Xavier Truss, IOL Georgia: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Truss was a four-star recruit from Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, R.I. in the class of 2019

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Xavier Truss began his career as a tackle before shifting inside to guard. He has the power and size to contend for a top 100 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Xavier Truss, IOL Georgia: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior left guard from West Warwick, R.I.

Background: Truss was a four-star recruit from Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, R.I. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 214 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 208 for Rivals. Truss was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 166th in the nation with an 83 grade out of 100. He was selected for the 2019 All-America Bowl. Truss was one of six offensive linemen who made Football University’s 2019 All-Top Gun Team. He was one of 14 players to earn the 2018 Football University GRIT Award at the Top Gun Showcase. Truss was one of 100 players invited to the All-American high school combine in San Antonio. He was a Providence First-Team All-State selection as a high school junior. Truss won the state title with Bishop Hendricken in 2018. He also played along the defensive line as a junior, amassing 45 tackles and two sacks. Truss was a three-time state champion in indoor track and field.

Injuries & Off-Field: Battled a toe injury in 2022 but didn’t miss time

Awards: N/A

Pros: Experience at left tackle, left guard, and right guard, massive and thick upper body with room to fill out his lower half, appears to have tackle-sized arms, quick off the snap, quickness out of his stance pops, hands pack pop, hands are aggressive and powerful, sturdy clamp, maintains a nice pad level for a player his size, anchor to eat power rushes, fans his arms out when not covered up by a defender to deter secondary rushers, nasty blocker who looks for extra work, strength to generate push in short-yardage situations, washes defenders out of plays, power to finish Zacch Pickens (2022) to the ground, easily seals defenders away, drives legs through contact, enough mobility to execute short pulls

Cons: Committed four penalties in 2022, one-year starter, awareness fails to reveal delayed blitzes, freezes when faced with two rushers, carries hands too low early in the play, doesn’t maximize arm length consistently, allows defenders into his chest, defenders get into his chest and force his pad level up, hand placement is inconsistent, needs to counter the defender’s hands sooner, foot speed, doesn’t have the lateral mobility to play on an island at tackle, Zacch Pickens’s (2022) agility and hand counters caused problems, limited agility to mirror second level defenders, preferably not a lead blocker in space, needs to clamp and drive sooner, occasionally gets too far over his toes in the run game and loses his balance, vulnerable to swim move, inconsistent week-to-week

Overview: Truss has experience at left tackle, left guard, and right guard. His background as a tackle is reflected in his build, which features long, powerful arms. Truss has a massive, thick upper body and room to fill his lower half. Georgia rotated him and Devin Willock at left guard this past season. It was the former four-star recruit’s first time taking significant snaps at the position. It’s easy to see that Truss was a first-year starter with minimal experience in his role in 2022. He was inconsistent week-to-week, and the story of his draft profile is a tale of two tapes. Truss wiped the floor against teams like Oregon (his first game as a starting left guard) before struggling to string together positive reps a few weeks later against South Carolina. Hopefully one more season will help the Rhode Island native develop into a more consistent player. Truss is quick out of his stance. His hands are aggressive, powerful, and pack plenty of pop. He plays with a nice pad level for a player his size and displays ideal grip strength. His anchor is strong enough to hold up against power rushes. Truss is a nasty blocker who looks for extra work. He has the power to finish players to the ground in the run game like he did against South Carolina’s Zacch Pickens in 2022. He easily seals defenders or washes them out of plays. Truss has enough mobility to execute short pulls and handle some lead blocking duties. The former four-star recruit’s awareness of potential threats is still subpar despite his effort to scan the field. He freezes when faced with two rushers and needs to speed up his mental processing. Truss doesn’t maximize his arm length and allows defenders into his chest, which forces his pad level up. The guard’s hand placement is inconsistent, and he needs to try countering the defender’s hands more often. He doesn’t have the lateral mobility or foot speed to play on an island at tackle. Zacch Pickens’s (2022) agility and hand counters caused problems for Truss. The former tackle lacks the agility to mirror defenders in space consistently. He occasionally gets too far over his toes in the run game and loses his balance or falls off blocks.

Overall, Truss has the frame and power to develop into a top 100 pick during his second season as a starting guard, but he’s still refining his hand usage, awareness, and balance. More experience could be the answer for Truss correcting some of his technical flaws. Truss will likely fall to the fifth round if more reps don’t help him develop.

Role & Scheme Fit: Left guard in gap or power run scheme

Round Projection: Fourth Round

Size: 6'7", 320 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 04-05-23