The 2021 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 29 and runs though Saturday, May 1, and Mizzou is expecting to have multiple players hear their names called at some point throughout the extended weekend. The list of Tigers expected to be selected at some point in the draft includes: linebacker Nick Bolton, offensive lineman Larry Borom, running back Larry Rountree III, safety Tyree Gillespie and defensive back Joshuah Bledsoe. Wide receivers Damon Hazelton, Johnathon Johnson and Jonathan Nance could also find their way into an NFL Training camp.
Rock M Nation is taking a deep dive into each player’s NFL Draft stock breaking down strengths, weaknesses and potential team fit.
Today we’re breaking down Mizzou Offensive Lineman, Larry Borom.
Profile:
Name: Larry Borom
Position: Offensive Line
Age: 21 (3/30/1999)
Height: 6-4.75
Weight: 322 pounds
Arm Length: 33 1/8”
Hand Length: 10 3/8”
Wing Span: 80”
Draft Projection: Day 3 to Undrafted
Drafted: 5th Round, 7th pick - Chicago Bears
Pro Day Measurables:
40-yard dash: 5.15
Bench press (225 pounds): 21 reps
Vertical jump: 31”
Broad jump: 8-58
Three-cone drill: 8.04
20-yard shuttle: 2.96
Player Comparison: Bobby Hart, Buffalo Bills
College Statistics:
Games Played: 25 Games
College Accolades:
- Started 19 games in collegiate career
- According to PFF, graded out as Missouri’s best offensive lineman in 2020 (87.0)
Overview:
Coming out of high school, Borom was labeled as a bit of a mauler who struggled a bit with his body. He came into Missouri at just under 340 pounds, and needed to convert some of that weight from fat to muscle, and he has certainly made some large strides in that department. He weighed in at 322 recently, and there’s a lot more muscle on his frame than previously before. It makes me believe that there’s more room to grow in that department once he’s in a NFL strength program.
On the field at Missouri, Borom lived up to that role of a mauler. He was a consistent force when blocking against the run. He possess above average hand usage, and if he can hook into you... It’s going to be a problem. Where he exceeded expectations the most, was in pass protection. The athletic skills had always been there, but after an up and down sophomore year, he really honed into that flaw to make it into a strength in his final year at Missouri. In his final year at Mizzou, he had 324 snaps in pass protection and only gave up two hurries. For context, he gave up 15 hurries on 412 snaps the year prior.
Borom is in kind of a tricky situation. He has collegiate experience at both guard and tackle, was quite good in his last year, but there are questions about his athletic ability at the next level. There are quite a few scouts that seem to believe he’s going to struggle as a tackle due to his lack of quickness, and they very well may be right, but I wouldn’t be so quick to move him to a guard position. He has solid footwork, good hand placement and the right mentality that every offensive lineman needs. He’s probably going to be a fringe draft prospect, but if he can find a roster or practice squad that will let him develop a little bit, you could be looking at a fringe starter which would be nice value for where he’s projected to go.
What scouts and analysts are saying about Borom:
From Lance Zierling, at NFL.com
Borom’s mobility will be judged relative to his position ask by NFL teams. While some teams might be tempted to try him at tackle first, he doesn’t appear to have functional lateral movement for pass sets or as a run blocker. If a team can fix his hand placement and get him working inside opponents’ frames, we could see a jump in his block sustain and push as a downhill, phone-booth blocker in a power scheme. He creates some movement as a down blocker and teams are usually willing to spend time developing bigger guards with experience at tackle on the collegiate level.
Larry Borom projects as a fringe NFL offensive lineman. Borom, who leaves Missouri as a multi-year starter who has logged reps at both tackle and on the interior, does not inspire a great deal of enthusiasm with his functional athleticism and range as a blocker. But with his stature and strong hands, Borom feels destined to gather a look somewhere in the NFL due to some of the more uncoachable dynamics at play with his game. The big question for him is how much untapped potential he can provide an NFL franchise. If a team comes away convinced they can tap into more functional athleticism, he may surprise with his draft stock. But based on the film, he’ll be challenged to secure a 53-man roster role in the league.
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