Kody Russey – Senior – Center, Louisiana Tech
Pros: Has sufficient quickness off the snap to get his feet set and has his hands up ready to engage defenders. Covers the A gaps reasonably well and shows some good awareness when pulling and on screen passes. Demonstrated an effectiveness at tying up defenders long enough on most quick pass plays which make up the majority of the LA Tech pass offense. Showed some competency in making space up the middle for runs and did a good job of walling off defenders on stretch plays. Does a good job of getting his hands up early in pass protection.
Cons: Is a little small for the position at the pro level, he has good height but would like to see him add maybe 10 pounds to his frame to add strength. Russey tends to stand taller than he should in pass protection, he doesn’t set his anchor often or quick enough and really needs to lower his center and sit in on pass blocks. By not doing this he ultimately puts himself in a position of being driven back or off balance too often. He does well to get his hands up but is more of a grabber than a blocker in pass protection, he needs to use his hands better to tie up and deter pass rushers. In run blocking he lacks some aggression, he also needs to keep his head up as he tends to duck his helmet and drive when he should be taking shorter steps and working the outside shoulder with his eyes up. I have only seen him play center which may limit his prospects as a backup interior lineman.
Summary: Kody has been the center in the LA Tech offensive line for the last 2 years and looks to continue that as the starter again in 2020. He has been one of the more consistent centers in the Conference USA for a few years now and graded out as one of the best offensive linemen last year in both rush blocking and pass protection. He has good height for the position but is a little light and lacks some playing strength for the pro level. He has decent quickness off the snap and has his hands up and ready, is a willing blocker and shows good toughness. I would like to see more aggression in the run game as he looks a little too passive, he also needs a bit more awareness on the play as he will sometimes have to stop and look around for where he should be. He could improve his pass protection by sitting in on his stance more, he plays a little too upright and doesn’t anchor in which causes him to get bull rushed and driven around. In run blocking if he keeps his head up and utilizes better technique with his feet he could create better drive to move defenders. Would love to see him work on his fundamentals in order to make it at the next level.
Projection: Undrafted
