DeMarcus Love

DeMarcus Love

College:  Arkansas

Age:  23 years old

Experience: Senior (5 years)

Starts at LT:   24 games

Starts at RG:  11 games

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Height:  6 feet 4 inches

Weight:  315 lbs.

Arm Length:  35.25 inches

Hand Width:  9.50 inches

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Projection:  Offensive Guard/Tackle

Round:  3rd – 5th Round

Combine Results (Pro Day Results)

40 Yard Dash:  5.31 seconds

3-Cone Drill:  7.84 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle:  5.84

Bench Press:  27 reps

Vertical Jump:  26.5 inches

Broad Jump:  97 inches

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Speed: Love is not known for his speed, and his 5.3 second forty sits nicely in the middle of offensive tackle times. Additionally, he is known for having very good acceleration over short distances, but topping out quickly leading to his slower forty time. He ends up being a good down-field blocker because of this good acceleration and fast reaction to the snap. 

Agility: His agility numbers highlight the biggest reason that Love continues to free fall down many draft boards. It was known already that he wasn’t particularly good at changing directions let along reversing his momentum, but his numbers were some of the worst at the Combine. His short shuttle alone was one of only two shuttle times that were over 5 seconds by offensive tackles, with the other one being 5.07 seconds. This inability to change directions was highlighted in numerous scouting reports and in his performance at the Senior Bowl. He simply does not have the kind of speed necessary to compensate for exceptionally quick defensive linemen or linebackers in the open field.

Experience: Love is a 5th year senior with experience starting all over the field. Due to the scheme Arkansas runs, Love never played a pure position as Arkansas uses a “Strong side” and “Weak side” blocking scheme meaning that Love would routinely swap sides of the formation depending upon the play that was called. In the best translation of positions Love spent most of his time at RG and LT where he proved to be a very dominating player. He showed a very high work ethic to learn multiple positions and take a major leap from RG to the blind-side tackle position. He was also voted as a team captain each of the past two years and finished his degree early.

Size/Build: Part of what makes Love so effective at Arkansas was his very solid, yet compact frame. He is slightly shorter than a traditional tackle, but has excellent upper and lower body strength. He also has the long arms and strong hands that coaches look for in their offensive tackles. Love has essentially maxed out his frame, so it is not likely he will have much change in his weight in the NFL. In fact he may lose a little weight to try and improve his speed and agility, but as he will likely end up being used as a guard instead of an offensive tackle, his agility won’t be as much of an issue.

Pass Blocking: With his relatively poor agility, it is no wonder that Love is not as good a pass blocker as he is a run blocker. Love has struggled quite a lot against good defensive ends, and is not able to hold the edge particularly well. Despite not being exceptionally tall he can get leveraged by elite defensive ends. That said, Love is consistently quick off the snap and can engage the defender quickly, eliminating their speed. Also, when engaged head on, Love is very good at stopping defenders in their tracks and keeping them away from the QB, but that means very little when most defensive ends will be able to get the edge on him. Love is a good pickup blocker and recognizes defensive schemes easily, allowing him to foresee blitzes and be in a position to pick them up.

Run Blocking: Love is an exceptional run blocker. He has the size and strength to leverage defensive linemen and push them off the line of scrimmage. He also has very good technique and strong hands, allowing him to manipulate defenders to open running lanes. He does a good job blocking down-field, but he struggles redirecting his attack given his poor cut back speed. He also has the well rounded strength and arm span to engage two defenders and fairly successfully eliminate them from the play. 

Health: Love has no health issues now, or any time during his collegiate career. He has never missed a game due to injury and is considered an exceptionally durable pick.

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OVERVIEW: DeMarcus Love will not be an offensive tackle if he’s drafted by the Colts. He would most likely end up at RG, and could probably knock Mike Pollak out as the starter. Love may actually be a blessing for the Colts as numerous early off-season sleepers have caught on fire and shot up draft boards. But for every player that rises, there are those that fall, and Love is one of the latter who could drop from an outside first rounder to possible a 3rd or 4th round pick. If that ends up being the case, he could be exceptional value in the 4th round and provide the Colts a possibility to further bolster the line. As a guard, his lack of agility wouldn’t matter as much, and his frontal blocking skills and exceptional run blocking talent would put him in immediate contention for a starting position at RG. It will all depend how much his draft stock has taken a hit, and where the Colts value him as a guard. It is possible the Colts feel he is a second round guard and would consider him a steal in the third, or they could have serious reservations about him and not take him in any round. From a fans perspective, though, Love would upgrade the running game sufficiently and pass block well enough to not be a liability for Manning.