Preaseason Player Profiles: Chance Warmack

Chance Warmack

Guard

6’3” 320 lbs.

Alabama

-When you have are on a team with an elite running back, arguably the best defense in the last decade, and two very good offensive tackles it is easy to be overlooked at left guard. That is exactly what has happened with Chance Warmack, possibly the best offensive lineman on the Crimson Tide roster.

-He has great body control for such a big guy. When Alabama gave Richardson/Lacey “zone” plays, Warmack did a good job sliding in front of defenders and turning on a dime to wall them off. Also, when he goes against bigger defensive tackles they try to jerk him out of their way, but he does such a good job keeping his balance that they usually end up overextended and they are easily blocked.

-He is quick enough to “short-pull” meaning he can trap a 1/3-technique, but he doesn’t have elite agility like David Decastro where he can “long-pull” on power plays and screens consistently.

-Great combo blocker. He has the agility to knife his 320 lb. body through the traffic to get to the LB, and he has the strength to push the center off his block to let him know to move up to the next level.

-He is nasty in the run game. Whenever there is a pile up or congestion, you can see him pushing his assignment over the pile or driving him into the ground.

-Does a very good job extending his arms. Too many offensive linemen allow defenders to get into their bodies and drive them, but Warmack does a good job continually pushing defenders.

-Defensive linemen with counter-moves struggle to get anything done against Warmack because he is just so strong. He redirects their momentum and has the ability to keep the smaller opponents away with one arm if he can’t get his body turned quick enough.

-I didn’t talk about it enough, but Warmack is an all-around stud. He doesn’t have the elite frame and agility that David Decastro had, but he is comparable as a run blocker (keep in mind that he is going against much better competition than Decastro had to face.). In the passing game he does everything you want a guard to do, he keeps his feet moving, he squares up defenders, he stops momentum and most importantly if he doesn’t have anyone rushing his gap he isn’t afraid to help another lineman block their assignment. All in all Warmack is a very good prospect and he will likely earn a borderline first round grade in 2012. In last year’s draft with his tape I probably would have had him 2A tied with Kevin Zeitler from Wisconsin.