Logan Bruss is a three-year starter on the Wisconsin Badgers offensive line. He is a Wisconsin native who stayed in his home state to play for the Badgers. As he enters the 2022 NFL draft, does he have an NFL draft profile that would intrigue the Chicago Bears?
Logan Bruss’ athleticism and statistical profile
35 career starts at Wisconsin, three missed games in 2021 due to injury. Logan Bruss has 26 starts at right tackle, six at right guard, and three as a blocking tight end.
Thanks to Mockdraftable we are able to see how Logan Bruss compares to other offensive linemen who have been to the NFL combine.
Overall he has about average to slightly below average height, weight, and length. His speed is not great, but his 10-yard split being above average goes a long way. Beyond that, he has upper percentile agility and lower body explosion through his jumps.
Overall, Logan Bruss tested as a 79th percentile athlete at tackle. If he moves into a guard in the NFL he would be in the 92nd percentile amongst athletes.
Strengths that Logan Bruss can translate to the NFL
Logan Bruss is what you would expect from a three-year starter at Wisconsin. He has a great understanding of angles and leverage and uses both of them to his advantage. Unlike some lineman with poor length, you can see Bruss understand his limitations and find ways around them.
The area where you can see Bruss show his athleticism the most is when he gets off of the football and can work downhill. He could work out as a guard in a zone-blocking scheme with his ability to pull into space and find defenders at the second level. Overall, his skill set brings a strong floor of a player you know can be a swing lineman or a starter in a pinch.
Weaknesses that Logan Bruss must address in the NFL
He can work around the length at times but often can struggle against defenders who are able to get their arms into his chest. He may be a swing tackle who is best off at guard.
This statement rings more true in pass protection than run blocking. While Bruss is quick off of the ball in the ground game, he can beat off of the ball when he has to move backward. The top athletes can get to him in this area, but skill pass rushers can set him up as well and use an uncomfortableness with his footwork when moving backward. This, and his length make a change to guard possible.
NFL Comparison for Logan Bruss
NFL.com compared Logan Bruss to Royce Newman. You can see how they compare from size and athletic perspective below.
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Overall from a height and weight standpoint, this makes plenty of sense. Bruss is a bit more athletic, but as noted you only really see his athleticism on display in the run game, and it is not as strong in the passing game.
That is where this comparison makes plenty of sense. Another area it makes sense is that both were starting right tackle at strong programs.
However, Royce Newman fell into the fourth round because of his lack of foot quickness in pass protection as well as questions in length. Still, as a rookie, he became a starter for the Green Bay Packers.
A right tackle who falls into the fourth round because he may be a swing tackle with starter guard upside is exactly what you should expect from Logan Bruss coming out of Wisconsin, so it is hard to stray away from the comparison that was given above.
Should Chicago Bears draft Logan Bruss?
Logan Bruss is expected to get drafted in the fourth or fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. At that point, this is exactly the type of player that the team should be looking for. Ryan Poles has noted that he is not worried about position yet for his lineman, he just wants to find five starters. Logan Bruss fits that mold, and as noted his experience and technical skill provide a floor of a depth player you like to keep around.
His upside does not say trade up or reach, but it does say if you want to build a firm base in the offensive line room, these are the types of players that you want. Keep an eye on when Logan Bruss gets drafted, and whether the Chicago Bears end up taking a player such as him in the middle rounds.