Alec Lindstrom Scouting Report

Background

Alec Lindstrom is a center from Boston College and a prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. Lindstrom has been the Eagles’ starting center for the last two seasons and has been one of the best centers in college football during that time. Lindstrom comes from a big family (five siblings) and a very athletic one as well. His father was a hall of fame lineman at Boston University and spent three seasons in the NFL; his uncle, Eric, played defensive end at BC from 1984 to 1988; and his older brother Chris was a four-year starter at BC and drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. In high school, Alec played both sides of the ball for his father at Shepherd Hill Regional High School and earned several all-state honors. However, he was only a 2-star recruit, with only two scholarship offers. He earned a scholarship from BC and followed in his brother’s footsteps.

After earning a medical redshirt as a true freshman in 2017, Lindstrom played in eight games overall (three on offense) with one start against Holy Cross in 2018. After packing on more than 30 pounds during his first two years on campus, he earned the starting center job for the 2019 season. Lindstrom did not disappoint, as started all 13 games, played 945 of 990 offensive snaps, and earned Third-Team All-ACC honors. In 2020, he started all 11 games in 2020 as well, played every offensive snap (785), and earned First-Team All-ACC honors.

Lindstrom has earned his spot as one of the primary leaders on the BC team, not only because of his play on the field, but also his infectious personality. He is the vocal leader of the offensive line group and has developed some media following around his food/restaurant reviews and interviewing other members of the team on his podcast. This, along with multiple members of his family playing collegiately and in the NFL, indicate that Alec has the mental makeup to succeed at the next level.

Statistics

Pro Football Focus Grades (20% snap minimum): 2020 – Offense: 65.2 (59th out of 128 eligible Cs), Pass Blocking: 85.1 (2nd), Run Blocking: 57.2 (90th), Penalties: 4, 9 hurries, 2 QB hits, 2 sacks; 2019 – Offense: 67.5 (t-53rd out of 145), Pass Blocking: 78.2 (26th), Run Blocking: 66.2 (48th), Penalties: 6, 4 hurries, 1 sack.

Games Watched

North Carolina (2020), Pittsburgh (2020), Clemson (2020), Notre Dame (2020), Syracuse (2019), NC State (2019), Pittsburgh (2019)

Strengths

Very good movement skills/footwork: has quick smooth feet that allow him to move back and forth at the top of the pocket to easily mirror pass rushers and respond well to twists and stunts; keeps feet driving as a run blocker through the end of the play.
Solid hand usage: hands are very active to mirror and deflect defensive linemen; displays good placement to locate the defender’s breastplate and strike him there.
Very good anchor in pass protection: easily able to shut down bull rushers; can recover well if beaten quickly off the snap to drop his feet and plant in the ground to prevent further penetration.
Solid in Man/Gap schemes: solid at executing Base blocks against A-gap defenders, as he can use angles and technique as opposed to brute strength to maintain his gap; good in DBLs, working very well with OGs to generate push and maintain balance.
Solid in Zone schemes: movement skills and athleticism help him get off the ball and move down the line, pushing defender with the flow; very good in Combo blocks, displaying good instincts of when to climb to next defender.
Solid when asked to get out in space as a puller or on screens; good athletic ability helps him get to the outside fluidly and quickly; good balance, as he rarely ends up on the ground against his will.
Good mental processing: responsible for setting and adjusting protections for the offensive line; good post-snap recognition of stunts and twists, keeping head on a swivel to look for work; plays well with others in doubles and combo blocks, with a good sense of timing to peel off.
Elite competitive toughness: best finisher on the BC offensive line, relishing in burying defenders into the ground; consistently plays through the whistle and never gives up on his blocks.

Weaknesses

Adequate play strength as a run blocker in all schemes: struggles to generate push at the point of attack; needs to improve how he uses his leverage in the run game.
Adequate play speed: takes just a hair too long to get out of his stance and get into the block, leading to quicker defenders beating him off the snap and putting him at an immediate disadvantage.
Lack of play strength and speed negatively affect his hand usage: sometimes doesn’t get his hands up quick enough, and does not have a ton of pop in his hands; timing of strikes could use some work as well.
Struggles against bigger 0-1Ts in Man-Gap schemes: superior size and strength overwhelms him and cannot displace the defender.
Seems to be lacking arm length, leading to occasional issues with executing Reach blocks, especially if he has to get to the play-side 3T.
Struggles a bit when asked to climb to the second level; doesn’t consistently make the block on his assigned defender and looks lost sometimes.

Projection

Entering his third year as a starter, Alec Lindstrom is a polished center prospect. He is technically sound in the vast majority of the aspects of the game and is especially good in pass protection. However, he lacks some of the critical physical tools (size, strength, speed) in order to be considered an elite prospect. Lindstrom does not consistently win against better competition as a run blocker in Man or Zone schemes. In his final college season, he needs to display more competence in his ability to execute the zone-blocking scheme that BC has adopted, along with improving his play strength. At this point, Alec Lindstrom looks like a developmental mid-round selection who will need some time to adjust to the speed and strength of the NFL game. But his prowess as a pass blocker should make him a valuable asset in nearly any offense, as the game becomes increasingly pass-heavy. He is exceptionally durable and possesses all the off-field intangibles you could want in a draft prospect.