From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Wisconsin OL Tanor Bortolini.
#63 Tanor Bortolini/OL Wisconsin – 6037, 305 lbs. (Redshirt Junior)
Senior Bowl
– Hits requirements for NFL height/weight
– Physical and aggressive demeanor
– Strong down the middle, great anchor to stall out bull rushes
– Good football IQ and able to pick up stunts and blitzes
– Plays with good hand placement
– Works hard to recover when beat
– Creates movement on down blocks, able to wash and seal
– Shows solid base and bend in pass protection
– Works well in a phone booth
– Experienced and versatile, started four of five spots along the line
– Regarded as high-character individual
– Poor length that will be problematic at NFL level
– Lacks snap and athleticism, struggles out in space
– Takes short and choppy steps in pass protection, struggles to slide laterally
– Vulnerable on his edges and too easily beat on his inside/outside shoulders
– Drops his head/eyes too often in pass protection, causing him to double over; plays with too much forward lean
– Difficulty hitting a moving target on screens and zone/combo runs at the second level
– Lacks coordination and balance
– Had snapping issues, especially early in 2023, too slow and often too high
– 27 career starts for Badgers
– 14 starts at center, eight at guard, including both guard spots (six LG, two RG), four at RT, and one at tight end
– Made eight starts at guard in 2022 (574 snaps), all of his snaps in 2023 came at center (868 snaps)
– Logged 229 snaps at RT in 2021
– Three-star recruit from Kewaunee, Wisconsin, chose Wisconsin over Air Force, Dartmouth, Columbia, Harvard, and Yale, among many other schools
– Didn’t know he’d become 2023 center until the third week of camp when the starter suffered foot injury
– Suffered torn meniscus and damaged knee cartilage in August of 2022, missed first two games
– Likes playing center most
– Worked out with Joe Thomas during one portion of his college career
– Weighed 245 pounds as a high school junior, got up to 270 as a senior
– Played basketball and competed in shot put in HS along with playing football (left tackle), also played baseball early in HS career
– Had a 4.