Sebastian Tretola - Guard - Arkansas Razorbacks

Position: Guard
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 317 lbs
Year: Red Shirt Senior
Hometown: San Bernardino, CA
Experience: (Rs)Sr: 2-year starter at Arkansas

Measurables:

40yd dash: 5.45 Seconds
Broad jump: 90.0 Inches
Vertical: N/A
3-cone: 7.94 Seconds
20yd. Shuttle: 5.02 Seconds
Bench Press: 22 Reps

Career Notes:

Sebastian Tretola played his high school football at Cajon High School leading the Cowboys to a state championship in his junior year.  Recruited to Nevada initially, Tretola redshirted his first season with the Wolfpack.  In 2012 he got his first game action, starting four games and helping Nevada reach the New Mexico Bowl while playing offensive tackle.  He then was the no. 8 ranked offensive tackle at the junior collegiate level while attending Iowa Western CC where he earned first-team all Midwest Football Conference. 

After standing out in junior college as a mauling run blocker, Tretola's national presence skyrocketed when he accepted an offer from the University of Arkansas.  Showing great versatility, Tretola switched to guard two games into his junior season where he would become one of the most athletic and punishing lineman in the Southeastern Conference.  After not allowing a sack on quarterback Brandon Allen in 2014, Tretola returned for his senior season to pave the way for running back Alex Collins as he topped 1,500 rushing yards.  He was voted all-SEC, co-winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, and second-team all-American as a senior.  Sebastian Tretola enters the 2016 draft as one of the top guard prospects in the nation with a chance to improve his stock at the NFL Combine. 

Tretola continued to refine his technique throughout his college career.  Known for his size and prowess at the point of attack, Tretola entered his junior season as a mauling right tackle.  Switching to guard in coach Bret Bielema's ground-and-pound attack suited Tretola's strengths.  His pass protection really improved in his final two seasons at Arkansas, showing a physical, yet elusive skill set that will carry over into the NFL.  He shows the versatility to play several spots along the offensive line yet will almost certainly play guard in the NFL.

Tretola was one of the top offensive lineman prospects at the senior bowl for a variety of reasons.  When scouting Tretola, his size initially stands out.  Tretola's size is his biggest asset, as illustrated by the Senior Bowl's Executive Director, Phil Savage, "[Tretola] wins by covering people up with his mass and short area quickness", "absorbing" defenders in the pass game and engaging multiple defenders in the run game.  Savage vouches for Tretola's power and motor yet notices that his lateral agility and quickness have room for refinement.  When acting as a pulling guard, Tretola can get out of place or washed in the crowd, but he packs a punishing blow when he meets his target in the hole.  Sometimes his aggressiveness at initial contact throws him off balance and his feet can't properly switch around.  Tretola might have problems with speed rushers on the inside early in his career, but he is truly a mammoth of a man to overpower off the line of scrimmage. 

Injury Report: 

Tretola started every game the past two seasons for the Razorbacks.  In four years of college, Tretola never missed a game due to injury. 

Analysis:

Run Blocking: 4.5/5.0 Tretola's calling card is his mauling run blocking capabilities.  He is a very large man with incredible strength that allows him to move defenders off the line of scrimmage with ease.  Tretola swings his body to move defenders away from ball carriers very well, taking great angles in his technique.  Tretola's brute force allows him to deter defender's from their gap responsibilities, and then he climbs to the second level to meet multiple defenders in a single play. 

Pass Blocking: 4.0/5.0   Tretola has done a great job in pass protection for Brandon Allen and the Razorbacks.  He brings a powerful initial punch that defenders typically can't recover from.  Tretola does a better job of buying time for his quarterback as opposed to dominating interior rushers.  Once the defenders recover from the initial contact, they have the ability to swim or spin around Tretola, only to find that Brandon Allen had already released the ball.  Not allowing a sack in 2014 is all the more impressive when you consider the top tier defensive competition he was facing every game in the SEC.

Agility: 3.0/5.0  Tretola has issues at times with staying on his feet.  He sometimes gets too top heavy and elusive defenders are able to force Tretola off-balance.  He doesn't show incredible awareness when pulling down the line of scrimmage, but if he meets his man in the hole, Tretola swallows the defender.  Tretola's most agile moves occur at the second level where he shows great instincts climbing to linebackers and defensive backs. 

Overall Grade: 3.8/5.0

Summary: Sebastian Tretola is a punishing big man at the point of attack.  His tall frame and large arms are exactly what NFL scouts desire from the guard position, and his versatility along the line boost his stock as well.  Playing the majority of the season over 330 lbs., Tretola slimmed down for the Senior Bowl, reporting in at just over 315.  Keeping his unquestioned strength while losing weight must be a priority, but the sleeker frame could aid Tretola's lateral agility and ability to pull through holes.  The team that drafts Sebastian Tretola will be adding a fun, inspired football player with the ability to boost a team's physicality and toughness from day one. 

If drafted by the Packers:

One of the Packers most ailing weaknesses throughout the 2015 season was the rash of injuries suffered across the offensive line.  Almost every week of the regular season, a Packers lineman was on the injury report.  Whether it was Bryan Bulaga missing extended time with a torn meniscus or T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton playing through a variety of ailments, the Packers need stable depth behind the starting five.  Backup tackle and guard Don Barclay does not seem to have fully recovered from his torn ACL in the 2014 season, and it showed as he was exploited in a swing tackle role.  J.C. Tretter shows promise and versatility across the line, but he is a young prospect that has had injury issues of his own. 

Sebastian Tretola would compete with both players immediately, and he would provide a young, versatile offensive lineman going forward as Lang, Sitton, Bakhtiari, Barclay, and center Corey Linsley's contracts expire over the next two seasons.  With the Packers picking near the end of each round as usual, Ted Thompson might view Tretola's potential and size too tempting to pass up if he's still available in Round 2 or 3.

 Tretola brings a big physical presence to the Packers' line that could be vital to re-establishing a consistent rushing attack in 2016.  His powerful punch and physicality off the line of scrimmage has been missing at times from the run game.  Coming from a power run scheme at Arkansas, Tretola's lateral agility will be at question converting to Mike McCarthy's zone blocking formations.  The 6'4'' Tretola has long arms and a burst off of the ball that allow him to reach the second level of the defense.  His motor and ability to drive defenders mixed with sheer brute force off the snap could make Tretola the most physical and intimidating lineman on the Packer's roster. 

Video:

Sebastian Tretola vs Kansas State (2015):