JC Latham, OT, Alabama (Junior)
Rayane M
Back for the 2024 NFL Draft edition, The Trick Play team is once again offering to immerse you in the heart of the event through the scouting reports of Rayane and Valentin. Who will become the next gem of the pro world and who, on the contrary, risks a spectacular flop?
The 2024 NFL Draft starts right now on TTP!
Strengths :
- Size
- Age
- Leverage
- Powerful
- Nice handworks
- Ground anchoring
- Good vision
Weaknesses :
- Too heavy
- Footwork
- Bad agility and overall balance
- Too passive on pass pro
- Occasionally lazy
OT JC Latham
— Rayane M (@RayaneScout) January 2, 2024
Couldn't go into detail on why I see JC so low but to me, going for him in the 1st rnd this yr is a bad idea
While he's clearly a power monster who sometimes shows some very nice flashes, he still has a lot of work to do to be dominant in the NFL
4th Round Talent🏗 pic.twitter.com/mbv700QZfC
TTProfil
It's time to talk about JC's number 1 problem : His Footwork. It's really very mediocre. On his run blocks, his feet take too long to activate, largely because he's more focused on impacting the player rather than properly blocking them technically. Furthermore, as the running play develops, it's not uncommon to see that once he starts to driver (to describe an offensive lineman who moves forward with his opponent locked in the block), his footwork narrows, which can lead to losing balance when facing a player ready to respond to the physical challenge. And precisely at the next level, there are plenty of guys who have the ability to exploit this weakness.
Only if it was the only problem on his Run block, it could work but on Pass pro, we are not there yet either. On too many reps, his feet are heavy and really slow, and as the games went on, I had more and more serious doubts about his ability to keep up with the Speed Rusher that are NFL caliber. I have little to no doubt that his upper body will manage to keep up thanks to his good hand activity, but the problem will remain his lower body, which will lag behind. As a result, he will either be beaten or forced into a mistake.
To stay on his Pass pro, I find him to have a strong tendency to simply follow his opponent to the outside without engaging, sometimes being too patient. While he does it well most of the time, he can be overly passive at times, allowing the Rusher dictate the play. If he ends up in a franchise with a quarterback who likes (or needs) to improvise, it can lead to reps where he puts his quarterback in danger in one-on-one situations against a Rusher fully free because JC would be too far from the Rusher and simply not athletically capable of recovering quickly enough to prevent him from being a threat to his QB.
Similarly, beware of the bad habit he sometimes has of swinging the Rusher outwards as it can lead to unnecessary injuries for his QB or other players. As with any tackle or offensive lineman, the rule is very simple: you don't know what's happening behind you once the snap has occurred. You don't know where your QB, RB, or any other player might be, so you don't swing a player into your backfield. Period.
That's opting for the easy way out, and it's foolish besides being a poor play in my opinion.
Returning to his run-blocking, I've noticed that JC has poor agility. Given his weight and height, he struggles when he has to block in space, especially when he moves to the second level where he can quickly be outmaneuvered by linebackers. As for his overall balance, there's plenty of room for improvement. JC often pushes too far forward and lets his power and weight dictate his game, but when that happens, it's not uncommon for him to be beaten on running plays by a smart defender who exploits this weakness. Additionally, he has a tendency to lower his head, and again, it's not uncommon to see him completely miss his run block and fall forward when this happens.
Finally, I've seen him be lazy at times in finishing his blocks, and he's been caught off guard on certain plays because of it, even though he had won the first part of the play. It's important not to let up on his effort too quickly.
To conclude, J.C. Latham epitomizes the typical SEC lineman: heavy, powerful, but lacking in overall footwork and technique. In this regard, JC, unlike others, is a real puzzle. Sometimes capable of flashes worthy of a first-round pick, he is unfortunately just as capable of making plays that resemble those of an undrafted free agent level player.
Latham has genuine qualities in terms of his vision and handwork, and he is still young, which suggests that he could be developed further. However, in my opinion, he is currently too heavy, and it strongly impacts his game.
Ultimately, the major issue I have with JC, and it's a significant one, is that I don't know where to play him.
At tackle, he has real limitations that require months of work on his technique, footwork, and especially his physique to be able to handle NFL-caliber rushers. Meanwhile, at guard, while his size might not be an issue for some, it's again his footwork that will be lacking.
Moreover, at a time when guards are increasingly expected to be more athletic, quick, and agile in most offensive schemes, JC will not be a good fit in most new offensive systems due to his heavy and powerful style of play, despite his ability to play low and, most importantly, his ability to read the game, which could make him tremendously interesting if moved inside.
A real puzzle indeed. Based on his current level of play and the puzzle he represents, personally, I wouldn't take the risk before the 3rd day of the draft. However, as I mentioned, he shows flashes at a young age that can (and will) interest more than a few, so a late 3rd round pick could be worthwhile for him, but above that is a risk I personally wouldn't take.
English 
Français
In fact, he often tries not to engage too much with his counterpart on Pass pro, he prefers to punch the Rusher using the palm of his hand like a sumo wrestler to redirect him, and if he can afford to do so, it's because he is powerful enough to do it.
If he works on his Footwork it could be something big on Pass pro.
Let's talk a bit about his pass protection (or Pass pro, and notably about his most dangerous weapon in this situation, his Ground Anchor, which is terrifying. It's simple, if he manages to catch his player and anchor himself to the ground, between his weight and his strength, it's over for the defender on that play.
Finally, the last point to note about JC, which I believe could help him in the future, is his good field vision. He recognizes the game rather well, anticipates Blitzs and Stunts and he is regularly able to adjust well even during the game to neutralize the most dangerous threats.