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| Sports Illustrated |
T, Iowa
Rankings
NFLDraftScout: #8 player overall, #1 tackle. First-round grade.
Nawrocki: #9 player overall, #1 tackle. Grade: 6.52, sure-fire first-rounder who should make an immediate impact.
Mayock: TBA
Kiper: TBA
Draft Countdown: #5 player overall, #1 tackle. First-round grade.
Sports Illustrated: #8 player overall, #1 tackle.
Scouts Inc: #7 player overall, #1 tackle. Grade: 93, rare prospect.
Biography/Honors
2014: Outland Trophy winner (best lineman in the nation) and unanimous first team all-America. Won what should be called just the Pace Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the Big "Ten". First team all-Big "Ten". Was voted team MVP and permanent team captain. Started all 13 games at left tackle. Iowa had 400+ yards total offense in at least eight games and ran for over 300 against Illinois.
2013: First team all-Big "Ten". Started all 13 games at left tackle. Voted team's most valuable offensive player.
2012: Started 7 games at left tackle.
2011: Appeared in 10 games, starting 3, all at left guard.
2010: Redshirted.
Academics: Graduated with degree in leisure studies.
Twitter: @bscherff68
Injuries
2015: Pulled right hamstring running the 40 at the NFL Combine. Did not participate in any other on-field activities.
2014: Injured knee against Ball State but "had a procedure" on it the next day and did not miss the next game.
2012: Missed last five games due to a fractured right leg (fibula) and dislocated ankle. Started 2013 season on time with no issues.
2011: Missed two games due to stingers.
NFL Combine Stats
(2015 averages for tackles in parentheses)
40-yard dash: 5.05 (3rd-fastest time at tackle. Average was 5.27)
10-yard split: 1.80
Vertical*: 32.5" (would have tied him for 2nd at Combine. Average was 29")
Broad*: 8'11" (8'6")
3-cone*: 7.18 (would have been fastest tackle at Combine. Average was 7.86)
Shuttle*: 4.57 (4.70)
Bench: 23 (25)
* Pro day times. Brandon did not do these drills at the Combine due to a hamstring pull running the 40.
Scouting Report
Pluses: A born superathlete. Extremely powerful hips and lower body. Has very sturdy frame and huge hands, biggest at the Combine. Dominating run blocker known for nasty finishes. Will knock defenders on their butts or drive them clear to the sideline. Plays with excellent technique. Stance, balance, movement and punch are all textbook. Nice handwork, can knock a defender's hands down and then knock him down. Consistently gets push and rarely lets defenders set the edge. Very good pull blocker who takes good angles and locates his targets well. Excellent player in space, gets out well to second and third levels. Outstanding character on and off the field and has more than enough football IQ to learn a complex playbook. Good at recognizing line games and delayed blitzes. Can play in any blocking scheme. Comes from a program with a history of producing quality NFL linemen, especially guards. Team strength coach called him the most explosive player he's seen in 16 years there. Regarded as the best and toughest o-lineman in the draft by many scouts. Nawrocki believes he can be a Pro Bowl guard as a rookie. One of the best run-blockers to come out of college in a long time. Can't-miss pick.
Minuses: Shorter-than-ideal arm length may kick him inside to guard full-time in the NFL. May not have quick enough feet to keep up with NFL speed rushers. His lateral movement will also be a weakness in pass pro. Struggles at times to get outside and get leverage. Sets too high when pass protecting. Lets defenders get into him. Overreliant on his upper body strength at times. Has some lower body stiffness. Injury history is a concern.
Compares to: Scherff is very commonly compared to Zack Martin, which is much better than Sports Illustrated's unfortunate choice of Jake Long.
Fun Facts
Too bad Brandon isn't a more versatile athlete. Besides the sterling college football career, he was a two-way player in high school, playing offensive line, defensive line, receiver and (280-lb) QB. He also lettered in basketball (averaged a double-double). And he also pitched for the baseball team, clocking an 85-mph fastball. And won a state championship in the shot put and came in fifth in discus. Oh, and he also played tennis. Who wouldn't pay to watch a 320-pound dude play tennis?
RamView
Like the other 31 teams, the Rams love versatile offensive linemen, and as a top-quality guard who can credibly kick out to tackle in the NFL, Scherff would likely be on top of their o-lineman list. If he's even on the list. That's the big mystery right now - have the Rams met with Scherff, like they've met with most of the players they've drafted in the Jeff Fisher era? I'll bet we find out he paid a visit to Rams Park sometime after the Rams draft him at #10 to start at RG and really enhance the Rams' nastiness up front. Scherff's a perfect fit for what the Rams want to do. His injury history concerns me a lot, though, so I'd lean more toward Andrus Peat's clean medical record and superior footwork and quickness.
Sources: Iowa Athletics, NFL.com
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