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Overview
In most cases, guards are not on "draft watch" after their junior seasons. Feeney's talent, though, made everyone in Indiana happy that he decided to return to school in 2016. The Illinois product started all 12 games for the Hoosiers at right guard as a true freshman, garnering honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. A pre-season foot injury caused him to redshirt the 2013 season, but he returned the following year with another honorable mention all-conference season. Feeney was a third-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten pick in his third year at right guard, allowing no sacks during the seasons. Coaches asked Feeney to move to right tackle at times during his first-team All-American/Big Ten senior season due to injuries at that position.
Analysis
Strengths Tough guy with a banger mentality. Decent arm length for the position. Above-average pass protector on interior. Feet are light enough to slide quickly in either direction to protect the edge in pass-pro. Very aware of twists and blitzes. Shoots a strong punch that can jar gap shooters out of the gap and can put a sting into both twisters as he snaps and catches. Zone-blocking specialist with desired lateral quickness. Takes well-planned routes up to second-level targets on difficult backside cutoffs. Able to get around corner with pace when asked to long pull. Good patience. Finds his landmarks and strikes them. Rarely commits early to a block. Waits until he's in proper position. Plays with redirect power in his upper body. Will take it to the whistle and looks to finish with some menace. Effective blocker in screen game.
Weaknesses Carries weight in upper body and lacks some sand in his pants. Pops upright after the snap. Poor pad level and a narrow base creates contact-balance issues. Shows a lack of knee bend that makes change of direction in space a task. Is a bit straight-linish in his approach. Unable to generate consistent push as a base blocker. Needs to improve hip sink for better leverage and to sustain his blocks. Hand speed is decent but punch is a little wide. Missed all of 2013 with a foot injury and missed four games due to effects from a concussion sustained early in the season.
Draft Projection Round 2
Sources Tell Us "If he's a zone-only guard then what is his value? You can find those types of guards in the later rounds and not spend as much money on them. If you think he's more than just a zone guard then he goes on the second day (Rounds 2-3). I wouldn't take him until the third day personally." -- AFC scouting director
NFL Comparison Clint Boling
Bottom Line Four-year starter and two-time team captain, Feeney has been the consistent anchor along an Indiana offensive line that helped to produce NFL running backs Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard. Feeney is a quality zone blocker with an ability to pull and lead the charge, but he might lack the play strength to become a reliable base blocker. His intelligence and ability to operate in space and protect the quarterback could make him an early starter with a ceiling of above-average NFL guard or center.
In most cases, guards are not on "draft watch" after their junior seasons. Feeney's talent, though, made everyone in Indiana happy that he decided to return to school in 2016. The Illinois product started all 12 games for the Hoosiers at right guard as a true freshman, garnering honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. A pre-season foot injury caused him to redshirt the 2013 season, but he returned the following year with another honorable mention all-conference season. Feeney was a third-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten pick in his third year at right guard, allowing no sacks during the seasons. Coaches asked Feeney to move to right tackle at times during his first-team All-American/Big Ten senior season due to injuries at that position.
Analysis
Strengths Tough guy with a banger mentality. Decent arm length for the position. Above-average pass protector on interior. Feet are light enough to slide quickly in either direction to protect the edge in pass-pro. Very aware of twists and blitzes. Shoots a strong punch that can jar gap shooters out of the gap and can put a sting into both twisters as he snaps and catches. Zone-blocking specialist with desired lateral quickness. Takes well-planned routes up to second-level targets on difficult backside cutoffs. Able to get around corner with pace when asked to long pull. Good patience. Finds his landmarks and strikes them. Rarely commits early to a block. Waits until he's in proper position. Plays with redirect power in his upper body. Will take it to the whistle and looks to finish with some menace. Effective blocker in screen game.
Weaknesses Carries weight in upper body and lacks some sand in his pants. Pops upright after the snap. Poor pad level and a narrow base creates contact-balance issues. Shows a lack of knee bend that makes change of direction in space a task. Is a bit straight-linish in his approach. Unable to generate consistent push as a base blocker. Needs to improve hip sink for better leverage and to sustain his blocks. Hand speed is decent but punch is a little wide. Missed all of 2013 with a foot injury and missed four games due to effects from a concussion sustained early in the season.
Draft Projection Round 2
Sources Tell Us "If he's a zone-only guard then what is his value? You can find those types of guards in the later rounds and not spend as much money on them. If you think he's more than just a zone guard then he goes on the second day (Rounds 2-3). I wouldn't take him until the third day personally." -- AFC scouting director
NFL Comparison Clint Boling
Bottom Line Four-year starter and two-time team captain, Feeney has been the consistent anchor along an Indiana offensive line that helped to produce NFL running backs Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard. Feeney is a quality zone blocker with an ability to pull and lead the charge, but he might lack the play strength to become a reliable base blocker. His intelligence and ability to operate in space and protect the quarterback could make him an early starter with a ceiling of above-average NFL guard or center.
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