NFL Draft Profile: Micah Hatchie, Offensive Line

The NFL Draft is a week away.  In honor of the strong senior class being offered by the UW, we will profile a Husky each day leading up to the big event.  Today we begin with Washington Left Tackle, Micah Hatchie.

4/23:  Micah Hatchie, OL

4/24:  Kasen Williams, WR

4/25:  John Timu, LB

4/26:  Danny Shelton, DL

4/27:  Macus Peters, DB

4/28:  Hau'oli Kikaha, LB

4/29:  Shaq Thompson, LB/DB

Micah Hatchie  |  Offensive Lineman  |  6'5"  |  305 lbs

Performance Notes:  Hatchie is a three-year starter for UW having started 40 games in his career under two coaching regimes.  In addition, he played in every game of his redshirt freshman year.  He's a two-time All Pac 12 Honorable Mention at Offensive Tackle and won UW's Offensive Lineman of the Year award in 2013.

Strengths: Hatchie has been a rock his entire Husky career.  His forty consecutive starts at left tackle is a remarkable accomplishment, especially when you consider the dozens of linemen that he's played along side with and all of the myriad of injuries that have befallen those players.  That kind of durability is a rarity among college football offensive linemen and a testament to both his toughness and his technique.

On the field, Hatchie is recognized for his headiness and his technique.  His ample experience has provided him the opportunity to see just about every trick in the book and he enters the NFL draft among the most game-tested linemen.  Despite not having the over-the-top athleticism or strength of other Pac 12 offensive linemen, his tape shows precise footwork, an adept ability to use his hands correctly in pass protection and an ability to read the defense and to pick up blitzes when necessary.

Weaknesses: As noted above, Hatchie is not going to blow anybody's socks off with this power or athleticism.  As such, run blocking was not an area of strength for him throughout his career.  He often struggled to sustain drive blocks in the run game and could sometimes be moved off his spot by strong defensive ends.  In addition, Hatchie struggled with the classic "speed rush" kind of blitzer which, in my view, was his only real bugaboo as a pass protector.

Ideal Fit:  It is clear that Hatchie is not going to be a Left Tackle - or a Right Tackle, for that matter - at the next level.  The advantage that he has over a lot of other offensive linemen is three years of tape that show both productivity and continuous progression.  His durability is also a factor that will score well on a scouting sheet.  That said, it isn't clear to me that Hatchie has the kind of spit-fire / fight-in-a-phone booth type of mentality that tends to break ties for interior linemen in draft rooms.  His best shot at sticking is catching on with a team that is looking to build depth along the offensive line with young players and where he might get the opportunity to rotate through all the offensive line positions, including possibly Center.

Prediction: Undrafted; Signed as an Undrafted Free Agent