Player Profile: South Carolina OT Jamon Meredith

Pros: Meredith is a very versatile player. At 6’5, 295 ponds, he ran an impressive 5.04 at the Combine. The former Gamecock shows promise from either the right or left tackle spots and is viewed as a potential guard by some. He is very experienced and showed himself as a team player when he was asked to switch to guard his final year. Meredith’s great play at the Senior Bowl proved he is worthy of a first day pick as he impressed most of the scouts on hand. With his versatility and athletic ability, the South Carolina product should not struggle to get on the field at the next level.

Cons: Meredith lacks the toughness and the physical mindset NFL scouts want to see from offensive line prospects. He does his job but doesn’t go out of his way to punish opposing players with big hits or pancakes. The SEC product is athletic but looks very slow at times and doesn’t show a great burst off the line, so he may not play as fast as his test times. He relies too much on natural ability and will struggle at the NFL level if he doesn’t become more physical. Meredith also needs to improve his leverage and movement when trying to block defenders in space.

Scouts Take: Playing in the SEC, Meredith has the experience against upper echelon talent and the physical ability NFL teams look for when evaluating players. He had a good college career at South Carolina and followed it up with a strong week at the Senior Bowl. He has improved his stock throughout the post-season. With good size, great ability, and the versatility to play pretty much any position on the offensive line, Meredith should land somewhere on day one, likely in the second round. He does have flaws in his game but luckily for him and the team that drafts him, most can be fixed and taught with good coaching. He needs to learn that relying on natural ability will not work at the next level. It’s up to Meredith if he wants to be a star. He should excel in a zone-blocking scheme, which plays to his strengths and covers up some of his weaker skills.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media