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The Chargers would be smart to land their left tackle of the future in the first round of this year’s draft. Unfortunately, there’s a chance that may not happen due to the recent trade of Sam Darnold to the Panthers, which opens up Carolina to potentially sniping a tackle in the top-10.
Should both Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater go before the Bolts pick at No. 13, they’ll have to decide on whether to reach for a player, like Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw, or take the best available player at corner in what could be South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn or VaTech’s Caleb Farley.
If the Bolts feel it best to look elsewhere in the first, offensive tackle is shaping up to be deep enough that a future starter could be found late into day two. One player, specifically, who’s been receiving quite a bit of hype recently has been Florida left tackle Stone Forsythe, and for good reason.
At his recent pro day, Forsythe measured in at a true 6’8 and 307 pounds. He rans a 5.14 in the 40, jumped 27.5 inches in the broad, and recorded a 7.47 in the three-cone. For his size, that three-cone is the most impressive number of them all.
Stone Forsythe is a OT prospect in the 2021 draft class. He scored a 8.81 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 135 out of 1124 OT from 1987 to 2021.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 31, 2021
Splits projected, times unofficial.https://t.co/fSZI9NJamS #RAS pic.twitter.com/sjoZL3XKlb
What jumps out about Forsythe is just how smooth he operates in his pass set. His kick-slide is fluid and there’s no hiccups within his footwork. He glides to his set points with an impressive lack of effort and once he gets his hands on you, it’s all but a wrap. Below is a short video of him facing Georgia edge Azeez Ojulari, one of the top sack-artists in this year’s class.
When you’re the size of Forsythe, you are inherently harder to get around. Add in above-average quickness and nuance and you’ve got an extremely tough assignment for opposing defenders.
@LanceZierlein brought up LT Stone Forsythe (72) in last week's pod and for good reason.
— Owen Riese (@RieseDraft) March 23, 2021
6'9" dudes don't move like this very often. You can see here how composed he is in his set - it's quick game but he's never threatened by Ojulari - one of the top rushers in this class. pic.twitter.com/O2ItnWj1H0
Over the past two seasons, Forsythe has started all 25 games for the Gators, helping lead one of the top offenses in college football this past year. During his first two seasons, he saw time at right tackle, as well, starting just a handful of games. Following his senior season, Forsythe was invited to play in this year’s East-West Shrine Game, one of the country’s premiere all-star showcases.
One guy I’ve really come to like as a developmental OL draft prospect is Florida LT Stone Forsythe.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) March 28, 2021
He’s a 6-foot-9, 312-pound machine who plays with great body control and athleticism, as well as raw power at the point of attack. pic.twitter.com/nyFdGYQ2S2
For those that have watched Forsythe before, what do you think of him as a prospect? Would you mind seeing the Chargers use a day two or three pick on him? If you haven’t yet, go watch some Florida tape and get back to me!