NFL Draft Preview 2023: UCLA Football Offensive Guard Jon Gaines II

An impressive showing at the NFL Scouting Combine put the veteran Bruin on the map, setting him up to get picked as high as the middle rounds.

The NFL Draft is taking place in Kansas City this weekend, and a handful of Bruins are set to hear their names called.

UCLA football has 15 former players in the pool of potential future pros, which is one more than the team sent to Las Vegas last year. Only six Bruins were drafted from coach Chip Kelly's first three teams in Westwood, but six wound up getting drafted in 2022 alone.

This year's draft class could be just as UCLA-heavy, with even more prospects who made waves in blue and gold now on the board in 2023.

All Bruins is breaking down scouting reports, stats and predictions for the biggest names who could go the highest, with offensive guard Jon Gaines II next on the slate.

April 20 – RB Zach Charbonnet
April 21 – QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Stats

2018: 1 GP

2019: 12 GP, 1 start

2020: 7 GP, 4 starts

2021: 12 GP, 12 starts

2022: 13 GP, 13 starts (All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention)

Measurements

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 303 pounds

Arms: 33 5/8 inches

Hands: 10 1/8 inches

40-Yard Dash: 5.01 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.73 seconds

Bench Press: N/A

Vertical Jump: 32.5 inches

Broad Jump: 9-foot-6

3-Cone Drill: 7.31 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.45 seconds

What The Experts Are Saying

Dane Brugler, The Athletic: "Gaines is a rangy run blocker with the big-man fluidity to execute both short and long pulls. He is quick in his setup as a pass blocker to position himself against defenders, but his hands tend to wander, and his lunges create softened edges. Overall, Gaines’ inconsistent technique is a gateway to strength and balance breakdowns midrep, but his length, foot quickness and mental capacity give him intriguing upside. His position-versatile experience should help him find an NFL home as an interior backup. 

Lance Zierlien, NFL.com: "Move-blocking guard whose athleticism doesn’t guarantee consistent body control or balance in his play. Gaines is highly intelligent with a clear understanding of his duties on every snap. His hand placement can be a little sloppy, which diminishes his block sustain in the run game. While Gaines moves well as a run blocker, he struggles to stay under control and in front of opponents while mirroring. Gaines has the mental makeup coaches will like, but he needs to upgrade his protection technique and improve his core strength. He has backup guard/center potential."

Tommy Garrett, Pro Football Network: "Gaines is a nice-sized offensive lineman with growth potential who turned in an outstanding Combine workout. He displays that athleticism on the field, yet he needs to refine his game. He offers possibilities as both a zone blocker and power-gap lineman. If Gaines continues to develop, he could be a starting guard a year or two down the road."

Brandon Thorn, Bleacher Report: "Overall, Gaines is a very athletic, effective move blocker who can track, connect and steer smaller targets away from rush lanes and stay in front of speed moves in pass-protection, but his narrow, angular build and upright playing style with mediocre power make it difficult for him to hold the point and control bigger, hulking defensive linemen. Gaines is a worthy end-of-the-draft flier or priority free agent to add as competition at center."

Rankings

The Athletic: OG 10, No. 156 overall

Sports Illustrated: IOL 16, No. 179 overall

CBS Sports: OG 20, No. 231 overall

Prediction

In the modern NFL, having dynamic offensive linemen is a must. Gaines isn't likely to be part of many teams' rotations up front right off the bat, but his athleticism has made him a coveted prospect regardless.

Gaines has experience at center, right guard, left guard and right tackle over the course of his five seasons at UCLA, and that was before he blew up at the NFL Scouting Combine. At pretty solid size for a guard, Gaines proved to be quicker, shiftier and more dynamic than basically every other prospect at his position.

That helped Gaines go from an NFL Draft afterthought to a late round mock draft darling, and he immediately stands out as a good fit with any team that relies heavily on a zone run scheme.

Gaines has been tied to the Cleveland Browns a lot in the past few weeks, and there may not be a better on-paper fit out there for the now-former Bruin. Coach Kevin Stefanski has a run-heavy playbook, and his approach is predicated on getting players into space instead of matching blockers up directly with defenders.

That would work right into Gaines' strengths, and it's the kind of offense he thrived at UCLA under coach Chip Kelly.

Other teams like the San Francisco 49ers, the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers would be good fits for similar reasons, and they may pounce on Gaines if he's on the board for them anywhere in the late fifth to mid-sixth round range.

Jon Gaines II: Cleveland Browns, No. 190 overall (Round 6)

Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @FN_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @FN.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube

Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated