Central Michigan’s 6’6″ 303 lb. Offensive Tackle Bernhard Raimann is one of the most fascinating stories in the 2022 NFL Draft class. Born and raised in Austria, he picked up football at 14 years old and fell in love while spending a year in the United States as an exchange student in high school. Raimann started his career at Central Michigan as a tight end, spending two seasons at the position with little productivity before completing the transition to offensive tackle. Considered a late-rounder in the summer of 2021, Raimann’s stellar performances elevated his draft stock astronomically. He is now viewed as a potential first-round pick. Let’s dive into the tape to see why Raimann is so highly rated among NFL Draft scouts!
Strengths: Raimann’s past as a tight end is evident at left tackle, as he possesses terrific athleticism that allows him to get a lot of depth on his pass sets. He can truly handle speed off the edge, showing the lateral quickness to seal the edge effectively. He is really skilled at blocking at the second level as well, showing the quickness to get out in space and the agility to pick up a block. Raimann is a powerful blocker too, with a strong base to absorb contact without giving up ground often. He possesses good grip strength to sustain his block when he latches onto his opponent. As a run blocker, he consistently steers open running lanes and often sends defenders to the ground, showing terrific finishing ability. Raimann is a good technician as well, as he consistently gets inside hand placement on the defender. He keeps his head on a swivel, showing good awareness to redirect and pick up a second block on the same play when needed. His hand-feet coordination is remarkably precise and consistent. Raimann has only been playing left tackle for two years, making his current level of play and refinement even more impressive. This also speaks to how much of an intelligent, quick learner, and hard worker Raimann is. Level of competition is not an issue despite Central Michigan being a smaller school, since Raimann dominated SEC defensive lines in the Chippewas’ matchups against Missouri and LSU this season.
Weaknesses: At times, Raimann sets too deeply in pass protection and leaves his inside shoulder vulnerable. He also gets his hands swiped away by technically proficient edge rushers sometimes. Against top-end pass rushers who showcase dangerous speed-to-power ability, Raimann can get driven back too far into his quarterback. This was evident at the Senior Bowl, where Raimann struggled for the most part. He could be more decisive and knowledgeable on what block to pick up in space.
Bottom Line: Watching Raimann’s tape, you would have little idea that he has only been playing on the offensive line for two years. He is extremely athletic, strong, and technically advanced, allowing him to excel in both pass protection and run blocking. His struggles at the Senior Bowl were concerning though and show that he could stand to work more on his strength and technique before being thrust into an NFL lineup. Additionally, turning 25 early in his rookie year is not ideal for a player who needs some development. Nonetheless, Raimann possesses clear franchise left tackle potential and his arrow as a football player is trending upwards.
Grade: 2.0 (early second-round grade)
Sources
- https://cmuchippewas.com/sports/football/roster/bernhard-raimann/3522
