Cleveland Browns: Comprehensive 2018 NFL Draft review
By Peter Smith
Austin Corbett, OL – Nevada
After a night to think about it, the Browns took Austin Corbett with the first pick of the second round, grabbing another lineman out of the University of Nevada to go with Joel Bitonio. It seems like the Browns want him to be their left tackle, but they’ve at least conceded the possibility that he could end up at guard.
Athletic Profile
Age: 22 year old (Born Sept. 5, 1995)
Height: 6-4.375
Weight: 306 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 5.15s
Broad Jump: 8’10″
Vertical: 28″
3-Cone: 7.71s
Shuttle: 4.5s
Bench: 19 reps
Corbett is a good athlete, but not an elite one. He’s got all the tools to be a Pro Bowl center or guard if he ends up at one of those spots. He can play tackle as well, though one of the better indicators for offensive tackle success is actually height. And while not exactly short, Corbert is shorter than preferable for that particular spot.
Just from a sheer physical appearance standpoint, Corbett is well put together and has a lot of ballast, which is what teams want in their offensive linemen.
Game Tape
Corbett is really disciplined in trusting his technique, strong at the point of attack and when he gets hands on, he shuts down the opponent. He shows good balance, body control and doesn’t panic, so he’s rarely in a bad position when he blocks the opponent.
As a run blocker, Corbett is powerful run blocker that plays with an attitude and looks to finish opponents whenever possible. In fact, even in pass protection, Corbett will try to take guys down when able. But he does it while maintaining his balance and keeping his body control, so he will finish guys without risking losing the block. In other words, he’s not reckless.
Corbett does a good job of getting his hips involved to generate his power, he stays balanced, avoids getting too far forward, so he can stay with blocks or come off of one block to make another. He really likes to be able to turn the opponent, so they can’t really impact the play and then just drive them out of the way.
In terms of pass protection, it seems like Corbett could improve his stance to maximize how he’s able to get out in pass pro. It also appears that when he makes his first step post snap, he’s not getting the most of his power from his right leg. If he does, it could get him out faster and help him deal more effectively with speed rushers trying to get up the field on him.
He is patient in pass protection, but if a guy gets too close to him without engaging, Corbett will be aggressive, step up and dictate the action, take control of the play and usually win. Corbett doesn’t panic, always seems to have a plan and knows how to execute it.
Speed rushes occasionally give Corbett problems, but he’s effective when taking on bull rushers, inside moves and stunts. His angles in pass protection are solid, so he does get the most out of his athleticism once he’s on his path.
Fit, Usage and Projection with the Browns
The indication from the Brown is that Corbett will get his shot to be a left tackle first, competing with Shon Coleman to take over the spot manned by Joe Thomas for the past decade. Corbett at left tackle would give the Browns a strong run blocking presence at the position and a potentially imposing left side.
The question for Corbett is will his lack of length at the position hold him from being a tackle. Both he and Coleman are shorter than ideal. Speed rushes on the college level could give him problems, so can he adjust in the NFL? The Browns will be able to find out in a hurry having him go against Myles Garrett in practice.
If Coleman beats Corbett out, Corbett becomes a valuable depth as he can play four, potentially even five spots on the offensive line. The Browns have resisted the idea of talking about him at center, but it’s incredible valuable to have multiple players that can snap. Having dedicated backup centers isn’t the greatest use of roster space on gameday.
Corbett is not the prototype for left tackle. If he can improve his stance and get more initial power out of his first step, particularly going to his left, it will improve his mobility and enable him to be a successful offensive tackle. He can also be a quality guard or center and he could ultimately be the guy who takes over for Kevin Zeitler in a couple years at right guard. Corbett may not start this year and that may frustrate fans, but that’s more of a product of the roster’s overall improvement than anything. When he ultimately plays, he could be a very good tackle or potentially a Pro Bowl interior player.