In this draft class, to my great disappointment, I have identified only a few sleepers, but Gottlieb Ayedze has, tape after tape, established himself as one of these rare sleepers who truly excite me if selected at the right moment.

Naturally, if I've categorized Ayedze as one of my sleepers in this draft class, it's because he possesses noteworthy qualities, starting with his impressive mobility. Beyond good speed and true explosiveness, what might surprise with Gottlieb is his light-footedness and apparent agility.

Moreover, Gottlieb makes a concerted effort to play low, which results in maintaining a correct power angle to effectively finish his blocks as needed. This is a definite strong point in his game.

Another noteworthy aspect of Gottlieb's play is his ability to take good angles on his blocks. I particularly observed his excellent ability in executing combo blocks before moving to the second level, as well as his very good body positioning on pull blocks. These two situations highlight his skill in effectively placing his body, which could potentially appeal to coaches who employ modern and mobile offenses.

I've also observed that Gottlieb's footwork is generally good, with feet that remain active and a wide base, enabling him to create effective movement in run blocking situations. Additionally, as noted earlier, Gottlieb often combines this with staying low while maintaining a power angle, giving him an added advantage in successfully executing his blocks. However, while I've categorized his footwork among the strengths, it's far from extraordinary and will be discussed later, as there is a specific aspect that concerns me and will require significant work from Ayedze.

With Gottlieb, I was particularly impressed by his remarkable balance in play. In an era where many prospects appear as certain promises, I find that too many of them often resort to unbalancing themselves forward to more easily create a strong initial impact and movement on the LoS, a tendency not frequently seen in Ayedze's tapes. This aspect of his game is truly interesting as he is very rarely caught off-balance. It's impressive how Ayedze almost never lunges. Even when he is beaten on a block, he doesn't seem to be in danger and appears to play under control.

Notably, Ayedze seems much more comfortable with Slide pass protections than with Kick and Slide (the major difference between the two types of protection lies in the execution. Kick and Slide is the classic protection where the offensive line will back up to form a pocket, while Slide left/right requires the entire OL to "slide" left or right like a moving wall). In a Slide protection, Gottlieb appears confident; his steps are more powerful and assured, and there's even an improvement in his upper body work with quicker and better-placed hands, indicating his comfort with this technique.

Gottlieb's hybrid versatility in his playing position is highly attractive for any coaching staff looking for depth, given the various positions he has played during his career. I recall seeing him as a right tackle and being tested at left tackle during the draft process, as well as playing right guard, though I'm uncertain if he played left guard. The only position he hasn't played is center. This kind of player can be a real asset to cover for injuries in a squad, and this should not be overlooked at the time of the draft.
That being said, I would really like to see him initially developed as a true future option at the tackle position. Despite a build that doesn’t fit my standard for the position, I can’t overlook what I’ve seen. Gottlieb, although still needing a lot of work, shows occasional flashes of truly elite performance in some reps at tackle, and you know the term 'elite' is not used lightly by Val and me. If you want an example of a game where Gottlieb exhibited such flashes, I recommend watching him play this season against Ohio State.

Lastly, I've chosen to consider his raw aspect as one of his strengths. Despite his age, Gottlieb is still progressing. I learned that he discovered football quite late and didn't know what an offensive lineman was until about 5-6 years ago. Knowing this, we can view his current level in a different light. However, let's be clear: while I see his raw potential positively, I'm not under any illusions. Given his age, his draft value might remain low, but this could actually benefit Gottlieb, as he won't face intense pressure and can continue his development more smoothly.