2011 NFL Draft Player Profile | Stefen Wisniewski 

You probably recognize the name “Wisniewski”. Stefen’s father Leo played for the Colts at one point and time, and his more heralded uncle Steve played for the Raiders for a very long time, and was a perennial pro-bowl player.

Stefen was a four start recruit out of Central Catholic High School who always had a desire to play for the Nittany Lions of Penn State. He was one of only two true freshman to earn playing time in 2007, and he started every game since his sophomore season for Penn State. He played both guard and center during his four year career, and was an All Big-Ten performer.

Player Name: Stefen Wisniewski

Position: Center

School: Penn State

Height: 6’3 3/8

Weight: 313

Arm: 33

Hand: 10 3/8

Strengths

Wisniewski is one of the most technically sound offensive lineman in this draft. He has a very high football IQ, and does an excellent job of leading on the offensive line, which is one big reason he made the transition to center from guard as a junior. Wisniewski has great footwork, and does a nice job of anchoring down in pass protection and keeping his defender in front of him. He has quick feet and can be utilized in a zone blocking scheme and on pulls and traps. He does a nice job as a finesse lineman in the run game, and getting to the second level.

Weaknesses

Wisniewski isn’t extremely athletic, or very physical. His athleticism is above average at best, and he makes up for it with excellent fundamentals and technique. He will need to get stronger to play effectively at the next level, and bulking up just a touch would be a big help for him. He doesn’t always finish blocks, and doesn’t have a mean streak. He lacks a great initial punch in pass protection, and may struggle against bigger, more powerful defensive tackles.

Draft Range

The demand for a center/guard isn’t extremely high, and the 2011 NFL Draft class isn’t very strong for centers. Still, he’s a second round talent who will most likely be off the board between picks 40 and 60. Houston, Washington, Detroit and Denver will all take a look at him in the second. His ability to play guard will help his stock a bit. The very latest I see Wisniewski falling is to pick 59 for the Atlanta Falcons who could groom in to start in a year or two.

NFL Comparison: Jeff Saturday