Broncos Prospect Scouting: UCLA OG Xavier Su’a-Filo

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Dec 31, 2013; El Paso, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Xavier Su

As we continue our more in-depth research of potential Denver Broncos players with just a week until the 2014 NFL Draft, I want to take a look at one player who could fill a position of need potentially on the — gasp — offensive side of the football.

UCLA offensive guard Xavier Su’a-Filo is one of the most pro ready offensive linemen in the draft, and perhaps the most refined and starter-ready interior lineman in the entire draft.

Let’s look at some vitals.

Vitals

Ht: 6’4″
Wt: 307 pounds
Class: Junior
40 time: 4.97
Bench reps: 26

Key Stats

40 career starts

Positive Traits

  • Sound technique
  • Ideal physical build for OG
  • Plus lateral agility and ability to pull
  • Plays with a nasty streak
  • Great quickness to engage
  • Excellent athletic ability
  • Smart
  • High character
  • Reputation as a hard worker
  • Gets great hand placement

Negative Traits

  • Can lose leverage at times

Bottom Line

There is hardly anything negative to say about Su’a-Filo. In watching him against a diverse and tough Stanford defense, you can see that he sometimes will lose leverage when he gets popped but he fights and does a good job a majority of the time engaging defenders and utilizing his excellent quickness.

Why is he a fit with the Broncos? Because if the Broncos decide that Orlando Franklin is not going to work out at left guard and needs to be moved back to tackle, Su’a-Filo appears to have the potential to be a Pro Bowl caliber guard for a decade.

His athletic ability, strength, and work ethic indicate to me that this is one of the safest first round picks in the draft. If the Broncos feel like they want to use their top selection to upgrade the offensive line, this is a player that fits everything they would seek in a prospect.

Draft Breakdown Video vs. Stanford Cardinal (2013)