Maurkice Pouncey NFL Draft scouting report

Maurkice Pouncey

6'4 1/8, 304 pounds | Center | Florida

Awareness/Reaction: Even though Florida ran a true spread offense, Pouncey showed he can block on power and finesse plays. He's a very experienced player who started since his true freshman year at Florida. Doesn't get thrown off by defensive line shifts or when linebackers show inside pressure pre-snap. Made all the calls for the Florida offensive line.

Balance: Maintain an excellent base against defensive linemen who are equal to or less powerful than him. Doesn't let linemen get under his pads often. However, stronger nose tackles have given him problems in the past.

Initial quickness: Fires off the snap incredibly quickly. Sets with ease and doesn't take false steps in his setup. Gets his hands moving immediately and doesn't give up much to linemen.

Movement/Space: Wasn't required to move around a lot in the Gators' line scheme. Based on his combination of quickness and awareness, Pouncey shouldn't have a problem in this area, though. When he's help blocking, Pouncey doesn't get in the way of a teammate, and is a great complimentary piece.

Pass Blocking:  Pouncey moves really well on his feet and shows good agility in pass protection. Properly knows how to shuffle his feet to mirror defenders. Sometimes he gets out so quickly that he lunges, particularly when a defender is coming from the second level. Needs to do a better job of always extending his arms since they're shorter than desired.

Run Blocking: Shows great hand placement in run blocking. Really gets inside of opponents. Really excels with combo blocking. Can be overpowered by strong nose tackles – see the Tennessee game in 2009. Could do a better job of finishing off his blocks. Showed his worth run blocking as a guard his freshman season.

Size: Has good height and a solid build. Isn't just a big fat offensive lineman. Has a fairly athletic frame with plenty of room to grow, if needed. Arms aren't especially long, which is one of his biggest negatives.

Strength: Possesses solid strength for a center, but could get stronger. Doesn't have much of a pop in run blocking and won't knock many defenders around.

Technique: Pouncey's hand use is outstanding. He uses his hands to maintain position and anchor. Sometimes he gets too high in his stance and strong defensive linemen can push him around. Has a slight tendency to lunge block at moving defenders. Snapped out of the shotgun a majority of the time and may need to develop more on his snap technique.

Final word: Pouncey is far and away the best center prospect in this year's draft. He started 39 games in three seasons for Florida, playing in 41 total. For his efforts, he was named an All-American and the winner of the Rimington Award in 2009.

Pouncey's best asset is his quickness and athleticism. He gets out of his stance smoothly and sets up nicely. A few tweaks here or there and Pouncey should be solid 10-year starter in the NFL.