Road to the NFL: Greg Little Draft Profile
As one of the most highly-touted high school prospects ever, Greg Little lived up to the hype at Ole Miss, a main reason why he’s bound for the NFL.
Offensive tackle Greg Little is another highly-touted Ole Miss Rebels projected to be taken in the early rounds of next week’s NFL Draft.
Little possesses the important combination of size, length and quickness as a prototypical prospect at left tackle in the NFL and has a shot at joining Laremy Tunsil (2016, Miami); Michael Oher (2009, Baltimore); and Chris Spencer (2005, Seattle) as a first-round offensive lineman pick from Ole Miss.
Career Overview
Little was a top-five national recruit regardless of position coming out of Allen (Texas) high school, and he made an immediate impact for the Rebels. He was named freshman All-American and SEC All-Freshman honoree in his first year on campus, playing in all 12 games. Little would go on to start 29 games at left tackle, including the final five of his freshman season.
League coaches voted Little second-team All-SEC after 12 starts at left tackle in 2017. He was a first-team all-conference selection his junior year after starting all 12 games at left tackle.
Greg Little Career Highlights
• 2019 NFL Combine Invitee
• 2018 All-America Second Team (Walter Camp, FWAA, Sporting News, Phil Steele, CollegeFootballNews.com)
• 2018 All-SEC First Team (AP, Coaches)
• 2018 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Finalist
• 2018 Outland Trophy Watch List
• 2018 Preseason All-America First Team (The Athletic, Sporting News)
• 2018 Preseason All-America Second Team (AP, Lindy’s, Phil Steele, Athlon)
• 2018 Preseason All-SEC First Team (Lindy’s, Athlon, Phil Steele)
• 2017 All-SEC Second Team (AP, Coaches, Phil Steele)
• 2017 Week 12 SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week
• 2016 Freshman All-America Team (Rivals)
• 2016 SEC All-Freshman First Team (Coaches)
• 2016 SEC All-Freshman Second Team (Athlon)
The 6-foot-5, 310-pound blind-side pass blocker excelled in pass protection for Matt Luke’s Ole Miss team, allowing just three sacks in 993 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Although some have questions about his run blocking ability, that is not because of bad tape but, rather, is because of minimal tape given how much Ole Miss threw the ball throughout Little’s career.
At the Combine
At the NFL Combine, Little ran the 40-yard dash in 5.33 seconds, posted a 25-inch vertical, and ran a 1.84 10-yard split. He measured in with 35 1/4 inch arches and 10 1/4 inch hands.
Draft Profile
NFL Draft guru Mike Detillier, who produces the annual Mike Detillier Draft Report recognized as one of the most comprehensive in the country, ranks Little as his No. 5 offensive tackle prospect.
“Greg has excellent size and a huge wingspan to play the left tackle spot in the pros. Little has long arms, and he can steer players to the outer edge as a pass protector. Greg has above-average foot speed and quickness, and he is a quick set-up guy in protecting the QB.”
NFL Draft Analyst Mike Detillier on Greg Little
Detillier expounds further on the attributes that could make Little a top lineman in the NFL.
“He plays the game on his feet and he has good body balance and control skills. Greg anchors down well when being bull-rushed and he stones players at the point of attack. He has good hand-placement skills and he keeps his hands inside. Plays the game low to the turn as a run blocker and he flashes big-time skills as a drive blocker.“
Mike Detillier on Greg Little
Detillier also notes a few of Little’s weaknesses. “He has the speed and quickness to get to the second level to throw a block, but sometimes he will misfire on his target point. If Greg’s focus/intensity gets raised and he gets stronger overall, he has a chance to be a top left tackle in the NFL.”
PFF considers Little the sixth-best tackle in this year’s class, and draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic has him ranked fifth among prospects at his position.
Greg Little vs No. 1 Alabama on September 15th, 2018 in Oxford, Miss. (Photo by Josh McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics)
Where Will Little Go in the Draft?
Most NFL scouts and draft experts project Little as a likely second-round pick who could sneak into the end of the first. The Patriots currently own the 32nd overall selection, plus two second-round picks and three third-rounders.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein still forecasts Little as a first-round pick, selecting him No. 23 to his hometown Houston Texans. Walter Football also pins Little in the first round, picking him No. 30 to the Green Bay Packers. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller picks Little No. 48 in the second round to the Miami Dolphins.
Mike Detillier projects Little as a possible second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 42nd overall selection.
The 2019 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, and we look forward to seeing where Greg Little is selected. It has been a pleasure to cover his collegiate career, and we wish him nothing but the best in his NFL future!
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
