Marcus Mbow NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Purdue OT

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 309

HAND: 10⅜"

ARM: 33"

WINGSPAN: 80⅛"

POSITIVES

— Very good use of hands with quick, potent strikes and a lethal snatch-trap technique to win leverage and collapse leaning defenders

— Knows how to change up his angles and timing with his pass sets to manipulate space on rushers and keep them guessing

— Good burst to close ground on pulls, leads and climbs to intersect smaller targets

— Gets into his fits quickly in the run game with pop in his hands to deliver jolt, widen and create a lane on kick-out blocks

— Brings an aggressive, fiery demeanor to the field

NEGATIVES

— Lean, light build with average arm length, sand and mass

— Gets lured off of his spot and creates soft edges when being set up with hesitations and stutters in pass protection

— Middling anchor and lower-body strength result in getting knocked back on his heels when matched up against defensive tackles on down/pin blocks and stunt penetrators

NOTES

— Born April 2nd, 2003

— 3-star recruit from the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— Before joining Purdue he originally was committed to Arizona State before they unexpectedly pulled his scholarship

— Mbow's father is from Senegal, Africa and Marcus learned to speak French through his influence

— Suffered a broken leg in October of the 2023 season

— 32 career starts split between right guard (14) and right tackle (18)

OVERALL

Marcus Mbow is a three-year starter at right tackle and guard, including 12 starts at tackle in 2024 inside Purdue's balanced, multiple-run scheme. Mbow has a lean, athletic build without much mass or girth, average arm length, good athletic ability and adequate play strength.

Mbow is a quick-twitch run blocker with pop in his hands that he uses to get into fits quickly, close ground and intersect smaller targets on the move and collapse leaning defenders with a trap technique. He wins primarily in outside zone concepts on frontside kick-out blocks creating enough lateral displacement to open a lane and cutting off the backside three technique with a slingshot technique. Mbow also excels closing ground and intersecting targets as a puller, lead blocker and on frontside combo-climbs. His mediocre length and narrow frame create issues squaring up and pinning defensive tackles and he will get pulled off of his feet late in reps due to getting overextended.

In pass protection Mbow is a highly skilled player with an array of sets and strikes to disrupt the timing of rushers and win reps quickly but that aggressive approach also gets him into trouble when he has to use patience to remain square and in position against stutters and hesitations. This leads to him getting manipulated on an island against widely aligned rushers who know how to set up moves. Mbow's lack of sand and lower-half strength will get exposed against penetrators on stunts, resulting in him getting knocked back too far in the pocket.

Overall, Mbow brings good quickness and a crafty, refined skill-set that will allow him to compete for a backup role right away at tackle or guard with starter potential during his rookie contract but he will need to bolster his play strength and ability to deal with power before becoming a full-time starter.

GRADE: 7.3 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 76

POSITION RANK: OT8

PRO COMPARISON: Jonah Williams

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.