NFL Draft
12/17/24
7 min read
Josh Conerly Jr. 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Oregon Ducks OT
Height: 6040 (unofficial)
Weight: 315lbs (unofficial)
Year: Junior
Pro Comparison: Dion Dawkins
Scouting Overview
Oregon Ducks offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is a physically gifted offensive lineman with dynamic movement skills that will serve him well at the NFL level. He has been a two-year starter at left tackle for the Ducks and has been proficient in the run and the passing game.
His length and punch offer him good bite on the edges, and his foot speed shines as a trait that he can hang his hat on in his pass-set framing and in the run game. Conerly Jr. is athletic enough to pull and attack on the edges of the defense in crack toss & pin, and pull concepts while also showcasing the mobility to climb up to the second level and attack.
He can be more controlled in these instances to maximize his blocks, and he could likely use some additional overall strength and power to his game to help unlock additional pathways to consistent success. But he’s still growing and improving as a player — the sky is the limit here.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Ideal length and movement skills offer him an impressive gravitational pull at OT
- Has the hip mobility and foot speed to play in space as a lead blocker or second-level threat in the run game
- Firm punch and dynamic base offer him an effective anchor in pass protection
Negatives
- Hand placement consistency at times requires extra work to establish inside hand fit
- Could use more upper body strength to sustain his blocks and control at the fringes of his reach
- Consistency of point of attack movement on the first level
Background
Conerly Jr. was one of the country’s most prized recruits coming out of Seattle, WA. He played his high school football at Rainier Beach HS in Seattle and was a standout basketball player in addition to his status as a prized offensive tackle recruit.
Conerly Jr. was awarded the Anthony Muñoz Award for the nation’s best high school lineman in 2021 and was rated as a 5-star recruit (247 Sports) while receiving invitations to the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl. His recruitment as a top-10 overall recruit in the country (247 Sports) saw him collect interest from programs like Michigan, USC, Miami, Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU, Penn State, and Texas, in addition to the Oregon Ducks.
Conerly Jr. appeared in 13 games as a true freshman in 2022, serving as a 6th offensive lineman at times for Oregon before assuming a starting role for the program in 2023. As a true sophomore, he led the program in offensive snaps and was Honorable Mention All-PAC 12.
He returned to the lineup in 2024 and helped the Ducks storm their way through an undefeated regular season and the No. 1 seed in the 2024/2025 College Football Playoff. He was named First Team All-Big Ten and First Team All-American for his play.
Tale Of The Tape
Conerly Jr. is an easy prospect to like when you watch him move. He’s built dense through the core and trunk, thanks to his 6-foot-4 frame but still boasts plenty of length to project well to tackle at the NFL level.
His athleticism will be his greatest asset early on as he continues to refine the technical portions of his game, but he appears to have already established healthy techniques in a number of ways. Conerly Jr. showcases good posture and balance in protection, illustrating active and sudden feet that allow him to mirror effectively on the edges of the pocket. Conerly Jr. balances this confidence in his movement skills with the effective extension of his reach — he steepens angles with his length and illustrates the ability to sync his punches effectively as rushers try to work into a hip-to-hip position.
Conerly Jr. has the necessary body mass to drop his hips and anchor — although the timeliness of these efforts is an area where he can show some growth. He is someone primarily responsible for setting the width of the pocket, and rushers that can successfully get into his frame or under his pads can prompt him to be squeezed on vertical sets and then compressed to cut down angles to the quarterback.
These issues arise most with rushers who have start/stop suddenness and can threaten him on either path through the first three steps — but so long as Conerly Jr. catches the rush in cadence with his own feet, he has the ability to redirect and steer the rush to the outside.
It is easy to appreciate how explosive Conerly Jr. can be out of the blocks, and as a result, he is likely to be popular with the Shanahan scheme offenses. The point of emphasis is that being explosive out of the stance and creating horizontal stretch will put him in the most positions to be successful and lean toward his best traits.
Although, this is still a proficient true pass set player who will be tested only by diverse and disciplined rushers. However, the opportunity to take this skill set and drop it into an aggressive front scheme that puts mobility and athleticism at a premium will be hard for many to pass up.
In the run game, Conerly Jr. has good pop and, thanks to his length, is quick to gain control of the front side of runs. He isn’t a true mauler, but he will claim space with his quickness, punch pop, and length. Once he’s established a preferred fit, he is effective with sealing a crease for his runner and has the movement skills necessary to mirror on the edge and wall off a defender.
As a space blocker, Conerly Jr. illustrates the body control and gravitational pull necessary to force defenders to bubble or play passively ahead of first contact. He is capable of pulling and wrapping to climb to a front-side backer, he can get outside and mirror to attack a defensive back in the alley, or he can climb up through the C gap and get on top of a linebacker before they are able to run over the top. On the backside, Conerly Jr. showcases the necessary mobility to cut off 3-techs and or attack 30-alignment LBs.
The Ducks have asked him to club and release into space in the screen game, and the timing of these reps has often felt hit or miss. At times, he feels as though he’s working into space without the same confidence of a landmark that he would otherwise have on outside-run concepts.
This is a loose mover with fluid hips, quick feet, good initial punch power, and the mirror skills necessary to sustain fits, even if he currently is missing the raw power that would make him a dominant force on the edge.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Conerly Jr. projects best as a starter in an outside zone scheme at the NFL level. His ability to move laterally and explode out of the blocks will be welcomed into that kind of system and lessen the degree of raw power he’ll need to apply to opposing defenders.
An aggressive front that can lean into play action as a counterpunch to the zone tracks of the linemen can help optimize Conerly Jr.’s athletic profile. He should be considered a viable early starter at the pro level.
Grade: 83.00/100.00, First Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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