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Pairing his size with power, O’Cyrus Torrence is the dominant run blocker of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Florida offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence enters the 2023 NFL Draft after spending one year with the Gators program. Torrence started 11 games at right guard in 2022 after transferring to Florida from Louisiana-Lafayette. Torrence flawlessly handled the step up in competition. Torrence earned Consensus All-American Honors and was also named to the First Team All-SEC team by the Associated Press. Torrence was previously named to the Second Team (2020) and First Team (2021) All-Sun-Belt squads.
Strengths of Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence
Torrence followed his head coach Billy Napier from Louisiana to Florida and more than held his own against SEC blockers. Torrence scored an elite overall grade of 88.0 from Pro Football Focus for his standout efforts throughout the 2022 campaign. PFF credited Torrence with allowing zero sacks, zero quarterback hits, and just eight hurries on 355 pass-blocking snaps. Interior defenders had no answer for Torrence’s dominance. Torrence was a workhorse for the Gators in 2022, having played a total of 698 snaps.
Torrence features outlandish overall mass, length, and sheer power. In the run game, Torrence utilizes his power to generate movement off the line of scrimmage to create available rushing lanes for his ball-carriers. Torrence is an extremely physical blocker that routinely has the size and power advantage over his opponents.
Torrence was also dominant during one-versus-one practice rep drills at this year’s Senior Bowl. He routinely stonewalled rushers while catching the attention of NFL scouts and decision-makers in Mobile. Torrence attached a jetpack to his pre-draft stock as a result.
Pass rushers can’t defeat Torrence with power. Torrence meets bull rushes by anchoring down and meeting strength with strength. Torrence is a dominant phone-booth blocker.
The weaknesses of Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence
Torrence’s foot speed leaves a lot to be desired in pass protection. Quick-footed interior defensive linemen can defeat Torrence and penetrate the pocket with speed and well-developed counters. Dominant defensive tackles who execute great swim moves could give Torrence fits at the next level. Torrence struggles to mirror athletic pass rushers as a result. Torrence’s limited foot speed can create issues for his quarterback in pass protection.
At times, Torrence can approach the run game with an unnecessarily overaggressive mindset. Getting too aggressive can create balance issues for Torrence in the NFL. It’s a minor technical wart that can be addressed with quality NFL coaching. Torrence needs to play under control with more consistency moving forward.
2023 NFL Combine results for O’Cyrus Torrence
Torrence tested in expected fashion given his massive 6’5 (85th percentile) and 330-pound (87th percentile) frame. Torrence ran the 40-yard dash in a respectable 5.31 seconds with a 1.82 10-yard split. Torrence leaped a 23.5-inch vertical and 8’5 on the broad jump. Torrence also features 33 7/8-inch arms (74th percentile), an 83 7/8-inch wingspan (96th percentile) and massive 11 1/4-inch hands (98th percentile). These results led to Torrence scoring an acceptable Relative Athletic Score of 6.63. NFL franchises aren’t drafting Torrence at guard for his athletic abilities.
Torrence’s MockDraftable athletic comparisons include success stories like five-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson. It also includes recent undrafted free agents such as Tristen Hoge, Tommy Kraemer, and Jared Hocker. Torrence will likely land somewhere in the middle of those comparisons.
What others are saying about O’Cyrus Torrence
Lance Zierlein of NFL.Com had the following to say:
Broad guard prospect whose physical limitations are balanced by his feel for the job and ability to use his size in his favor. Torrence is not a natural bender. He is forced to engulf and push rather than leverage and drive as a run blocker, but he’s solid at neutralizing the man across from him. He uses his hands well to jab and maintain feel for the rush, but quick interior rushers with well-developed counters could be too much for his limited foot quickness to handle without help. He projects as a future starter for downhill offenses who covet size over athleticism.
Torrence is an extremely powerful interior offensive linemen that possesses plug-and-play potential. Torrence is a borderline first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Torrence had formal interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine with the Titans, Ravens, Eagles, Jaguars and Cowboys. Torrence also had private visits with the Steelers, Bills and Commanders. The night before Florida’s Pro Day, Torrence spent time meeting with the Titans (again), Saints and Falcons.
I fully expect Torrence to quickly claim a starting gig at left or right guard in an offense that features power/gap concepts.
