Scouting the Cowboys UDFA class: Guard T.J. Bass

T.J. Bass was a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports and joined the Oregon Ducks in 2020. During his three years at Oregon he played 968 pass blocking snaps and allowed 35 pressures and only two sacks, but he did get called for 11 penalties in that time. He played snaps at both left tackle and left guard, and his run blocking in 2022 was the second highest grade on his team, above the two other Oregon offensive linemen taken on Day 3 of the draft.

Measurables:
Height- 6’4”
Weight- 317
Hands- 9 1/4
Arm Length- 32 3/8
Wingspan- 79

NFL Combine/Pro Day:
10-Yard Split- 1.86s (24%)
40-Yard Time- 5.48s (18%)
Vert- 28.5 (61%)
Broad- 109 (81%)

Scorecard:
Overall- 59.5/100 (Priorty UDFA)
Pass Blocking- 71/100
Run Blocking- 80/100
Speed- 51/100
Strength- 61/100
Acceleration- 81/100
Agility- 76/100

Reasons to be Positive:

• His greatest strength is his upper and lower body coordination which remain synchronized throughout the play to help him handle power rushers up front.
• Plays with good and natural balance.
• Has a solid wide base.
• Understands how to gain leverage with a fair amount of consistency.
• Has good burst and quickness.
• Has good reactions and shows good cognitive understanding of defensive alignments.
• Has good quickness and acceleration to get quickly into the second level.
• Has enough strength to create a solid anchor to a reasonable level of consistency.
• Can play both tackle and guard with good efficiency.

Areas of Improvement:

• Snap timing is always slow and last out of his stance.
• Below average athlete.
• Lacks aggression in the run game.
• Struggles to recover due to stiff movement and lateral mobility.
• Can get over powered which means he requires more precision in technique.

The Evaluation:
He has a fantastic solid punch which he unleashes in the run game to help him win and compensate for the lack of length. He knows exactly what angle to take in order to get on blocks effectively. Shows a good anchor and good core strength in the passing game to keep defenders from getting the win. His lack of lateral mobility and general athleticism however will look to see him be more of a guard than a tackle for the Dallas Cowboys. Too many times he failed to get across fast enough to block defenders as they turned the edge. A high I.Q player that can get to the second level while showing enough strength and blocking skills should help him in his rookie year to reach his ceiling of becoming a backup guard.