2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech

Christian Darrisaw is an interesting Day 3 developmental project at offensive line. Would the Giants roll the dice on him?

OT CHRISTIAN DARRISAW  

Height: 6'5"
Weight: 314 lbs.
Class: Junior
School: Virginia Tech  

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A three-star recruit who briefly played football at Fork Union Military Academy after not receiving as much interest coming out of Riverdale Baptist High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Darrisaw started his first year on campus for the Hokies and has played in 2,320 snaps at left tackle.

Had a very efficient and successful 2020 season after being a bit average in his previous two years; the Virginia Tech offense was much more run-centric in 2020, which may lead to questions about his consistency with pro pass sets and being left on an island. He was a Second Team All-American in 2020 while finishing First Team All ACC.

Although the offense may have assisted his play, Darrisaw only gave up six pressures and 0 sacks in 2020. In his other two seasons, he surrendered 35 pressures and seven sacks. He has the upside to step in and start day one for an NFL team at left tackle, but he’s not a finished product.

Notables

He missed a game in 2020 due to a groin injury.

Traits

A tall, long, thick tackle with a low stance on the line of scrimmage. He possesses solid overall foot quickness, change of direction ability, fluidity in his lower half, and burst, albeit he’s a bit patient as a blocker, sometimes too patient. He doesn’t allow his center of gravity and pad level to rise despite his height.

He does play with good balance and body control through reps while engaging his active hands. Great with his inside hand while run blocking; uses superior grip strength to latch and steer, showing good core strength and lower body drive on the play side of stretch or outside zone.

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He is effective coming downhill on 4i-techniques and paving the way for his running backs on down blocks; he has shown the ability to kick out and is solid at locating second-level defenders. He uses good tempo and timing to cut angles off and challenge defenders in space. His control and solid athletic ability come in handy on the second level--not as effective as a Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater in this area, but he still gets the job done.

He does well on the backside of run and pass plays to cut defenders at the knees. It is instantaneous and quick to fall while delivering a powerful blow with good hit location. He does well with his angles and uses his hands solidly to control. I just wish he was more consistent with finishing blocks--there were times where he didn’t play through the whistle, and it was frustrating to see.

He has the agility and the bend to kick out into space and locate wide rushers, albeit he does open his hips a bit too early for my liking--not as bad as Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood. He is patient with his punch, but if he gets his hands inside, he can control and not allow rushers to use their counter moves. He does seem disinterested at times which isn’t ideal, and his hand technique, placement, and even pop aren’t as sharp as they usually tend to be.

Anchor is very good, and he doesn’t suffer against power rushes, although he doesn’t use his length consistently enough. He lets defenders into his frame too often, resulting in good rushers engaging their counter moves and separating from Darrisaw at the next level. Displayed solid eye discipline and was smooth with his transitions.

Overall, Darrisaw has the hand pop, athletic ability, and frame to succeed in the NFL as a starting left tackle. There are frustrating elements to his game, especially his knack for not finishing blocks through the whistle, but I can see why a team will like him, especially if he falls into day two. His technique also must become more consistent for him to scratch the high upside that his skill-set can realistically reach.

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