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"Living up to a family legacy like the Reynolds' at Brigham Young University is not easy, and expectations were especially high for Matt coming off a Parade All-American high school career. Following his father, Lance, and brothers, Lance, Jr. and Dallas, on the Cougars' line not was easy, but he certainly has met the challenge head-on, earning many accolades--and the eye of NFL scouts.
Reynolds served his LDS mission after high school, then redshirted the 2007 season to get back into the flow of the game. He lived up to those high expectations in his freshman year, earning Freshman All-American honors from multiple outlets at left tackle. Mountain West coaches named him first-team all-conference in each of the next two seasons, and he started every game to run his streak to 39 straight.
Reynolds is a bit older than the typical prospect because of his LDS mission and five years at BYU, and his thick body looks more like that of a powerful NFL right tackle than the typically more athletic starter on the blind side. However, he has good feet for his size and somehow gets the job done in pass protection despite being out-quicked at times. That combination size, strength, short-area quickness and toughness make him a viable early-round pick.
Pass Blocking: Widebody who is difficult to get an outside rush against when in balance and nearly impossible to bull rush due to his strong anchor. Plays with wide base and flashes lateral agility to mirror quicker ends. Attacks his man and stays with him to sustain through the play. Better pass rushers can get him upfield and spin, punch, or stop to get inside lane. Adequate recovery speed; sometimes redirects quick defenders around the pocket if beaten off the snap but at times needing to hold to get the job done--pro pass rushers more likely to take advantage. Nearly stands straight up in his stance on most pass plays but plays with some bend and is capable in pass pro with his hand on the ground. Plays with extremely wide split with left guard if defender lined up outside.
Run Blocking: Size, strength, and quick feet make him an effective positional blocker. Gets into position immediately after the snap, extends his arms and engulfing defenders at times. Will punch his target multiple times to make sure he cannot get off the block or make the backside play. BYU running game predicated on draws, needs to prove he can stay low off the snap to win leverage battles on power runs against NFL defensive linemen.
Pulling/Trapping: Rarely gets a chance to show his ability to block on the move. Feet are nimble enough to trap inside, has strength to negate smaller targets coming straight-on in the hole. Would be more likely to stick a hand out to push aside hard-charging inside targets due to his bulk and average flexibility, rather than stopping them.
Initial Quickness: Gets his massive body moving quickly enough to be effective as a power blocker and to prevent ends from turning the corner in pass protection, though lining up well wide of the guard on some plays protects him. Effective getting out of his three-point stance, though his hand placement is inconsistent; his size won't be enough to move defenders at the next level.
DownField: Has relatively light feet to get to the second level or act as an escort for running backs on the outside. Quickly moves from one target to another if in traffic. Lacks quickness to adjust to smaller defenders in space and lunges at targets at times, getting in their way but not sustaining long enough to keep them from the play.
Intangibles: Two-time team captain. Played through left shoulder injury with harness in 2010, has surgery after the season. Father, Lance has been a coach at BYU for 30 years after playing for the Cougars and in the NFL. Brothers Lance and Dallas were starting offensive lineman for BYU. Served LDS mission to Munich, Germany. Younger brother, Houston, currently plays for the Cougars. Married Brianna Reynolds in February 2009, had daughter, Lucy on New Year's Eve 2010. Older than the typical rookie prospect."
"A thickly built offensive line prospect with a sloppy mid-section, Reynolds needs to cut down some of the unnecessary stomach girth and doesn't look real long armed on tape. He possesses good coordination in pass protection when asked to mirror in space or through contact.
He also showcases natural fluidity in his hips and can re-direct when need be as long as he has his feet under him. He has improved a bit with his mechanics this season, doing a better job trying to tighten up his footwork and keep his base down, but that's still a work in progress.
Reynolds allows himself to get too upright at times; he gets overextended with his feet and can be slow to re-direct and mirror, especially off the snap.
Also, he needs to improve his overall hand location into blocks, he's more of a catcher off the edge, doesn't showcase a real jarring punch and too often gets his hands outside the frame of defenders, exposing his chest.
He possesses the natural strength at the college level to get away with it, but he still has some work to do in that area. He lacks ideal range when asked to reach speed off the edge, and he's routinely forced to open up his hips and lunge into defenders, attempting to push them past the pocket.
He's at his best in the run game when asked to step and seal on the edge, doing a great job quickly getting into defenders, locking on with his strong hands and finishing blocks on the perimeter.
He also possesses the coordination to stick to defenders through the play and likes to finish blocks, showcasing a bit of a mean streak through the play.
Reynolds has some initial pop in the run game as well, displaying the flexibility to sit into his stance, keep his pad level down and create a jolt on contact when asked to play in a phone booth.
However, the more space he's asked to block in, the less effective he is. He has a tendency to allow his pad level to rise when forced to reach defenders off his frame, and he really struggles to stay engaged through slide down blocks, as his feet really seem to get heavy as he lacks ideal athleticism.
He showcases good body control when asked to break down in space and seal at the second level, but again he displays only average range on the move.
Impression: An overhyped college left tackle who looks better suited to play right tackle in the NFL. He is a bit older than most prospects as well and looks more like a reserve at best to me."
"Wide, soft-bodied, top-heavy, lumbering college left tackle better suited for the right side in the pros.
Must prove he can handle quickness better and keep defenders from crossing his face to stay on the left side in the pros. Could warrant looks inside."
"First Word: Out of every junior considering the 2011 NFL Draft, few returnees came as close to jumping to the NFL than BYU left tackle Matt Reynolds.
Despite a nagging shoulder injury that eventually required surgery after last season, Reynolds only gave up one sack, according to the university. Reynolds has been a starter nice his freshman season where he started 13 games.
Although Reynolds has been a left tackle throughout his career, he may be best suited in the NFL on the right side. Reynolds' game is similar to that of Levi Brown of the Arizona Cardinals. Like Brown, Reynolds has started a lot in college, has a big frame and a lot of strength.
Also like Brown, Reynolds projects to the right side because he's not the quickest lineman working to the outside. There's not a lot of explosion to Reynolds' game, but when he can anchor, he's very good.
Bold Prediction: Offseason workouts and all-star games are going to negatively affect Reynolds' draft stock.
• Has a body that's ready for the NFL right now. Is big in his upper body and Reynolds nows how to use his strength against power rushers.
• Will sometimes get high in his stance but generally plays with good knee bend to get power off the snap.
• Where Reynolds struggles is getting to the edge in pass protection. He's a step slow and while that may be good enough at BYU, it will hurt him in the pros.
• Is much better when playing in a contained space instead of having to work a large area. Because of that, Reynolds may also have a future as an NFL guard.
• His arm measurements will be interesting and be one of the ultimate factors in where he gets drafted.
• Struggled at times in 2010 because of a lingering shoulder injury. The injury forced him to wear a should harness for part of the season. Still, Reynolds reportedly only allowed a single sack as a junior.
• Even following surgery, Reynolds' shoulder will face much scrutiny by NFL medical teams. He told the Deseret News that it "slipped out a couple of times" during the season."
"Arguably the most heralded recruit in BYU history has not disappointed; three-year starter working on a 39-game consecutive starting streak; played through a painful shoulder injury last fall, though, and underwent post-season surgery which forced him to miss spring practice;
Physically dominating drive blocker who engulfs defenders at the point of attack; has long arms and decent short-area quickness; also plays with a bit of mean streak; also gets good arm extension protecting the pocket and is a long way around,
But lacks the athletic feet to figure as a LT in the NFL so will have to switch to the right side or OG; son of a coach, is a rock-solid citizen who is married with a daughter; also a good student, but will be 25 when he finally gets to a pro camp after doing a church mission."
"Positives: Mature, spent two years on a church mission... Solid athlete... Good strength... Solid pass protector... Ideal size and reasonably long arms... Uses his hands well... Reasonably good agility... Good lateral movement and slide... Very solid blocking range... Redirects well... Possesses a good anchor and handles bullrushers well... Explosive, good initial burst, fires out of his stance... Good hand punch, can knock defenders back on their heels... Strong hands, controls and steers defenders once locker on... Can turn defender from the action, seals off the inside well... Good run blocker... Flashes good power at POA... Does a nice job drive blocking, plays with very solid leverage... Can get to the second level... Take good angles... Reasonably good flexibility and body control... Breaks down reasonably well and can generally hit moving targets... Physical, good mental and physical toughness, will play hurt.
Negatives: Can be a bit of a leaner on the move... Doesn't explode into second level blocks but rather just pushes through them... Can be beat by speed... Lateral movement and backpedal gets hurried and awkward versus speed rushers... Inconsistent kick slide, initial kick step can get too wide... Can struggle with quick inside countermoves... Struggles staying in front of quicker pass rushers, lacks the footwork of a blindside Tackle... Best fit is probably at Right Tackle, similar to Cowboy RT Marc Columbo."
"Matt will still have his struggles with speed rushers throughout the season. His initial pass set is solid but too often had to bail early even against less than spectacular ends furnished by Washington. Once Reynolds faces a quicker opponent that can shorten the porch, notices Reynolds turning his shoulders early, the tackle can and will struggle tremendously. He is simply lacking the elite athleticism which separates top tackle prospects.
Furthermore, Reynolds is far from an intimidating run blockin presence. He often entered his blocks too high and had a tendency to wall off defenders instead of driving them.
An added bonus is seeing the tackle’s versatility on a down by down basis since the Cougars now employ strength calls for their offensive line.
Reynolds can hold down left tackle but may eventually be best suited to right tackle. His style of play is very reminiscent of former second rounder and current starter at Jacksonville, Eben Britton."
"Skinny: It’s close to a consensus in the scouting community that Matt Reynolds is the top junior offensive lineman heading into the 2010 college season. In fact, many believe the left tackle could be the first big ugly off the board in the 2011 NFL Draft should the Cougar decide to declare. Much ballyhooed coming out of high school Reynolds chose BYU over Nebraska, California and Oregon among other top programs. He proceeded to redshirt in 2007, following his church mission in Munich, Germany. Upon his return, Reynolds stepped seamlessly into the Cougars lineup at left tackle, where he has started 26 straight games heading into his junior campaign. The first team All-Mountain West performer has been critical to BYU’s explosive attack, particular with his pass protection, which has been stellar even in the most obvious of passing downs.
At 6’6” and 329 pounds Reynolds has prototypical size for a left tackle, which shouldn’t come as a big surprise considering his pedigree. His father Lance was also a lineman at BYU before moving on to the NFL and is currently coaching at the Mormon school. This has contributed to the younger Reynolds’ development, as the underclassman is advanced in his blocking technique well beyond his years. The gifted tackle takes good angles to neutralize pass rushers trying to get by him off the edge, he adjusts well to the pass-rusher’s moves and uses his long arms to keep his opponent at bay. He is also blessed with the lateral mobility that allows him to mirror most pass rushers, however he can have trouble when backpedaling against speedier defenders, which is why some believe he may be better suited to play on the right side of the line at the next level. In the running game, Reynolds does an exceptions job of keeping his feet moving once engaged with blockers. The Provo native is also physical and tough as nails; Reynolds fractured his left hands in the pre-season and did not miss a beat as a sophomore.
This Cougar is a mountain of an offensive tackle, standing at 6’6” and approximately 330 pounds; it’s often difficult to make out the defensive lineman lining up against him due to the size of Reynolds’ shadow. The soon-to-be junior out of BYU combines impressive strength, size, attitude, athleticism and punch to maul opposing linemen. Reynolds’ punch might be his best attribute—it’s violent and jarring; when linemen come out of their stances Reynolds’ initial contact is so jarring it can knock them off balance, allowing the left tackle to easily control them. Reynolds also explodes off the snap, ready to do damage in an instant as his hips generate an impressive amount of power.
His long arms and big hands allow him to lead when he dances with most defenders; once he engages his opponent, it’s lights out most of the time. That lack of fleetness of foot and his tendency to get sloppy in his footwork make him vulnerable to speed rushers coming from the outside. While his run blocking his ahead of his of pass blocking at this point in time and his footwork needs to be coached up, his potential is enormous. Reynolds could a first round pick should he decide to declare following his junior season."