Leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft starting on April 27th, we will be releasing several draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next up...
O'Cyrus Torrence (Offensive Guard), University of Florida, Senior
O'Cyrus Torrence stands in at 6'5" tall, weighing 345lbs, and is the top rated guard prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Jordan McKendrick | Florida Gators
O'Cyrus Torrence leads through the hole against the South Florida Bulls in a home game in 2022
Overview
Torrence looks like he was made in a lab by the football gods with his size, weight, and overall build. His consistent play, excellent build, and wealth of experience have him on top of the interior lineman draft rankings, but his lack of elite quickness and questions if he might actually be slightly too big are holding him back from being can't-miss selection.
Starting his career attending Louisiana-Lafayette, Torrence became their starting left guard just two games into his true freshman season. After that moment, he never looked back starting every game he played for the Ragin' Cajuns in his first three seasons, absolutely dominating his opponents.
For his senior season, Torrence transferred to the University of Florida and he didn't miss a beat. He continued to put together a stellar season and was able to show that going against elite competition should not be a concern moving forward.
Pros:
- Size, good proportion throughout his body in all the right areas
- Great awareness on pass-rush stunts
- Very good strength in the run game
- Large hands which don't let defenders get free
- Good anchor in the pass game which stops him from losing ground
- Effective getting to the second level in the run game
- 4-year starter with tons of experience
- Independent hand usage which is rare for someone coming out of college
- Penalty free in 2022
Cons:
- Might be slightly too big, could improve movement skills if he lost a little weight
- Foot speed is average
- Hasn't finished blocks at times, leading to defenders getting free after initial fight
- Drops his head on occasion
- Struggles making blocks in the open field
The Steelers offensive line continued to grow throughout the 2022 NFL season, and looked to be one of their strong points by the end of the season. However, the organization could still look to upgrade the left side of the line, as inconsistent play and mind-numbing penalties have worn Steeler Nation's patience thin. His fit within the Steelers who are putting emphasis on running it right at a defense should be a match made in heaven, as well as his hand usage pairing well with Pat Meyer's teaching of independent hand usage.
Hand Technique and Footwork
I wouldn't call Torrence a true technician, but there is very little to worry about at this point of his career when it comes to his hands and feet. It is very rare you see Torrence not having his feet underneath him with a good base to drive off of into defenders, which also results him very rarely being knocked off-balance. His ability to keep his feet under him and use independent hands in both the pass and run game allow him to do a lot of things well without relying on pure size or strength.
Mobility
For his size, Torrence moves okay in the run game and when handing speed rushers that try to get around his outside shoulder. He has shown the ability to climb to the second level and get a piece of linebackers which prevents them from making the play, but because of his exceptional size, he should not be expected to handle climbing to the second level in an outside zone scheme often. There are occasions where speed rushers have been able to try and turn the corner against Torrence, but these are rare and typically are well outside the area you would normally expect a guard to be able to cover.
Power and Strength
In case you couldn't tell by the first sentence describing Torrence, which lists his height and weight, the man has incredible strength in both run and pass blocking. When he delievers the initial punch in the run game you can see defenders immediately get pushed off the line of scrimmage, while he keeps his legs moving to continue to generate power. In the passing game, if Torrence gets latched onto his defender, there is no breaking him off, as his hand strength and ability to neutralize counters has been great throughout his career.
Florida Gators | Jay Metz
O'Cyrus Torrence in pass protection against the Missouri Tigers in 2022
NFL Comparison - Kenyon Green
It is hard to compare people to Torrence due to his unique size, but I think Green is a solid comparison. Green was selected with the 15th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and that was largely due to Green being a slightly better athlete as well as having experience on the edge as he played both tackle spots in college. Both Green and Torrence were/are NFL ready prospects who possess very good size and strength, but also shown good ability in pass protection.
Draft Projection - First Round
There is always a chance Torrence falls to the early 2nd round, but teams haven't been as hesitant to select elite guards in the opening frame anymore, and it is likely that at least one team falls in love with Torrence on his size alone.
Let us know below what you think about Torrence as a prospect and the potential of seeing him in the Black & Gold! What other prospects would you be interested in seeing a profile on? Click to comment below!
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