Justin

Herron

Herron was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest. He played two seasons with the Patriots and another two with the Las Vegas Raiders, appearing in 35 regular season games with 11 starts. Despite entering the NFL as a guard, he played mostly left tackle and right tackle which adds more versatility to his skill set as he competes for a back-up job in New Orleans.

He tore his ACL in practice on Thursday and will be out for the season. Herron had just been acquired a few weeks ago to help shore up Las Vegas’ leaky line, playing 17 snaps in Week 4 before the injury. Vegas’ braintrust will have to dig up another former Patriot from the scrapbook to try to help them out in the short-term.

Josh McDaniels gets a deal done with his former boss. Herron, a four-year starter at Wake Forest before being drafted by New England late in the 2020 draft, will join a Vegas offensive line graded by Pro Football Focus as the NFL’s 15th best pass blocking unit and eighth worst run blocking unit.

Herron served as Wake Forest’s left tackle for four seasons, earning two third-team All-ACC nods along the way. A Team Captain in 2019, the 6-foot-3 and 308-pound tackle needs to prove he has the strength and balance to succeed against NFL-level competition. He did calm some of those concerns with a solid showing in the bench press (27 reps), vertical jump (33 inches) and broad jump (105 inches) at the Combine. The Patriots drafting him as a guard makes sense considering his body type.

Herron started for four seasons at left tackle for Wake Forest, earning two third-team All-ACC nods along the way. A Team Captain in 2019, the 6-foot-3 and 308-pound tackle will need to prove he has the strength and balance to succeed against NFL-level competition. He did calm some of those concerns with a solid showing in the bench press (27 reps), vertical jump (33 inches) and broad jump (105 inches) at the combine. The Patriots drafting him as a guard makes sense when considering his body type. Ultimately, Herron will likely be fighting for a roster spot come August like most sixth-round selections.

Herron started for four seasons at left tackle for Wake Forest, earning two third-team All-ACC nods along the way. A Team Captain in 2019, the 6-foot-3 and 308-pound tackle will need to prove he has the strength and balance to succeed against NFL-level competition. He did calm some of those concerns with a solid showing in the bench press (27 reps), vertical jump (33 inches) and broad jump (105 inches) at the combine. The Patriots drafting him as a guard makes sense when considering his body type. Ultimately, Herron will likely be fighting for a roster spot come August like most sixth-round selections.

"[Herron] may not have enough play strength to withstand NFL defensive tackles in one-on-one situations,” Zierlein writes of the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Wake Forest lineman, “but he does have intriguing athletic traits and may be looked at as a developmental prospect.” While Zierlein might see some athletic intrigue, here, Herron’s work at the combine wasn’t exactly shining. His athletic testing gauntlet in Indianapolis resulted in a SPARQ score which placed him in just the 30th percentile of NFL offensive linemen.

Herron (6'5/290) spent much of his Wake Forest career at tackle, but he’s long been considered to be a bit light for that position at the next level. So it isn’t all that surprising that he’s been moved inside early in Senior Bowl week. Herron will now have the opportunity to show that he can handle that position playing against other NFL Draft prospects.

Herron (6'5/290) accepted an invitation to play in the East/West Shrine Bowl earlier in the year, and now will get to participate in the premier showcase for draft eligible players. He’s a little light for a prototypical NFL tackle, but his quick feet and agility have him on NFL radars. He is already considered a Day 3 prospect with potential to be selected early in the day with a good post-season showing.

Herron is a popular Day 3 OT prospect right now. At 6-foot-5, 290-pounds, Herron is a tad on the lighter side, but he matches it with the movement skills one might expect of a player that size. Herron has a chance to creep into the early part of Day 3 with a solid performance in front of scouts at the Shrine Bowl.