The Oregon Ducks signed a stellar class of offensive linemen in the 2018 recruiting cycle. It is an imposing group of five young men averaging 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds, recruited from several states including Utah, California, and even Pennsylvania. But one of these is an Oregon-native and life-long Duck fan in Dawson Jaramillo.

Dawson played at Lake Oswego High School (enrollment of about 1,350) at the 6A (big school) level in Oregon. Lake Oswego is a suburb of Portland, Oregon with a population of about 40,000 people.

Dawson was promoted from the freshman team to the varsity at Lake Oswego as a 6-foot-6 261-pound ninth-grader, and became a fixture at left tackle by the end of that season. As a senior he was the State’s No. 1 ranked player, an Under Armour All-American, played in the Polynesian Bowl, and was a Top-300 player at any position in the country.

TRIANGLE NUMBERS

Dawson Jaramillo has been listed by various media sources as 6-foot-5 tall. His weight has been listed between 265 pounds and 295 pounds. This fluctuation has more to do with maturation, rather than a real difference of opinion. Jaramillo has been playing varsity for four years so a weight gain of thirty pounds, would not be unusual with a long frame. The Oregonlive.com website (from 2015) lists him at 265 pounds on the low end, while the high school football recruiting website ESPN.com lists him at 297 pounds on the high end. For evaluation purposes, the official Oregon Ducks Roster website lists him at 6-foot-5 and 332 pounds.

I have not seen anything on the web as to arm length or hand size, but for similar sized athletes an arm length of 33″ to 34″ long and a hand size of 9-1/4″ to 10-1/4″ would be expected.

Jaramillo participated at The Opening – Regionals in Los Angeles March 12, 2017 and recorded an excellent score of nearly 90 (88.68), which is impressive for an athlete that is all of 300 pounds and entering his senior year of high school. The testing measures Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, and Quickness (SPARQ) as a quantitative metric.

SKILL SET

Jaramillo has ideal length and bulk to play any of the offensive line positions. He is an excellent athlete with down-hill run blocking power which appears to be his strong-suit at this point in his development. He does however, flash some nice pass blocking techniques as well.

Pass Pro…

Jaramillo in the video above demonstrates nice technique in pass protection. At the snap he has a wide base, he’s on the balls of his feet and he punches and recoils while “mirroring” the pass rusher.

Recognizes the Twist….

In the video above, the defensive tackle and defensive end do a “twist” stunt. Jaramillo and his teammate at guard pick it up effortlessly. Nice job.

Masher…

In the video above, Jaramillo flashes the “masher” that he is. He just overwhelms his opponent at the point of attack, and then jumps on him to send a message that it’s going to be a long night.

Great Hand Punch…

Jaramillo (top of the screen at left tackle) demonstrates a  great hand punch in pass protection, that knocks the rush end off of his arc. Great technique.

Mirror the Rush End…

In the video above, Dawson flashes the athleticism required of a left tackle. The ability to mirror an opponent and keep him centered, while staying in phase throughout the play, is paramount. The quick feet to move laterally, and a well-placed hand punch to disrupt a pass rushers’ arc to the quarterback, are the antidote for the rush end’s speed and ability to “flatten” around the arc.

Leg Drive and Power…

In the video above Jaramillo (left tackle, middle of the page) demonstrates the ability to “bend” and then lock on and drive his opponent to the turf. Notice his legs don’t stop moving until the guy is buried. Great technique.

Double-Team in Run Blocking…

Jaramillo and a teammate lock onto the defensive tackle in a double-team and bury him ten yards away from the line of scrimmage. That’s physicality in the run game.

Athletic with Quick Reactions…

Jaramillo displays his quick reaction to intercept a pass while playing defense in the video above. He is a very athletic big man.

Nasty. Just Big & Bad…

Above, Dawson flashes the nastiness that the best offensive linemen possess. He is an intimidating presence at the high school level. He is “Big & Bad”… a tone setter.

Who He Reminds Me Of…

Jack Conklin of the Tennessee Titans. The former Michigan State Spartan was taken in the first round (No. 8 overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. Conklin and Dawson Jaramillo share very similar triangle numbers (Height, Weight, and speed) as well as a tough, nasty demeanor.

As an NFL scout described Conklin:

“That is a dude, right there. He was busting up Ohio State in the fourth quarter of that game not because he was more talented than those guys, but because he just wanted it more. He’s tougher than old beef jerky. He fits in our division.”

Other players with similar traits to Jaramillo, are T.J. Lang, drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (No. 109 overall) in 2009, Zack Martin, who starred at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round (No. 16 overall) in 2014, Justin Pugh, taken by the New York Giants in the first round (No. 19 overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft, and David Bakhtiari, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in fourth round (No. 109) of the 2013 draft.

ASSESSMENT

Jaramillo has the combination of size, athleticism, and demeanor to play any position on the offensive line. However, either of the tackle positions (right or left) are probably his best fit.

In pass protection he plays with a wide base and does a nice job with his strike and  recoil. He plays on the balls of his feet, without losing balance. He demonstrates the ability to either drop the anchor on the bull-rush, or lock on and run the opponent around the arc with his momentum.

At the high school level he absolutely “ragdolls” opponents, and then jumps on them to finish the play and “send a message.” He brings the nasty street-fighter mindset that is a staple of the great ones.

As a run blocker he is tough and very physical. In one-on-one isolation blocking, he locks on and does a nice job of staying on his feet to leverage and turn his opponent as his assignment dictates. He is pretty polished at the high school level with the double-team and it shows up on his highlight videos several times. He can block down using his size and power to collapse the entire side of the defensive line. He is athletic enough to play in either a zone blocking (east-west) scheme or a conventional “down hill” power blocking (north-south) style of offense.

I didn’t see any trap blocking or pulling. He played left tackle at Lake Oswego, and it would be unusual to see a left tackle pull and lead a running play to the other side. He will have to develop that skill because at the collegiate and pro level, he may end up on the inside where it is mandatory.

I didn’t see a redirect in pass protection either. A redirect is an advanced skill that a tackle must be able to perform. The redirect is where they keep their head on a swivel after delivering a hand punch and recoil. The purpose is to ensure that the guard next to them is still upright, and mirroring the man in front of them. If his teammate is struggling he resets (redirects) his base and helps out, after his first assignment (the speed rusher) has been thrown off his arc.

Dawson Jaramillo will see the field early in his career at Oregon. He is an elite prospect with an All-Conference ceiling and an NFL future.

Michael Kelly “ChicoDuck”
Chico, California

Top Photo Credit: uafootball.us