PFF scouting report: Joe Dahl, OT, Washington State

Below is the PFF draft profile for Washington State tackle Joe Dahl, which incorporates PFF’s college grades and scouting intel from our team of analysts. To see all of PFF’s 2016 scouting reports, click here.

Position fit: Should initially get a shot to play tackle, but could ultimately be worth a try playing center. Is not a good fit at guard

Stats to know: Posted the top pass-protection grade in the nation each of the last two years, although Washington State’s quick-hitting passing game does protect him a bit.

What he does best:
–Excellent movement skills, rarely beaten to the outside. Surrendered pressure to the outside once every 140.3 snaps, fourth-best in the class
–Gets into position quickly in the run game, and could develop into a zone blocker, but has little experience run blocking
–Can get into position on the backside cut-off on zone plays, but lack of power comes into play with sustaining the block 

Biggest concern:
–Gets jacked back on initial contact and struggles with the bull rush. He surrendered bull-rush pressure once every 70.1 snaps in pass protection, 76^th-best in the class
–Provides little power in the run game and can get bullied. Run-block success percentage of 89.9 percent ranked 50th in the class
–Likely limited to a zone scheme at next level
–No experience playing out of a 3-point stance
–A move to guard, which has been discussed in the media about him, will not play to his strengths

Player style comparison: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers. Bakhtiari is quietly one of the better pass-protecting offensive tackles in the league, but he struggles mightily with power as he gets bull rushed far too often and provides little punch in the running game. Dahl profiles in a very similar manner.

Bottom line:                                                                                                                                             

Dahl is a very interesting case, as he has the footwork to play tackle but he loses to power far too often. But as mentioned, Bakhtiari has similar issues and he’s still better than most NFL offensive tackles in pass protection. A pass-heavy scheme could take advantage of Dahl’s ability as a pass-protector, while hiding some of his warts in the run game. A move to guard does not seem like a good fit, but Dahl could also provide value as a developmental center in a zone scheme.