into his chest, pad level rises quickly, struggles to clamp and manipulate linemen, clamp strength, defenders frequently break his clamp, Mazi Smith (2022) torqued him out of his gap in pass pro, awareness of surroundings is average at best, caught off guard by twists and stunts, instances of struggling to displace defensive linemen, lacks the speed for long pulls

Overview: Avila took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 6035 and weighs 332 lbs. He has 9 2/8-inch hands, 33-inch arms, and a 78-inch wingspan. Avila boasts a thick, squat frame with ideal size and mass for a guard. He has experience playing left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle, making him one of the draft’s most versatile linemen. Avila plays with a wide base. Defenders struggle to play through his frame and rarely break his anchor. The redshirt senior flashes independent hand usage in pass protection, throwing accurate punches into the defender’s chest. His hands pack some knockback power, but it’s inconsistent. Avila’s foot speed and footwork allow him to mirror defenders at the line of scrimmage. He walls off and guides defenders around the ball carrier. The former three-star recruit directs and washes defenders out of rushing lanes. He has some success displacing defenders vertically. Avila lacks the speed and mobility for long pulls, but he’s mobile enough to reach the second level and cause some damage. There are examples of him finishing defenders to the ground, but the college veteran isn’t a mauler and generally doesn’t play with a nasty mentality. He’s not an explosive open field athlete and battles limited lateral agility and change of direction skills. Avila’s arm length is acceptable for a guard but falls far short of elite. He’s occasionally late to engage his arms, leading to defenders getting into his chest. Avila plays with an elevated pad level. He struggles to clamp down on and manipulate linemen. Defenders frequently break Avila’s clamp and get outside of his framed block. Michigan’s Mazi Smith (2022) used his power to torque Avila out of his gap in pass protection. The TCU star’s awareness is average at best as he’s sometimes caught off guard by stunts. There are instances where he tries and fails to displace defenders vertically.

Overall, Avila is a versatile interior offensive lineman with the stout build and power to make an immediate impact in the run game, but he’s a limited athlete who won’t translate to every scheme. Avila’s agility limitations could impact his ability to become a reliable pass protector. He’ll need to use his experience and football IQ to counter those physical limitations.

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

Round Projection: Late Second to Early Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 03-24-23