Adam Bisnowaty: The next David Diehl? What the scouts say

New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese offered sixth-round pick Adam Bisnowaty high praise on Monday, saying the former Pitt offensive tackle reminded him of long-time Giant David Diehl.

Diehl started at a multitude of positions for the Giants during an 11-year career that saw him help the team win two Super Bowl titles. Could the Giants have found a player who could attain a similar level of success?

Anson Whaley of SB Nation’s Pitt blog, Cardiac Hill, thinks the Giants got a steal at that late point in the draft:

I expected him to be a second-rounder coming into the season ... certainly no lower than a third, so where he went was definitely kind of surprising. There was an NFL.com article that rated the top 100 prospects and he wasn't on that, so that was sort of the beginning of it. He definitely had some first-round talk before but that was mostly in 2014 when he still had two years of eligibility left and right after James Conner had a huge season that year.

Part of it may have been the James Conner injury. Pitt's line got a lot of credit in 2014 when Conner ran for nearly 1,800 yards. He got injured in the first game of 2015 then had the whole cancer ordeal where he missed the entire year. Pitt's leading guy ran for about 1,100 yards so that could have been a reason the line became less valued.

Dumb as it sounds, I think that he didn't garner much All-American consideration probably hurt him, too. Those guys go to the front of the line a lot of times and as much as people in the ACC knew about him, he just didn't get the kind of national respect that Johnson did. I think he had a few penalties on the line but nothing alarming or anything like that. He's got good size, stayed out of trouble, and is a pretty smart guy - he was a four-time All-ACC Academic player. Biz was a four-year starter, didn't have any injury issues, and was twice a first-team All-ACC tackle.

Honestly, I think it was a really good pick that late. I can't point to anything that says he should have gone that late.

Let’s see what the scouts think of Bisnowaty.

What the scouts say

2017 Optimum Draft guide (Eric Galko):

Few players should be as easy for teams to like as Adam Bisnowaty. He is a four-year starter who consistently earned All-Conference awards and earned four straight All-Academic team bids. On film, however, Bisnowaty is not so reliable. Bisnowaty as an offensive tackle is much like if a soccer team moved their goalie and put a wooden board in front of half the goal. The board is capable of defending a portion of the goal, but it does not have the full functionality and malleability that a goalie does. Bisnowaty does not show great success in executing all kinds of blocks. When working down blocks and short step combination blocks, Bisnowaty is able to flash his physical talent and strength, but that is only a fraction of what he is asked to do every game. Bisnowaty struggles to work down the line to reach defensive lineman who are a gap away and he looks sluggish in space. He does not possess the athletic traits to be a versatile blocker. In pass protection, Bisnowaty faces the same conundrum. He has a quality anchor and ability to fight with his hands, but Bisnowaty's kick slide is slow and reserved, leaving him vulnerable to speed rushers. Once he his beaten to the edge, Bisnowaty seldom shows the ability to recover and save the play. Bisnowaty has value as a reserve lineman who can operate power run blocks in the run game and quick protections in the pass game. If he can land somewhere that favors running downhill and getting the ball out quickly when passing, Bisnowaty will stick.

More on ‘Biz’

• ‘Invictus’ says Bisnowaty is his least favorite pick of the Giants draft class
• Jesse Bartolis says Bisnowaty must prove that injuries haven’t taken away the ability that once had him thought of as a possible first-round pick

Pro Football Focus Draft Pass:

Bisnowaty has flashed the ability to succeed in the run game, but it’s concerning to see his regression over the years. He should have had more success in a friendly Pittsburgh scheme, and coupled with his struggles during Senior Bowl week, there are concerns about Bisnowaty’s fit at the next level. Bisnowaty does play with great length with his arms and this shows itself both on film and his compilation of positive run-blocking grades. However, his lack of athleticism has led to a high number of negatively graded run-blocking grades also to balance out the good plays. Bisnowaty’s biggest struggles will probably come in pass protection as he struggles to quickly change directions causing him to be out of position to block the rusher. It’s difficult to project a scheme fit for Bisnowaty as he does not appear quick enough to play in a zone-blocking scheme so he is probably best suited for a gap-blocking scheme although there is needed improvement in his power-blocking skill set.

Dane Brugler (CBS Sports) 2017 NFL Draft Guide:

A four-year starter at Pittsburgh, Bisnowaty has been a fixture at left tackle for the Panthers the past four seasons, leaving school with 43 career starts. In Pitt’s run-first offense, he showed off his upper body power and stubborn blocking style to occupy defenders and win match-ups with his nasty edge. However, it is a different story in space as Bisnowaty struggles with inconsistent pad level, wandering hands and uneven feet in his kickslide, leading to balance issues in pass pro. With his improved play and toughness in smaller spaces, a move to guard might be in his future, offering the versatile experience to kick out to tackle if needed – day three prospect who can secure a roster spot as a rookie back-up.

Ian Wharton 2017 NFL Draft Gide:

One of the most uniquely-built linemen in this class is Adam Bisnowaty. The Pitt left tackle is tall and lean, boasting a look that is not ready for the NFL. Even in college, Bisnowaty was pushed around and bullied far too often in the trenches because he’s at least 20 pounds underweight in terms of functional strength in his core and legs. That’s fixable in time. But teams must have patience and some faith that his speed and athleticism will stick with the bulk. Right now, Bisnowaty’s a tremendous mover who specializes in the run game. He might get moved to guard, but that’s risky considering his weakness is dealing with power, and that doesn’t improve when moving inside to block tackles.