College Eye for the NFL Guy: Dan Mozes

NFL scouts think they know Dan Mozes, and they are probably right.....

Can the undersized body and over sized heart of Dan Mozes find the right team to take advantage of his unique skills as a center in NFL?

Dan Mozes, Center, West Virginia

WHAT NFL SCOUTS ARE SAYING:

NFL.com

Positives: Has a thick lower body with room on his frame to carry at least another 20 pounds of bulk ... Has thick ankles that allow him to put his foot into the ground and anchor in one-on-one confrontations ... Has good lateral agility and a quick forward thrust ... Takes good angles after locating linebackers in the second level and comes off the snap low with his hands extended to engage and lock on ... Plays with pain and has a solid work ethic ... Unquestioned leader of the team who plays with good aggression ... Has very good field instincts and vision ... Makes all blocking calls and is alert to twists and games ... Comes off the snap with good urgency and is quick to get his hands into the defender's chest ... Has the body control and leg drive to make the reach blocks moving up field ... Shows determination to stay on his blocks and demonstrates proper hand usage to gain leverage on the defender ... Can wall off and turn when he keeps his pad level down (needs to get under the defender to be effective here) ... Lacks the strength to get movement off the snap, but is effective enough vs. the shade or two-technique

Negatives: Has natural strength, but lacks muscle tone (body looks fleshy) ... Needs to add more bulk to help in his anchor, as strong bull rushers are quick to power through and pressure the pocket (struggled to contain pressure at Senior Bowl practices) ... Shows a strong hand punch, but needs to be more active and consistent shooting and recoiling his hands in order to rock the defenders back ... Can control and sustain, but his marginal hand placement allows defenders to slip past his blocks at times (short arms too much)

PROBABLY GETTING DRAFTED:

It's hard to say. There are certainly bigger centers to be had in the draft. It depends on what a team like Denver where Mozes could fit in perfectly to their zone blocking scheme is looking for. Should be a first rounder on skill and heart alone, but rich NFL types don't work like that.

GUY THAT WATCHED HIM FOR FOUR YEARS SAYS:
Dan Mozes was the leader, heart, and soul of the offensive line that helped to make Steve Slaton and Pat White famous. At 6-2 290 he might be a little undersized for the NFL, but he has the heart the size of Texas. He WAS the 2006 Remington Award winner for the BEST center in the country. It might take him some time to develop his body into that of an NFL center, but he has all the tools and work ethic to make himself just as successful as he was on the collegiate level.