HEIGHT: 6'4"
WEIGHT: 303
POSITIVES
— Adept zone run-blocker with solid initial quickness, pad level and use of hands to reach, cut-off and scoop shades, plus combo/climb with his guards to the second level.
— Does a good job releveraging his hands back inside the frame of defenders to stay attached to blocks.
— Runs his feet and gives consistent effort from snap to whistle to finish blocks.
— High football IQ and processing skills to sort through games, stunts and blitzes; has made all the protection calls since his freshman year in 2018.
— Plays with good balance and alertness in protection to slide, mirror and stay attached to movement across his face.
NEGATIVES
— Light in the pants with middling power to jar, torque and uproot bigger defenders when needed.
— Looks to have below-average arm length that, combined with being undersized, limits his ability to gain control and create displacement on nose tackles that win his chest.
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— Takes inconsistent angles on his climbs to the second level, getting too far upfield and allowing backers to run through the backdoor.
2021 STATISTICS
— Started seven games at center.
NOTES
— Former 3-star offensive and defensive line prospect out of American Fork high school in Utah.
— 41 career starts at center.
— Missed six games in 2021 primarily because of a leg injury suffered against Washington State.
OVERALL
Empey is a four-year starter inside BYU's zone-based run scheme with 41 career starts at center, making all the line calls and setting protections since his freshman season in 2018.
Empey has a smaller stature with middling girth and arm length, but he is a proficient, skilled run-blocker who plays with good leverage, pad level and balance. Empey shows an impressive understanding of how to work combo blocks with his guards, knowing how to fit on interior run-defenders to cover them up, overtake and release up to the second level. He has solid quickness to reach shades and strains through contact consistently, running his feet and reworking his hands to stay attached and finish when defenders attempt to disengage.
Empey's middling arm length and power limit his ability to generate immediate displacement when needed and to control bigger, hulking defensive tackles, pigeonholing him as a zone-only scheme fit. He also has an erratic hit rate at the second level because of inconsistent angles and average movement skills.
Overall, Empey is a proficient zone run-blocker with the football IQ to quarterback the pre-snap phase of the game. He lacks scheme or position versatility because of middling size and power, but his makeup and understanding of leverage is worth drafting for a backup role in a zone scheme.
GRADE: 5.9 (Backup/draftable - 6th round)