From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Mississippi OT Diego Pounds.
No. 61 DIEGO POUNDS/OT MISSISSIPPI – 6060, 325 POUNDS (SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Diego Pounds | 6060/325 | 9 3/4 | 33 3/4 | 84 1/4 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.15 | 1.77 | 4.78 | 7.90 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’4″ | 30 | 21 |
THE GOOD
– Big and wide blindside protector with a 7’2” wingspan
– Can make first meaningful contact early in reps consistently
– Shows consistent ability to absorb power rushes
– Drops his weight effectively and can re-anchor with a wide base
– Uses his elite length to stall the momentum of pass rushers
– Rarely walked back into the pocket cleanly
– Forces rushers to convert to counters rather than straight-up power wins
– Ability to recover late because of reach (relies too much on length)
– Understands how to ride rushers past the pocket
– Even when beaten initially, he lingers in the rep due to size and grip strength
– Once latched, defenders struggle to disengage from him
– Shows strong upper-body control
– Best run blocking shows up on down blocks, double teams, and angle-drive concepts
– Creates initial displacement at the point of attack
– Handles basic stunts reasonably well
– Generally assignment-sound
– No injury history
– A lot of experience playing exclusively left tackle
THE BAD
– Limited foot speed and reactive athleticism
– Struggles against speed rushers, inside counters, and late movement of defenders
– Slow to mirror sudden direction changes and opens his hips early to compensate
– Vulnerable to spin/swipe counters
– Plays tall through contact
– Knees and hips don’t consistently sink in pass protection and as a run blocker
– Defenders can get under his pads, which makes it harder for him to reset or recover
– Relies too much on simultaneous two-hand strikes
– Plays top-heavy
– Struggles to re-direct once momentum is committed, which causes him to overextend in pass protection and fall off blocks in the run game
– Not effective climbing to linebackers
– Struggles in space to get to landmarks consistently
– Makes poor angle adjustments as a run blocker
– Despite power flashes, he doesn’t sustain consistently
STATS
– 33 career starts and has played in a total of 46 games in 2 years at Ole Miss and 2 years at the University of North Carolina
– 2,657 total snaps (2,651 LT, 4 extra TE, 1 LG)
– 242 total special teams snaps (238 FG Kick, 4 Punt coverage)
– Career: 4 total sacks allowed, 10 hits allowed, 39 hurries allowed, and 15 penalties per PFF
– 2025: Started all 15 games
– Gave up 0 sacks, 3 hits, 13 hurries, and 2 penalties per PFF
– PFF: 51.7 run block grade (51.5 zone block grade on 186 snaps, 54.5 gap block grade on 280 snaps)
– PFF: 75.8 pass block grade (72.6 true pass set blocking grade, 98.0 efficiency rating)
INJURY HISTORY
– No known injury history
BACKGROUND
– DOB: 12/12/2002 (23 years old)
– From Raleigh, NC, and attended Millbrook H.S.
– 2024 transferred from North Carolina to Ole Miss
– Three-star H.S. recruit according to 247Sports
– Switched to offensive line prior to his junior season and secured the starting LT position
– Paved the way for 1,000-yard rusher that season
– Earned spot on the varsity squad late in his sophomore season as a defensive lineman
– Played basketball from middle school through high school, including time on an AAU team
– Multi-Disciplinary Studies major
– Moved from Atlanta, GA to Raleigh, NC when he was eight years old
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Diego Pounds is a traits-based developmental left tackle whose game is built on length, anchor strength, and pass-protection survivability, but whose ceiling is limited by below-average athleticism, a high pad level, and inconsistent body control. He wins by outlasting defenders with his incredible wingspan and/or grip strength, not by cleanly dominating them. This makes him a player who can function in the NFL, but will need technical refinement and scheme protection to become more than a backup.
When he is able to use his length effectively and get his hands on guys, it’s very fun to watch him control and whip guys around. There are genuine flashes of dominant reps of him, but they don’t happen as often as you would like, especially in the run game. It’s not for a lack of strength or power either. He technically just needs to sustain better, take better angles on defenders, and maintain his balance, since he has decent foot speed in space.
— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 3, 2026
— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 3, 2026
I really like his pass protection reps, and when he can get into vertical sets, good luck getting him off his spot or going around him. That pass rush arc for edge rushers gets extremely wide, and he knows how to redirect power well with his hands.
— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 3, 2026
— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 3, 2026
This is a prime example of the frustration with Pounds: he overly relies on his massive wingspan to win initially, but then doesn’t keep driving on guys, instead falling off blocks or losing his balance, as he does here at the Shrine Bowl. He did win far more often than not at the event, so give him credit for his performance that week.
— Happy Days (@Jh86Guy) April 3, 2026
CONCLUSION
Diego Pounds projects as a developmental swing tackle with starting upside in the right environment, but one whose ceiling is clearly capped by limited reactive athleticism, inconsistent leverage, and balance issues. His length, anchor, and pass-protection efficiency give him a legitimate path to sticking on an NFL roster early, but his game is built more on survival and size than on control and movement, which narrows his margin for error.
With the Steelers in a Mike McCarthy-style system, he’s a functional offensive tackle depth piece who fits the physical identity and pass protection priorities, but unless his technique and body control take a meaningful leap, he’s unlikely to develop into a long-term, high-level starter. I do think he still has a lot of room for development, technically and physically. He seems to improve his skillset every year in college, which typically bodes well for the NFL.
Pounds reminds me of a former Steeler who became a meaningful starter for them in Marcus Gilbert. Although he’s not quite the functional athlete that Gilbert was, he’s got more than enough capability to improve in that area, which could, in turn, provide a pathway for progression as a run blocker and better pass protector technician. I could see him earning his way to a starting role in 2-3 years with continued improvement in key areas, or at worst, he’ll be a nice swing tackle who could start on either side in emergency relief.
NFL Projection: Early-Mid Day 3
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 7.5 (Rotational Player)
Grade Range: 7.2 – 8.0
Games Watched: vs South Carolina (2025), at Georgia (2025), vs Kentucky (2024), at Duke (2024)
Jim Hester
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