Mitch Petrus

Here's the NFL Draft Scout report on 6-foot-3, 310-pound Arkansas guard Mitch Petrus. Note the red flag caused by his 2008 suspension for academic problems and the fact that he'll struggle against powerful defensive tackles. Could be a project, but there's no rush considering the Giants already have experience at guard in Rich Seubert, Chris Snee, Kevin Boothe, and possibly David Diehl if they move Diehl inside for Will Beatty.

He's had an interesting college career. No major colleges recruited him, so he walked on at Arkansas. Coaches finally gave him a varsity uniform after seeing his relentless motor, but he was all over the place in 2005, playing on kick coverage, tight end, and guard. He even played some fullback for 14 games in 2006, becoming one of Nebraska's best blockers out of the backfield.

Pass blocking: Rare overall athleticism for the position. Can mirror the pass rusher due to his balance and lateral agility. Is improving hand punch and upper-body strength. Quicker, more powerful hands as a senior. Natural knee bend and balance help him anchor surprisingly well for his lack of bulk, but this is an area of concern. Will struggle against powerful DTs' bull rushes.

Run blocking: Needs to add strength, especially in his lower body, to be a drive blocker. Relies on turning the defender away from the hole and sealing him off, as he struggles to physically uproot the defender. Marginal hand placement and will allow his hands to get outside the frame as a run blocker.

Pulling/trapping: Best attribute might be his quickness and agility to pull and get to the second level as a run blocker. Good straight-line speed to get around the tackle and out into the open field. Can break down and adjust on the fly to hit the moving target.

Initial Quickness: Good-to-very good quickness off the snap. Often the first off the line of scrimmage and gets good initial movement as a run blocker.

Downfield: Good effort to block downfield. Not a dominator, but consistently gets to the next level to block linebackers and even defensive backs.

Intangibles: Suspended for the 2008 season due to academics. Allowed to practice with the team last season despite the suspension and had time to acclimate to the new offense. Spent some of his time learning to box, improving his hand speed and strength. Impressed with his ability to adjust from the run-heavy offense Houston Nutt used to the pass-heavy attack favored by Bobby Petrino. Looks lighter on film than listed. Some feel he is maxed out at this weight and doesn't have the frame to add the weight and strength to be an effective guard in the NFL. NFL

Comparison: Eric Steinbach.

EP