[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]
2019 NFL Draft Profile: San Diego State OT Tyler Roemer
The big Aztecs offensive tackle has the physical goods, but will off-field questions temper the NFL’s enthusiasm?
Contact/Follow @MattK_FS & @MWCwire
Talent and concerns abound.
No Mountain West football prospect enters this year’s NFL Draft quite like Tyler Roemer. After starting 23 games for San Diego State as a stalwart left tackle, the mammoth Roemer was suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules and, shortly thereafter, left the program altogether.
Nonetheless, he earned an invitation to the NFL Combine and acquitted himself quite well, but serious off-field concerns have been raised which will affect his overall standing. Where will NFL teams draw the line between undeniable talent and unacceptable actions?
Measurables (via Mockdraftable)
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1365]
Strengths
One thing that many draft writers have noticed is that Roemer’s size doesn’t betray other important offensive line qualities. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, for instance, notes that Roemer is “quick out of his stance and into his work” and “finds second-level linebackers with quick climb and adjustment”.
Weaknesses
Benjamin Solak of The Draft Network wrote back in February that Roemer’s pass protection skill set needs a lot of work, citing evidence that he “regularly loses to inside counters, stunts, and blitzes, [losing] post foot discipline and panics when presented with pressure”.
More importantly, however, what happens off the field never really disqualifies anyone within the NFL these days, but there’s no doubt that there are some damning concerns about Roemer. Most recently, The Daily Aztec reported that a former girlfriend has alleged both physical and emotional abuse, which is markedly more specific than scouting reports which, as Zierlein writes, point to “extreme immaturity” or Rocky Long’s own portrait of Roemer as “a disgruntled player”.
Draft Prediction
No one seems to know the exact balance of risk and reward when it comes to rostering problematic talents. The only certainty is that “zero tolerance” isn’t actually a thing that exists in the NFL, which makes it all but certain that, whether he deserves it or not, Roemer will hear his name sometime during the draft. Don’t be shocked if he falls to the later parts of Day Three because of the situation he’s created for himself.