Pro Day: North Dakota State’s Dillon Radunz a Strong Day-2 OL Prospect

With tackle a glaring position of need for the Steelers, North Dakota State’s Dillon Radunz could be a good pick for them if he falls to them at No. 55 in the second round.

Radunz is 6-foot-5 ½ and 301 pounds, and showcased his agility with a 7.27-second three-cone time. His 33-inch arms, however, are shorter than the oft-cited 34-inch benchmark for tackles. Radunz said that because of his size, NFL teams have talked to him about playing elsewhere on the line.

“[Left tackle is] where I’m most comfortable,” Radunz said. “I’m always gonna want to be a left tackle, it’s just in my blood, but I’m also a team player.”

He’s preparing for anything because of that, and mentioned learning to snap in case teams push him to center. His physical tests left something to be desired, though. He made 24 reps of the bench press and ran the 40 in 5.16 seconds, both average marks for his position.

Another factor that could cause his draft stock to slip is his lack of a 2020 season. FCS teams postponed their schedules for the spring—though Radunz and the Bison played in an exhibition against Central Arkansas in October—and he wasn’t able to partake because he entered the draft. Although he missed playing football, Radunz saw the season off as a positive.

“Playing that much football in a short period of time, it’s just not good for a body, especially at this high level of play,” Radunz said.

Despite the abbreviated season, Radunz acquitted himself well in the Senior Bowl and projects as a solid day two pick.

“Being able to practice and play against all of those really good players, being able to compete and show my skill off that way, it was just a fun time,” Radunz said.

He also spoke with all 32 NFL teams while in Mobile, but declined to mention any specifics. Radunz said he spent the offseason working on the technical aspects of his game, mentioning that he needed to improve his hands.

“[I’ve been] working on hand placement, always working on the hand fight, working on leverage,” Radunz said. “Mostly it’s just a few technique things with my hands, and then just getting my feet in the right place.”

He emphasized his anchor as one of the strongest parts of his game.

“Being able to bend that way, I think it’s a huge strength,” Radunz said. “Arching the back, being able to bend the shin angle and your hips that way is always going to be good for an offensive lineman.”