NFL Draft Profile: Ben Petrula, Offensive Guard, Boston College Eagles

NFL Draft profile scouting report for Boston College offensive guard, Ben Petrula

---

#64
Pos: OG
Ht: 6047v
Wt: 318v
Hand: 1000v
Arm: 3378v
Wing: 8048v
DOB: 5/04/99
Eligible: 2022
Freehold, NJ
St. Peters Prep

Ben Petrula
Boston College Eagles

---

Pros: 

Pulido: Petrula is a large player with power to him that can make him a solid backup in the right scheme. He is really good at zone blocking when not asked to continue to the next level. He has some nice strength to him that can allow him to move big defenders well. When he gets his hands in proper position he can move defenders with ease. His hulking frame allows him to take up a lot of space. Petrula has an excellent reach block that consistently gets the defender where he wants him. Played tackle for a portion of his career so could potentially get you out of a game there. Has Also played center and could get you out of the game there.

Herauf: Petrula is the ideal offensive lineman in terms of versatility and durability. He has played everywhere along the offensive line, including as center in 2017, right tackle in 2018 and 2019 and right guard during the 2020 season. Petrula’s durability is another plus on his chart, being a four-year starter. He has great size and strength playing inside. Petrula is excellent in a zone-blocking scheme and has a strong base in pass protection, not allowing interior defenders to get inside and disrupting plays. Petrula has only allowed six sacks over his career at Boston College.

Cons: 

Pulido: Petrula has trouble with his pad levels constantly getting too high. He also has poor hand usage constantly getting blown by with an inability to get proper hand position. Petrula is slow and it shows, having trouble keeping up against players with speed concerns themselves. Petrula lacks the athleticism to consistently get to the next level and take defenders out of the play. He also displays poor balance and is constantly on the ground during plays. His anchor is poor due to his poor knee flexibility.

Herauf: While he is strong in pass protection, Petrula does need some work when it comes to hand placement and keeping up with the defenders. Petrula lacks the speed and athleticism to keep up with faster defensive linemen and could struggle at the next level as a tackle. He will struggle with pushing defenders to the next level even with the strength he possesses.

Summary: 

Pulido: Ben Petrula is a reliable offensive linemen with position versatility that should make him a player that will stick around in the league. Having played all center, guard and tackle, he will bring a high-end backup-type role to the league. Petrula is a hard-working player who does well in situations where he isn’t relied on alone. In certain zone schemes where he isn’t asked to travel to the 2nd level often, Petrula can be a player with value in the NFL.

Herauf: Petrula can be a viable option playing backup anywhere along the offensive line. He has the versatility to play anywhere but does need to work on getting stronger if he wants to play tackle at the next level. As a center or a guard, he could blossom into an average starter in the correct NFL scheme.

Background: 

Benjamin Joseph Petrula. Son of Michael and Kimberly Petrula. Enrolled in the Carroll School of Management as a finance major. Has two brothers. Recipient of The Fish Cornerstone Scholarship Fund. Former right tackle for Boston College that kicked inside. He has also played center for the Golden Eagles. His Twitter handle is @BenPetrula. Former three-star recruit from New Jersey that chose Boston College over Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Rutgers. No known off the field issues or character concerns. All ACC 2nd team in 2019 and has been a reliable and healthy starter for Boston College since his Freshman year. Two-year starter on the offensive line for head coach Rich Hansen at St. Peter’s Prep. No. 11 prospect in New Jersey and the No. 1 guard in the state according to ESPN. Third-best guard in the Garden State and rated as the nation’s 65th-best guard by Scout.com. Rated the eighth-best guard in the East by Scout.com. Listed as the No. 26 guard nationally and the No. 14 prospect in New Jersey by Rivals.com. NJ.com first-team all-state offensive selection as a senior and second-team all-state performer as a junior. NJ.com All-Non Public first-team selection following his junior and senior seasons. Helped pave the way for a Prep offense that gained nearly 3,000 yards rushing during his senior campaign. Rated the No. 11 player in New Jersey by NJ.com. Led St. Peter’s Prep to the Non-Public Group 4 state final.

---

One-Liners

Pulido: Ben Petrula can be a coveted backup in the league in a zone-blocking scheme that does not force him to block at the second level consistently and gives him help in pass protection.

Herauf: Petrula has the versatility and durability to play anywhere along the offensive line and can blossom into an NFL starter in the right NFL scheme.

Grades

Current Player Value/Potential Player Value

Pulido: 6.4 / 7.5

Herauf: 7.0 / 7.9