#129 - 4th Round - Indianapolis, Dylan Gandy, OG TEXAS TECH

[Hostile]

Colts select...Dylan Gandy
OG | (6'3", 304, 5.12) | TEXAS TECH

[Juke99]

Strengths: Is a versatile interior OL with upside due to his quickness and athletic ability. He has a quick first step and is a technically sound player despite lack of great experience. He plays with leverage, takes good angles and is consistently in position in the running game. Has adequate upper body strength and is a feisty player that fights to finish. He will cut block and do whatever it takes to complete his assignment. He has a quick set in pass pro, shows good awareness vs. the blitz, and also has the feet and balance to redirect.

Weaknesses: He lacks ideal bulk and strength. Has adequate height but does not have the frame to add much more bulk. Will need to play in a smaller OL scheme in the NFL. Might be best-suited at OC in order to limit his head-on matchups. His lack of lower body strength and a wide base cause him problems in terms of uprooting DTs in the running game and anchoring versus the bull rush in pass pro. Lacks good starting experience at one position. Is technically sound but needs more reps at both the OG and the OC positions.

Overall: Gandy is a little bit of a late bloomer. He has been a spot starter for the Red Raiders at OG and OC throughout his career but his senior season in 2004 was his first as a fulltime starter. He started all 12 games at center as a senior in 2004. Gandy is undersized, lacks great strength and still needs more experience. However, his athleticism, versatility and quickness make him an intriguing mid-to-late round prospect in the 2005 draft class. Dylan had a strong senior season as a fulltime starting center and, if he can continue to improve at the NFL level, he has a chance to become a valuable interior OL reserve.

* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

[Juke99]

Dylan Gandy, OG+OC, Texas Tech
Height: 6:02.7 Weight: 300

Overview: A nomad on the offensive line, Gandy has played at the guard position as well as center. He spent most of first three seasons in three-man rotation at left and right guard. An All-District offensive tackle at Pflugerville (Tex.) High School, Gandy also played on the defensive line and handled deep snapping duties during his prep days. He earned first-team All-CenTex honors a two-way lineman and also participated in track. Gandy redshirted as a freshman at Texas Tech and then became an important cog on the offense, as he played a variety of positions on the offensive line the next two years. He started three games, two at center and one at guard while earning Academic All-Big Twelve Conference honors in 2002. Gandy was again named to the Academic All-Big Twelve squad in 2003. He started at left guard and also backed up Toby Cecil at center. With the graduation of Cecil, Gandy moved to center in 2004, where he has started every game. Gandy helped lead the Red Raider passing attack to its third-straight NCAA passing record in 2004, earning honorable mention All-Big Twelve recognition for his performance.

Analysis: Positives...Has a developing frame with the potential to carry at least another twenty pounds of bulk...Possesses good chest thickness, long arms, large hands, a firm midsection, good bubble, thick thighs and calves...Good athlete with above average quickness, agility and body control...Versatile blocker who can play a variety of roles on the line, but might be best suited inside, where his hand placement, quickness and kick slide could be more valuable...Shows good aggression and consistency in his play and has functional strength...Also demonstrates good feet and balance...Intelligent athlete who makes good blocking calls...Classic blue-collar type who has very good toughness, both mentally and physically...Will play through pain and shows an even-keeled temperament...Works hard to finish and plays with good enthusiasm...Shows consistency dealing with the X's and understands the technical part of the game well...Has the ability to be quick out of stance and into the defender...Has a good initial step to gain advantage and very good hip strike and suddenness (rarely late at the X's)...Plays with a solid base with good lateral quickness in the short areas...Has the balance and feet to slide and shuffle with effectiveness...Can generate good pop in his explosion off the ball and shows the leg drive needed to work and finish...Shows good ability to wall off and screen, thanks to rolling his hips on contact...Does a good job pulling to trap block, as he knows how to stay low to get movement...Has a quick pass set up and uses his hands very well to control the action in his area...Plays with decent pop and punch and will be aggressive... Shows good body quickness to get out of the gate and be effective on the move...Is more of a contact seeker, as he will land on his target with good violence...Has very good change of direction agility to track and land on his target in the second level when he plays on his feet...Takes good angles in the second level and will constantly pester the linebacker until the whistle.

Negatives...Does a good job of picking up stunts, but will sometimes overextend, lunge and lose his balance...Effective at changing direction, but needs to do a better job of seeking out secondary targets on the move...Can sometimes get a little too high in his stance, which results in him getting pushed back through the holes he tries to develop for the running back...When he plays on his toes, as he tends to drop his head a bit on the move, losing sight of secondary targets in pass protection...Earlier in his career, Gandy was inconsistent with his hands...Does a good job pulling to trap block, staying low to get movement, but at times he is high and can get rocked back on his heels...Does a good job picking up stunts, but what gets him in trouble is when he lunges which causes him to lose balance.

Agility tests: CAMPUS: 5.3 in the 40-yard dash...385-pound bench press...550-pound squat...300-pound power clean...31-inch vertical jump...8'11" broad jump...7.76 three-cone drill...Right-handed...25/30 Wonderlic score. COMBINE: 5.12 in the 40-yard dash...2.95 20-yard dash...1.74 10-yard dash...4.51 20-yard shuttle...7.62 three-cone drill...29.5-inch vertical jump...8'4" broad jump...33 3/8-inch arm length...9 7/8-inch hands...28 Wonderlic score.

High school: Attended Pflugerville (Tex.) High School, playing football for coach George Herrmann... First-team All-District selection as an offensive tackle, adding first-team All-CenTex honors...Two-way lineman who also served as a deep snapper...Participated in track.

Personal: History major...Son of Cindy Mock and Phil Gandy...Born 3/08/82 in Harlingen, Texas ... Resides in Pflugerville, Texas.

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