Vederian Lowe NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Illinois OT

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HEIGHT: 6’4 5/8″

WEIGHT: 314

HAND: 10 3/8″

ARM: 35 3/8″

WINGSPAN: 6’11 7/8″

40-YARD DASH: 5.22

3-CONE: 7.83

SHUTTLE: 4.71

VERTICAL: 25.5″

BROAD: 8’3″

POSITIVES

— Excellent arm length with a stiff, firm punch that can stymie defenders on contact.

— Can establish first meaningful contact on defenders in the run game, latch and steer them away from the ball.

— Flashes the ability to generate torque to displace and create alleys on wide-zone base blocks.

— Has the frame and vast reach to engulf, tie up and blot out slow-trigger ‘backers on his climbs.

— Plays with an edge and will strain to sustain blocks once latched.

NEGATIVES

— Marginal athletic ability, balance and body control.

— Uneven weight distribution in his pass sets; will overset, open the door and get dusted across his face by moderately skilled rushers.

— Will often drop his hands prior to his punch, which causes him to be late with wide hand placement and gives easy access to his frame.

— Slow to re-leverage his hips and hands underneath the bull rush, causing him to get knocked back on his heels and shed with ease against secondary moves.

— Steps under himself and loses critical ground out of his stance on the backside of zone runs, allowing consistent penetration.

2021 STATISTICS

– 12 starts at LT.

NOTES

— Former 3-star offensive line recruit out of Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois.

— Married with two children and adopted his younger brother after their mom passed away.

— Finished with 52 career starts at left tackle.

OVERALL

Vederian Lowe was a four-and-a-half-year starter at Illinois with 52 career starts at left tackle. He started 12 games during the 2021 season in the Illini’s multiple run scheme.

Lowe has excellent arm length that he uses to establish first meaningful contact on defenders as a run- and pass-blocker. He excels in pass protection using a stiff, firm punch to deliver jolt on contact, and his strong latch in the run game enables him to control, steer and open up alleys on frontside kick-out/angle-drive blocks.

Lowe can be effective at the second level on climbs in a straight line, and he has the wingspan and grip strength to tie up ‘backers. He also brings a physical edge as a finisher through the whistle.

Lowe has marginal play speed due to middling movement skills, recovery balance and body control. He is slow to adjust his angles and fit on shifty targets on the move, reset and refit in his anchor and redirect laterally to protect against inside counters. This causes him to whiff and fall off too many blocks, and he struggles to stay upright with trash around his feet.

Overall, Lowe has a tremendous amount of experience at left tackle, along with admirable maturity and leadership qualities. His ideal length, good grip strength and competitive toughness should give him a shot at carving out a backup role. However, his subpar movement skills, contact balance and body control cap his ceiling as a depth piece.

GRADE: 5.6 (Round 7 – Backup/Draftable)

PRO COMPARISON: LaAdrian Waddle

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn