With the Ohio State players making their final decisions to head to the NFL Draft or return to play for the Buckeyes, we start looking at those who declared for the next level. We will break down each player eligible for the NFL draft and see what their pros and cons are. So, basically we are going to scout the Buckeyes from the inside.
The first name on the list is Trey Sermon. Sermon left the national championship game with an apparent shoulder injury and did not return. The injury does not appear to be serious enough to jeopardize his career, however, with a shoulder and a past knee injury, medicals for NFL teams will be crucial. I do not think these injuries will drop Sermon in the draft much unless the medical reports have some issues we simply did not hear about.
Pros for Trey Sermon…
Trey Sermon positives for the NFL Draft…
RSP Film Room #OhioState RB Trey Sermon's Advanced Movement Skills by @MattWaldman https://t.co/ovH0RilUZj pic.twitter.com/KwAljT6lKx
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) January 21, 2021
Trey Sermon is a zone scheme, one cut style running back that looks to be an early-down back at the next level. He does well when gaps open and he can plant his foot and turn upfield. He has good vision and sees backdoor gaps open well. Once Sermon hits the hole, he squares his shoulders quickly and looks to lateral step or take on a tackler. Since Sermon is a slightly less dynamic and more physical finisher, much more than a lateral step and his acceleration can allow defenders to get behind him. He has enough speed to break off bigger runs once he gets and stay at top speed. At the next level, he might need to weave through more traffic than college.
The stiff arm and ability to bounce off of defenders is one of Trey Sermon’s biggest assets. He has a violent and strong stiff-arm, and while he isn’t as shifty as some running backs, his power can work against defenders not ready to take him head-on. He consistently looks for extra yards through contact and rarely takes a loss on a play. He has exceptional ball security which will help his draft stock.
In blitz pickup, Sermon is willing and solid, but needs to work on some minor technique fixes. He does well to recognize the blitz and steps into the gap and sets himself to take on the blitz. I think larger linebackers may be an issue early for him, but once he gets comfortable he should be good.
Cons for Trey Sermon…
Trey Sermon cons for the NFL Draft…
What. A. Catch. By Trey Sermon. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/COlip7peFG
— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) November 4, 2017
Trey Sermon was not used a lot as a receiver out of the backfield, so his routes are not crisp and at times he appeared a little uncomfortable. He has made some good catches and follow-on runs, but is still a little raw in this area. He does give the quarterback a good target and has shown a natural ability to use his hands and not trap the ball on the catch. This is not the biggest knock, but at the next level teams will want to know what kind of receiver he is out of the backfield.
In the pros section, we spoke to Sermons acceleration. When teams were able to stay in gap assignments and had solid run fits, Sermon is not the type of running back to make defenders miss and create a ton of extra yards on his own. He makes up for some of these issues by his punishing style to finish runs, but at the next level, he will do better with a scheme that focuses on a zone blocking culture.
Sermon is a solid tier two or three running back in this year’s draft and should go in the early to middle rounds. He offers enough explosiveness and a punishing style that teams will love. A team could fall in love with his late-season push and take a flyer on him even earlier.
Ohio State football player 2021 NFL draft declaration tracker
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