Summer Scouting: Michigan Football left tackle Ryan Hayes

With a little over one month to go until the Wolverines open up fall training camp, we take an in-depth look at the strengths and weaknesses of a position group that tends to get less attention: the offensive line. Today’s scouting report profiles Michigan football’s starting left tackle, Ryan Hayes. 

Formerly a four-star out of Traverse City, Michigan, Hayes came to Michigan football as a jumbo tight end they planned on transitioning to offensive tackle.

Originally measuring in at 6’7, 250 some pounds, Hayes has built his body up into that of a true offensive tackle, now weighing 307 pounds according to the Wolverines’ official roster profile.

He started all 14 games last season at left tackle after getting his feet wet with a couple of starts in 2020 and went on to be an All-Big Ten selection this past season (second team coaches).

In each of these reports, I have gone back and watched all 14 games to evaluate their 2021 season, and how it projects towards their 2022 season this fall.

Best Game: vs. Washington (Sept. 11)

Hayes best game on film was in Michigan’s big non-conference win, a 31-10 dismantling of PAC-12 foe Washington. With the Huskies holding two elite cornerbacks and a vaunted pass defense last season, Michigan football’s game plan was to simply avoid throwing and run the ball down their throats. Hayes’ ability to push around the Washington edge rushers, such as Ryan Bowman and Cooper McDonald was critical. McDonald in particular, had a very rough day against Hayes, consistently getting put on his heels and driven off the ball.

Worst Game: at Penn State (Nov. 13)

Many can likely remember the late dread in the Penn State game as Hayes was beaten in some key moments by Penn State pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie. Quite the player himself, Ebiketie was eventually selected 38th overall in the NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, but nonetheless gave Hayes fits. His speed and burst off the edge left even the athletic Hayes in a tough spot in protection.

Hayes gave multiple sacks and pressures, and nearly cost the Wolverines the win, but ultimately held steady on the final drive, long enough for Cade McNamara to find tight end Erick All for the go-ahead touchdown.

Strengths

Many would expect that the stereotypical TE-to-OT would tend to be better at pass protection than run blocking, given that pass protection tends to require more of the athleticism you come to expect out of tight ends. However, Hayes is arguably a better run blocker at this point. Despite his height at 6’7, he does a very nice job establishing leverage with his hands and shows excellent explosiveness off the snap. He’s excellent in double teams, sealing and/or kicking out the edge, and making zone cut-off blocks on the backside.

Hayes also has a bit of a mauler mentality to him. He consistently looks to finish blocks, running defenders into the ground later into the block. He excels as a zone blocker, especially in sealing off the backside, but has really progressed quite nicely in the gap scheme elements that are more traditional in Harbaugh’s offense.

In space, Hayes is a good athlete, and it shows as he is consistently able to cut off backside linebackers and make contact with defensive backs on screens and such. He plays with a great balance and tempo.

While most of his technique deficiencies come in the pass protection side of things, Hayes remains a quite statistically solid pass protector, surrendering few sacks and pressure outside the lopsided matchup against Penn State and Ebiketie.

Weaknesses

Hayes remains a solid pass protector, but there’s a bit of a passive nature to his pass pro. His hands are consistently too low and do not strike with force or speed. He tends to simply latch onto to the pass rusher rather than initiate his punch and dictate the terms of the engagement.

While Hayes is certainly a better run blocker than pass protector at this point, he still could stand to be a bit better when going forward into someone. Michigan tends to play the tight end on his side in the run game, allowing him more double teams and such that give him some additional help, rather than consistently ask him to take a defensive end head-on in a one-on-one situation.

Projection for 2022

Hayes is a very good collegiate left tackle for the Wolverines. He may not end up in the same air as some of the historic greats such as Jake Long and Taylor Lewan (both first-round picks), but he certainly will have an opportunity to once again be an All-Big Ten selection and hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft, possibly even early. But for the Wolverines, having his consistency, experience, and leadership will be a huge boost in returning a dominant offensive line.

In particular, fans should remember that Hayes only has one year under his belt, only being a full-starter this past season. Thus, it is quite realistic to expect to see Hayes continue improving and taking leaps forward.

If he is able to be a more consistent mauler without tight end help, that would really open up Harbaugh’s option in the run game in terms of formations and such, and allow them to use the tight end to provide some help and cover to their new starter at right tackle. And in particular, pass protection is the area where offensive linemen tend to grow the most with experience. Getting more reps in and letting the game speed slow down will certainly help Hayes matchup better against another slate of quality pass rushers in the Big Ten once more.

Overall, Hayes will not get as much preseason hype as Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski or Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. However, Hayes is now an experienced player who certainly can take the next step to being every bit as good, if not even better than the aforementioned duo.

He will play a big role in helping Michigan continue its dominant rushing ways. The Wolverines finished 8th in rushing yards in 2021, and there’s no reason not to expect them to once again be a top-10 rushing offense this upcoming season with maulers like Ryan Hayes returning.