Seahawks Draft Target: Chad Wheeler, OT, USC

Chad Wheeler has been given more media attention than his teammate at the same position, but it would be better if the Seattle Seahawks draft the other player.

After scouting Zach Banner on Sunday, it seemed only natural to also write up a profile on USC’s other bookend tackle. Chad Wheeler is the guy who has been getting all the hype, but that doesn’t make him a better NFL prospect.

Wheeler has good height at 6 ft. 6 inches, decent arm length, and a high motor. He is always a good overall athlete, which allows him to block on the move quite well.

The problem is that Wheeler lacks the necessary functional core strength to make the most of his overall athleticism. For every great block he makes while on the move, there’s another where he cannot move his man off the point of attack.

In pass protection, Wheeler’s athleticism shows up once again. He shows great balance and quick enough feet to protect the edge against good speed rushers. He is a bit lazy with his hands, but that is correctable.

Unfortunately, Wheeler is susceptible to the bull rush. He lack sufficient anchor to hold his ground naturally, and then tries to compensate by leaning into the defender. Doing so opens him up to a whole different sort of issues.

Perhaps the biggest issue with Wheeler has been his inability to stay on the field. He has missed time in each of the last three seasons. According to his NFL.com scouting report, he also missed time as a senior in high school with a shoulder injury.

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At least for now, Wheeler appears to be a backup at the NFL level. He’s refined enough to come in and play competently in short-term duty. As a full-time player, his rookie year would be a mess. There is potential for him to develop into a starter after a couple of seasons, but as of right now he’s no more than a swing backup.