There was a lot of excitement about the Bucs 2024 draft class. Much of that excitement comes from the team’s investment in the offensive line.
First-round pick Graham Burton has a chance to become the team’s starting center.But Tampa Bay too Elijah Klein, a little-known guard drafted. Lost to the University of Texas at El Paso in the 6th round.
Immediately after his selection, Klein received high praise from some of the best public offensive line evaluators, including Duke Manyweather and Brandon Thorne.
Draft sleeper:
Elijah Klein – UTEP
— Duke Manyweather (@BigDuke50) April 16, 2024
Tampa Bay struggled at left guard last season, and some fans were calling for Klein to be given a chance to start right away. However, putting him in the starting lineup likely isn’t the best path forward for the 2024 offense/offensive line or for his development.
There’s a reason Manyweather and Thorne liked this nomination. In the 6th round. But if Tampa Bay had selected him early on the first or second day, when players expected to start are selected, many would have selected him. do not have I’m equally excited about this choice. That’s because he needs time to work on different aspects of his game before he can be relied upon.
Elijah Klein’s strengths on tape
Elijah Klein didn’t test very well in general measurements, but he moved surprisingly well in agility training.
Elijah Klein was selected in the sixth round, No. 220, in the 2024 draft class.he scored 5.60 #RAS 10.00 whenever possible. This ranked him 697th out of 1583 OGs from 1987 to 2024. pic.twitter.com/REVQCFea2o
— Kent Lee Pratt (@MathBomb) April 27, 2024
Bucks G Elijah Klein – Photo courtesy of UTEP
The big barrel-chested lineman glides when he moves laterally, which makes me think he might have some dancing chops. In the clip below, you can see him shuffling and pulling behind the rest of the line. It’s not your typical lineman drop, turn, run. He effortlessly slid in the opposite direction of the rest of the line, keeping his frame facing the defense.
The team must have fallen in love with Klein’s mentality and tenacity. One of his better indicators of those qualities is what he does when a lineman fails to complete his primary blocking assignment. Well, he wants to find someone… someone he can push down.
New Bucs OG Elijah Klein is always looking for someone to block/hit. pic.twitter.com/mLKSrHgiCQ
— Joshua Quaipo (@josh_queipo) May 11, 2024
Finally, Klein has shown that his large frame comes with true playing strength, as he can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone from a playing strength standpoint.
Klein moves 3t backwards. pic.twitter.com/F4Sq1v0OmO
— Joshua Quaipo (@josh_queipo) May 11, 2024
All these strengths are that he is a strong run blocker with good movement, the right mentality and can hold up at the point of attack against the strongest opponents, which gives the idea that he can jump in and contribute right away. Masu. However, there are limitations to his current game that will be exploited in the professional game.
Bucs need to work with Elijah Klein in pass pro
Bucks G Elijah Klein – Photo courtesy of UTEP
Elijah Klein still has a lot to work on as he makes the jump from Conference USA to the NFL. Despite his impressive 93.5 pass block grade; pro football focus He’s going to have to grow as a pass blocker last year. This includes easily cutting off quick pass rushers from crossing his face. This was one of the areas where he would get into the most trouble, as he would often end up chasing defenders who had already found their line to the quarterback.
Similarly, he wasn’t the best at picking up loopers in stunts. He will need to work with Tampa Bay’s offensive coaches to better identify these defensive games and better cover the gaps Looper is trying to fill.
Finally, the Bucks need to work with Klein to become more consistent in his stance on pass sets. There are snaps where he pops out quickly and can sneak into his chest quickly to surprise defenders. But there are other snaps where he can delay his first pop even further and the opposite happens.
These are all areas that will take time and repetition to improve. And until Klein and his coaches spend that time and do that repetition, getting him on the field right away will be a steep and painful learning curve.
