Right Tackle Marcus Mbow Produces Promising 2023 Game Film

Purdue right tackle Marcus Mbow isn’t a machine, but he is a darn good-looking prospect at one of the game’s most important positions.

Mbow played last season before suffering a “significant season-ending leg injury in 2023.” He has since returned to the starting lineup in 2024. However, this evaluation centers around five out of the six games he played in during the 2023 season.

This Purdue right tackle combines his athleticism and brute playing strength with his aggressive and highly competitive nature to get the job done a high percentage of the time.

Pass Protection

Mbow is skilled at protecting his quarterback. A quick first step helps to quickly get in position to guard the perimeter of the pocket. One of the things I like most about Mbow is how “punchy” he is initially at the point of attack. He uses his hands well and he makes it clear his opponent is in for a real fight.

There were several times he ended up taking the guy he was lined up against to the ground.

When I say fight, I mean fight.

His lateral footwork is decent. Notice I didn’t say great. Mbow has decent lateral foot speed that consistently got exposed when challenged by faster pass rushers at the back door of the pocket. He shows a tendency to get too aggressive, stop moving his feet, and instead lean into defenders causing him to get turned sideways and give up blocking leverage. However, that’s when Mbow’s competitive fire really kicked in and he was still often able to ride the pass rusher past the quarterback’s backside.

The thing that sets Mbow apart is his high football IQ in pass protection. Pass rushers threw everything in the book at him, but he always had the answer. Stunts, blitzes, and delayed blitzes did not work against him.

Run blocking

Mbow takes run blocking seriously and this is where it shows how important the game of football is to him.

This is where his physicality and high level of ‘want’ really show up.

Mbow had numerous pancake blocks and he looked good at the second level (where the linebackers reside pre-snap) and even further downfield. He was always looking for someone to block, even after he was done with his initial block, it wasn’t uncommon to see him block another defensive player.

NFL comp?

The one name that went through my mind while studying Mbow was Carolina Panthers’ left tackle Ikem Ekwonu. Yes, I realize Mbow plays on the opposite side, but that’s who his aggressive brand of blocking reminded me of. I was extremely high on Ekwonu pre-draft 2022 giving him a top-10 grade and urging New York to select this NC State big man when I wrote for SI Jets. Instead, the Panthers selected Ekwonu at No. 6 overall and this year in an October pantherswire.usatoday.com article stated that Ekwonu was “becoming the franchise’s true blindside protector.“

Before I go that far however, I need to see what Mbow looks like post-injury on his 2024 game film, which I will circle back to sometime this spring before the 2025 NFL Draft and setting my board.

#63 Marcus Mbow 6-foot-5, 300 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 Winter Grade: Second-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 3.9% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of December 29, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film evaluated: Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Tone setter with an athletic frame, long arms, and above-average playing speed. Quick feet. Nimble. Carries his weight well. Seldom needed help. Active. Uses hands well in pass pro. Maintains his balance and base in the shallow to the intermediate depth of the pocket. Good coordination. Solid anchor versus bull rushes. The inside gap is the most vulnerable. Looked best vs. Virginia Tech and Syracuse. Strong run blocker. Finishes whenever possible. Some inconsistencies sustaining. Relies more on muscle than technique at times.

What to watch for during the 2024 college football season

1. Back and front door of the pocket in pass protection?

2. How does he look moving around post-injury?

3. Game-to-game consistency?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.