2023 NFL Draft prospect profile – Alex Forsyth, C, Oregon

Could Forsyth be the Giants’ center of the future?

The New York Giants hope to have their offensive tackle positions sorted for the foreseeable future. However, they still need to continue to build the interior of their offensive line. They haven’t invested in their center position since the 2014 NFL draft, nine years ago at this point.

Oregon center Alex Forsyth isn’t the flashiest prospect and might not generate a ton of buzz around the national media. However, he is a consistent and reliable center on a very good offensive line. Could he catch the Giants eye and allow them to lock down another position on their line?

Prospect: Alex Forsyth (78)
Games Watched: vs. Georgia (2022), vs. BYU (2022), vs. UCLA (2022), vs. Washington (2022)
Red Flags: Shoulder injury (2022)

Measurables

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 312
Games played: 29 (12 in 2022)

Quick Summary

Best: Technique, leverage, athleticism, football IQ
Worst: Play strength, leverage consistency
Projection: A starting center in a diverse or zone blocking scheme

Game Tape

(Forsyth is OC number 78)

Full Report

Oregon center Alex Forsyth is a good-sized, smart, athletic interior offensive line prospect.

Forsyth has good size for the center position at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds with adequate length throughout. He has good flexibility in his lower half and appears to be a natural knee bender. He generally plays with a wide base and does a good job of sinking his hips to sit into his stance, playing with good pad level.

Forsyth is a sound technician at the center position. He does a good job of using his leverage to maximize his play strength and enters the NFL with quality hand usage. He routinely fires his punch into defenders and gets good extension after the snap. He generally aims his punch well and takes inside leverage, allowing him to control defenders. Forsyth is also a surprisingly good athlete for a bigger center. He has good foot speed and is a fluid mover who is able to easily stay in phase with his linemates on outside zone plays. Likewise, he is a remarkably rangy puller, and is easily able to get from the center position to outside of the tackle when the blocking scheme asks him to do so. Forsyth does a good job of quickly working to the second level or getting in position on screen plays, and is an accurate blocker in space.

He is a dogged blocker who plays with good mental toughness throughout the game. He consistently looks for work and does a good job of identifying and adjusting to late pressure or games along the defensive line.

While Forsyth has the flexibility and fluidity to routinely play with good leverage, he can be prone to losing his leverage at times. He appears to have long legs and is relatively high-cut for a center, and he can struggle to maintain his leverage when his knees straighten or base narrows. He doesn’t have overwhelming play strength and can be moved when he loses his leverage. Forsyth can have a particularly hard time with powerful nose tackles and needs to pay careful attention to his leverage against them.

Teams will want to do their due diligence on the shoulder injury he suffered at the end of the season and kept him out of the Senior Bowl.

Overall Grade: 7.5

Projection

Forsyth projects as a starting center at the NFL level. He will be best in an offense that runs a high percentage of zone blocking schemes, though he has the ability to execute all blocking schemes.

Forsyth will need to be more consistent with his knee bend and leverage at the NFL level. He’s a good technician and knows how to win with leverage, angles, and positioning as well as with power. However, he can struggle against bigger, stronger, or stouter defensive tackles when he loses leverage. Forsyth appears to have long legs for a center, and can struggle when he isn’t the low man.

That said, he is also an impressive athlete who is able to quickly get in position and mirror speed on the interior. Forsyth is an excellent pulling center, and is able to go from the A-gap to D-gap with ease, as well as get (and stay) ahead of screen plays. He’s also a tenacious pass protector who consistently strains to sustain his blocks through the echo of the whistle and is always looking for work if he doesn’t have anyone to block.

He did have two botched snaps in the tape viewed, which may concern teams or be a coaching point early in his career. That said, he has the potential to be a starting center for many teams as a rookie.